Defense mechanism otherwise known as Ego defense mechanism or Coping mechanism are unconscious psychological strategies employed by different entities to cope with reality and to maintain self-image. It is an unconscious protective barrier to manage one’s instinct.
Purposes of Defense Mechanism
- Self-security protection
- Anxiety reduction
- Mental conflict resolution
- Self-esteem protection
Types of Defense Mechanism
Repression
It is the unconscious forgetting of a traumatic event. Repression is involuntary, automatic, and submerging of the painful experience.
Suppression
It is the conscious forgetting of a traumatic event. Suppression is also used in the intentional exclusion of forbidden ideas. It can also be viewed as avoidance.
Insulation
Insulation is withdrawing passively and becoming inaccessible to avoid further threatening situations.
Reaction Formation
Reaction formation is doing the opposite of what is intended. One assumes an attitude or behavior that one consciously regrets.
Rationalization
It attempts to justify or modify the unacceptable needs. A person mostly often uses “because”.
Fantasy
Gratification through imaginary achievements and wishful thinking.
Sublimation
It is the diversion of unacceptable needs or feelings into socially acceptable behavior.
Undoing
Undoing is an actual or symbolic attempt to erase previous experiences.
Regression
It is when one is returning to an earlier development stage to express an impulse to deal with anxiety.
Compensation
It is an attempt to make up or to accept deficiencies.
Denial
Denial is blocking out or disowning of painful thoughts or experiences.
Substitution
Substitution is the replacement of a valued unacceptable object with an object that is more acceptable to the ego.
Identification
Identification attempts to pattern or resemble a personality or trait of an admired person.
Projection
It is transferring one’s internal feelings, thoughts, and behavior acceptable by justifying the behavior.
Intellectualization
It is the overuse of intellectual concepts to avoid the real expression of feelings.
Conversion
Conversion is the transforming of an emotional problem into physical symptoms.
Isolation
Isolation is when a person blocks feelings associated with an unpleasant experience.
Displacement
One’s feelings for person A is directed to person B who is less threatening, hence satisfying an impulse with a substitute object.
Introjection
Is where the individual incorporates the trait of another into oneself.
Dissociation
It is the blocking-off of an anxiety provoking event or period of time.
Symbolization
Symbolization is the use of an idea or object to represent another actual event or object.
Fixation
One never advancing to the next level of emotional development and organization
