Defense Mechanisms
VN 240
Mental Health
Defense Mechanisms
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Use and purpose of
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Unconscious process to increase one’s
security, self-esteem, problem solving
Ensure comfort and defend vs. anxiety
Defense Mechanisms
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Types
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Narcissistic
Immature
Neurotic
Mature
Narcissistic
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Narcissus loved the reflection of his face
Birth to 3 years
Health adults during periods of severe
stress
Denial
Distortion
Delusional projection
Narcissistic
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Denial
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Distortion
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Blocking awareness of a painful situation
Reshape external reality
Delusional projection
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Form conclusions not based on reality
Immature
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2 to 4 years
Healthy adults with moderate to severe
stress and personality disorders
Acting out
Avoidance
Projection
Regression
Immature
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Acting out
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Avoidance
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Stay away from person, place, situation
Projection
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Expressing unconscious anger overtly
Blames thoughts or feelings on another
Regression
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Function at an earlier developmental stage
Neurotic
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Significant level of psychological
distress
Possible major depression or anxiety
Displacement
Identification
Isolation = rationalization
Reaction formation = compensation
Repression
Neurotic
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Displacement
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Isolation
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Transferring a feeling to a safer object
Detaching painful feelings
Identification
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Imitating another
Neurotic
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Reaction formation
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Substituting an opposite feeling for a real
one
Repression
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Unconscious forgetting
Mature
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Middle and later years of childhood
Used under minimal stress
Altruism
Humor
Sublimation
Suppression
Mature
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Altruism
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Humor
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Cannot tolerate a difficult situation
Sublimation
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Transferring one’s dreams to another
Diverting unacceptable drives into
acceptable activities
Suppression
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Deliberate, conscious forgetting
General Adaptation Syndrome
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Alarm reaction
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Stage of resistance
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Body responds to stressor with adrenaline
Maintains resistance until stressor
disappears
Stage of exhaustion
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Body’s resistance fails
Death
Maladaptive and
Psychotic Behavior
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Maladaptive
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Result of ineffective coping and
psychosocial maladaptation
Psychotic
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Most severe manifestation of ineffective
coping
Loss of contact with reality
Psychological Responses
Anxiety and grief have been described as two
major, primary psychological response
patterns to stress.
 A variety of thoughts, feelings, and behaviors
are associated with each of these response
patterns.
 Adaptation is determined by the extent to
which the thoughts, feelings, and behaviors
interfere with an individual’s functioning.
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Psychological Responses
Anxiety
A diffuse apprehension that is vague in
nature and is associated with feelings of
uncertainty and helplessness
 Extremely common in our society
 Mild anxiety is adaptive and can provide
motivation for survival
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Defenses Mechanism
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Defined TermsAltruism
Sublimation
Compensation
Suppression
Repression
Undoing
Defenses Mechanism
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Displacement
Fantasy
Identification
Isolation
Rationalization
Reaction Formation
Acting Out
Defenses Mechanism
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Passive-Aggression
Conversion Reaction
Projection
Regression
Denial
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The Mind is Protecting Itself- (Freud)
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