Definition
Defense mechanisms are unconscious psychological responses that protect people from feelings of anxiety, threats to self-esteem, and things that they don't want to think about or deal with. |
According to Freud
These mechanisms protect the conscious mind from contradictions between the animalistic id and the idealistic superego, ultimately contributing to "mental homeostasis." |
Mental homeostasis is the tendency of a person to maintain stability or uniformity in their psychological states. It is a term used for psychological balance achieved when one's needs and desires have been met.
Primary Defense Mechanisms
Mnemonic
DD - Denial, Displacement |
RSS - Repression, Suppression, Sublimation |
PIRRR - Projection, Intellectualization, Rationalization, Regression, Reaction Formation |
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How does it work?
Ego is the aspect of the mind that deals with inner conflicting demands of the Id(primal part, urges) and Superego (internal morals and values) |
When conflicting, anxiety is created and ego shields with defense mechanisms. |
According to Freud, anxiety is is an unpleasant inner state that people seek to avoid. Anxiety acts as a signal to the ego that things are not going the way they should. As a result, the ego employs some sort of defense mechanism to help reduce these feelings of anxiety. |
Other Defense Mechanisms according to Researchers
Mnemonic
AHA - Altruism, Humor, Aim Inhibition |
CUP - Compensation, Undoing, Passive-aggression |
FADA - Fantasy, Acting-out, Dissociation, Avoidance |
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Types of Anxiety
Moral Anxiety |
Neurotic anxiety |
Reality anxiety |
A fear of violating our own moral principles |
The unconscious worry that we will lose control of the id's urges, resulting in punishment for inappropriate behavior |
Fear of real-world events. |
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