Defense Mechanisms for ETOM Powerpoint

1. Defense Mechanisms
Sometimes, wouldn’t burying your head in the sand be easier than facing reality?

2. Definition of Defense Mechanisms
Defense Mechanisms are “ways of dealing with anxiety through
unconsciously distorting one’s perception of reality.”
-Ciccarelli & White, 2015
In other words, your ego:
1. Protects you from consciously experiencing anxiety by
altering your reality
2. Alters reality at the unconscious level so that you are not aware
that you are using a Defense Mechanism

3. The Freuds & Defense Mechanisms
According to Sigmund Freud, Defense Mechanisms are employed by the
Ego to reduce the conflict between the Id and the Superego.
The Ego wants to reduce the conflict because when the Id and Superego
are fighting, the person experiences anxiety.
Sigmund Freud and his daughter, Anna, described eight unique Defense
Mechanisms our egos use to reduce anxiety and discomfort.
1. Repression
2. Denial
3. Reaction Formation
4. Projection
5. Regression
6. Rationalization
7. Displacement
8. Sublimation

4. Repression
Stressful, conflicting, or threatening events get pushed out of
conscious awareness.
 An adult who was abused in childhood cannot recall the abuse at all.
 An adult witnessed their pet get struck by a car when they were a child
but cannot remember witnessing the event.
 A child accidentally pees their pants in front of their classmates;
years later, the child cannot remember that embarrassing experience.
 An unhappy spouse accidentally forgets their wedding anniversary each year.
 An anxious student completely forgets about a big assignment that was due.

5. Denial
Refusal to accept an unpleasant reality
 A terminally ill patient says, “I’m not dying.”
 A person who binge drinks daily says, “I don’t have a
drinking problem.”
 Parents of a child who has died deny the loss of the child by
keeping the child’s room unchanged.

6. Reaction Formation
Expressing a more socially accepted impulse that is the opposite
of what the person truly feels or wants to express
 Treating someone whom you intensely dislike as a friend
 A person wants to express their sexual impulses but instead
becomes a protester of pornography and sex before marriage.
 A male is unconsciously attracted to another male but outwardly
voices hatred of homosexuals.
 A timid person shows how daring and brave they are.

7. Projection
Attributing a disturbing impulse, attitude, or behavior to
someone else
 A person unconsciously hates a person but says, “I don’t hate
him, he hates me.”
 A woman is unconsciously attracted to her sister’s husband but
denies this attraction and believes the husband is attracted to her.
 A person unconsciously wants to steal from a store but instead
accuses other people of stealing from the store.

8. Regression
Falling back on childlike patterns as a way of coping with
stressful situations
 A 5 year old starts wetting the bed after his parents bring home
a new baby.
 An 10 year old starts sucking their thumb for comfort on the first
day of school.
 A husband starts whining and throwing a temper tantrum in front
of their wife to be able to buy a video game.

9. Rationalization
Making up acceptable excuses for unacceptable behavior
 A person says, “I can have dessert because I saved room by
skipping breakfast.”
 A person gets fired from a job and says, “the job wasn’t a
good one anyway.”
 A person gets dumped by their partner and feels better by
thinking about all the “faults” of the partner.
 A person says, “everybody else does it, so I don’t have to feel
guilty.”
 A person binge-drinking alcohol says, “it’s OK, I drink just to
be social.”

10. Displacement
Expressing an impulse with a substitute object that is less
threatening than the original target of the impulse
 A person gets yelled at by their boss. The person goes home and
gets angry and snaps at their partner.
 A person receives an F on an exam and kicks their dog when they
get home.
 A teenager that’s angry with their father picks a fight with their
younger brother.

11. Sublimation
Turning socially unacceptable urges into socially acceptable
behavior
 A hostile, aggressive teenager channels their urges into learning
mixed martial arts.
 A person with sexual curiosity satisfies their urges by research
sexual behaviors.
 A person dumped by their partner writes a poem about the
experience.

12. Defense Mechanisms Overview
Notice what all of the Defense Mechanisms have in common…
 All Defense Mechanisms distort reality and reduce anxiety so that
we can function in our day-to-day lives.
 If we faced the “truth” about many of hour urges and behaviors,
we would continually be stressed.
 The Ego and its use of Defense Mechanisms save us from that stress.
 Remember that it is normal to use a mix of these Mechanisms
 Now that you are familiar with the definitions and examples of
each Mechanism, it’s time for you to practice working with the
Mechanisms!