DEFENSE

MECHANISMS

DEFENSE MECHANISM Page 1 of 26

Defense mechanisms are unconscious psychological strategies brought into play by
various entities to cope with reality and to maintain self-image. An ego defense
mechanism becomes pathological only when its persistent use leads to maladaptive
behavior such that the physical and/or mental health of the individual is adversely
affected. The purpose of ego defense mechanisms is to protect the mind/self/ego from
anxiety, social sanctions or to provide a refuge from a situation with which one cannot
currently cope.

The ego, which is the Freudian structure of reality, calls on a number of strategies known
as a Defense Mechanism to resolve the conflict among its demand for reality, the wishes
of the id, which consists of the instincts and the individual’s reservoir of psychic energy,
and the constraint of the superego, the moral branch of personality. These defense
mechanisms reduce anxiety by unconsciously distorting reality. For example, when the
ego blocks the pleasurable pursuits of the id, a person feels anxiety, which the ego
resolves by means of defense mechanism.

"Defense Mechanism" is often thought to refer to a definitive singular term for personality
traits which arise due to loss or traumatic experiences, but more accurately refers to
several types of reactions which were identified during and after daughter Anna Freud's
time. Defense mechanisms are sometimes confused with coping strategies. Listed below
are the different kinds of defense mechanisms and an example of each.

ACCEPTANCE
A person’s assent to the reality of a situation, recognizing a process or condition without
attempting to change it, protest, or exit. Religions and psychological treatments often
suggest the path of acceptance when a situation is both disliked and unchangeable, or
when change may be possible only at great cost or risk.

Example: Faith accepted the reality that she needs to find a new job and start applying
after being terminated at work by her cruel boss.

ACTING OUT
In this type of defense, the individual copes with stress by engaging in actions rather than
reflecting upon internal feelings.

Example: An addict gives in to their desire for alcohol or drugs. A person who dislikes
another person seeks to cause actual harm to them.

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ACTIVISM
Emphasize vigorous action instead of adopting practical problem-solving strategies.

Example: You and your girlfriend decided to just break up instead of solving the problems
in your relationship.

ADAPTATION
The individual deals with emotional conflicts or internal or external stressors by changing
oneself in accordance of the will of the person and or situation.

Example: The class needs to decide whether to change or not to change the class
schedule.

ANIMISM
You give human qualities to non-human entities.

Example: You always talk to your pillow because it comforts you.

ANTICIPATION
Is realistically anticipating or planning for future inner discomfort. The mechanism is goal-
directed and implies careful planning or worrying and premature but realistic effective
anticipation of dire and potentially dreadful outcomes.

Example: Diana always brings her pepper spray just to be ready to protect herself in case
of emergency.

AFFILIATION
The individual deals with emotional conflict or internal or external stressors by turning to
others for help or support. This involves sharing problems with others but does not imply
trying to make someone else responsible for them.

Example: A hopeless individual joins a bible study session.

AIM INHIBITION
The individual accepts a modified form of their original goal

Example: A high school student who did not pass the entrance examination, enrolled in
another school with such standards of the school she wishes to be at but with lower tuition
fee.

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ALTRUISM
It is a constructive service to others that brings pleasure and personal satisfaction. Unlike
the self-sacrifice sometimes characteristic of reaction formation, the individual receives
gratification either vicariously or from the response of others.

Example: A man, who grew up without experiencing a full meal in a day, donates food for
the street children and the less fortunate.

ANALYZING
The individual deals with emotional conflict or internal or external by attempting to explain
the cause for your failure, believing that may resolve the issue.

Example: Your best friend is absent for five consecutive days, you think of many
possibilities, whether he might be out for vacation or he is doing something important.

ANGER AND INTIMIDATION

This is when a person deep down inside feels powerless and weak on some level and
uses emotional intensity threatens, intimidation and fear to get his/her needs met.

Example: Bullies often feel inferior. That’s why they threaten and intimidate other people.

APATHY
The individual deals with emotional conflicts or internal or external stressors by shutting
down your emotional responses to safeguard; showing lack of emotion or feeling.

Example: People are criticizing you because of your performance but you choose to
neglect them and not to care.

ARGUING
The individual deals with emotional conflict or internal or external by bringing up a
controversy to side track the situation or the other individual.

Example: Your friend is asking you to pay your debt but you told him that he didn’t pay on
time when he borrowed money to you.

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ASCETICISM
The individual deals with emotional conflicts or internal or external stressors by rejecting
all instinctual impulses. The concept is derived from the doctrine that material things are
evil and only spiritual things are good.

Example: You failed on the test that’s why you went to the mall.

AUTISTIC FANTASY
The individual deals with emotional conflict or internal or external stressors by excessive
daydreaming as a substitute for human relationships, more effective action or problem
solving.

Example: Your dream is to become a famous singer so the only thing you do are
practicing and listening to great singers without realizing that your social relationship is
sacrificed.

AVOIDANCE
The individual deals with emotional conflict or internal or external stressors by refusing to
encounter situations, objects or activities because they represent unconscious sexual or
aggressive impulses and or punishment for those impulses.

Example: You prefer to spend your time on unimportant activities such as using social
media rather than doing your school works to prevent stress.

BLAMING OR ATTACKING OTHERS

When our ego becomes threatened, we feel vulnerable and hurt, or we don’t want to admit
our own shortcomings or contributions to the problem, we try to cope with this pain by
blaming or attacking others instead.

Example: You blame your teacher when you failed your exam. You said that she didn’t
teach the topic well.

BLOCKING
You temporarily or transiently inhibit thinking. Affects and impulses may also be involved.
Blocking closely resembles repression but differs in that tension arises when the impulse,
affect, or thought is inhibited.

Example: A Model acts like nothing happened after she slipped off the runway.

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COMPARTMENTALIZATION
The individual deals with emotional conflicts or internal or external stressors by separating
parts of the self from awareness of other parts and behaving as if one had separate sets
of values.

Example: A person who is very religious and also a very scientific person holds the
opposing beliefs in cognitive compartments, such as, when they are in church, they can
have blind faith, while they are in the laboratory, they question everything.

COMPENSATION
The individual deals with emotional conflicts or internal or external stressors by excelling
in one area to cover their inferiority in another area.

Example: You do your best to excel academically because you know that you’re not a
sporty person.

COMPLAINING
The individual deals with emotional conflicts or internal or external stressors by giving in
to the wishes of another to avoid confrontation.

Example: You are complaining about how low your grades are instead of changing your
study habits.

COMPLIANCE
The individual deals with emotional conflicts or internal or external stressors by giving in
to the wishes of another to avoid confrontation.

Example: Your teacher gave your class an activity that she never taught; your class will
just comply with your teacher because it concerns your grade.

CONFLUENCE
It is when two people parallel to each other never risk disagreement.

Example: You and your brother agree to go to the mall with your family.

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CONTROLLING
The Individual deals with emotional conflict or internal or external stressors by attempting
to manage or regulate events or objects in the environment to minimize anxiety and to
resolve inner conflicts.

Example: Your father forbids you to use gadgets after midnight.

CONVERSION
Conflicts are represented by physical symptoms involving portions of the body x by
sensory or motor nerves. The term is also applied to the process of over-correcting for
handicap or limitation.

Example: A person's foot becomes suddenly paralyzed after they have been threatening
to kick someone else.

COURAGE
It is the mental ability and willingness to confront conflicts, fear, pain, danger, uncertainty,
despair, obstacles, vicissitudes or intimidation. Physical courage extends live, while more
courage preserves the ideals of justice and fairness.

Example: You are become courageous when you presented your thesis.

DEFIANCE
The individual deals with emotional conflict or internal or external by daring others to prove
that your arguments are wrong even if you know that you are right.

Example: A teacher always tells his class to argue the theory he just discussed.

DEFLECTION
When change the subject and focus on someone or something else, instead of speaking
about you.

Example: You always try to change the topic when you and your friend talks about love.

DELUSIONAL PROJECTION
The individual attributes non-reality-based thoughts, emotions and impulses to others.

Example: You always say that your friend wants to ride a unicorn but deep inside, you
are the one who likes to ride one.

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DENIAL
People refuse to accept or acknowledge an anxiety-producing piece of information.

Example: You don’t accept the fact that your grades are lower than you expected

DESENSITIZATION
Similar to deflection, this is another way of avoiding contact with an emotional trigger.
However, while deflection prevents the stimulus from reaching our thoughts,
Desensitization concerns a more profound shutting down at the emotional level.

Example: Other people find themselves sleepy and heavy in the presence of the
desensitized person.

DEVALUATION
Attributing exaggerated negative qualities to self or others.

Example: You always say that you are not good academically but you always study hard.

DIRECT ATTACK
When you use direct attack in response to a threat to your self-esteem, you attack the
source of the threat. This may take the form of “lashing out” at another person.

Example: You punch your classmate who always teases you.

DISAVOWAL
Keeps unwanted events from the conscious mind.

Example: You force yourself to not think about your failed relationship.

DISPLACEMENT
The expression of an unwanted feeling or thought is redirected from a more threatening
powerful person to a weaker one.

Example: You turn your anger to your co-worker because your boss scolded you for not
doing your work.

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DISSOCIATION
It is a temporarily but drastically modifying a person’s character or one’s sense of personal
identity to avoid emotional distress. Fugue states and hysterical conversion reactions are
common manifestations of dissociation.

Example: A politician fights for good governance yet he is a Jueteng Lord.

DISTRACTION
The individual deals with emotional conflict or internal or external by consciously deciding
to put off thinking or feeling distressing thoughts or feelings by temporarily focusing your
attention towards something less threatening.

Example: A father asking his son why he went home late, the son avoided the question
and said that he needs to pay something in school.

DISTORTION
It is a gross reshaping of external reality to meet internal needs.

Example: A man thinks that stealing is ok that’s why he always steel from the store.

EGOTISM
In Gestalt psychology, Egotism is characterized by an excessive preoccupation with one’s
own thoughts, feelings, behaviors and effect on others. The preoccupation can be
positive, admiring and self-congratulatory or critical and undermining- either way, it is
avoidance of real relational contact.

Example: A person who believes only in himself.

EMOTIONAL INSULATION
The Individual deals with emotional conflicts or internal or external stressors by
unconsciously protecting.

Example: Justin really wants to ask Erika out for a date but doesn’t do so to avoid the
prospect of rejection.

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EMOTIONAL SELF-REGULATION
It is the ability to respond to the ongoing demands of experience with the range of
emotions in a manner that is socially tolerable. It is the processes people use to modify
the type, intensity, duration, or expression of various emotions.

Example: Instead of being angry, you manage a smile after an embarrassing situation
caused by your professor.

EMOTIONAL SELF-SUFFICIENCY
Not being dependent on the validation, approval or disapproval of others.

Example: A person who pierced his ears without getting permission from his parents.

EMPHASIZING AFFECT
It is the act of emphasizing the expression of one’s affects and using them in an excessive
manner to avoid their rational explanation and, from the beginning, their explanation.
These feeling are therefore unconsciously magnified for defensive purposes.

Example: You laughed hard when it is your time to tell your friends who your crush is.

ESCAPISM
The individual deals with emotional conflicts or internal or external stressors by
simultaneously denying or withdrawing from a problem and or situation.

Example: You and your partner decided to migrate in another country because of the
extreme problems here in the Philippines.

EXAGGERATION
You make too much of a deal over something.

Example: You reacted too much to the point of passing out when your classmate’s nose
bleed.

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EXCUSES
Coming up with a list of reasons why a particular action occurred or examples of why
action couldn’t be taken, instead of taking responsibility for behaviors and actions.

Example: Your professor is mad because you are late; you said that the reason why you
are late is the traffic and the road blocking.

EXPLAINING
The individual deals with emotional conflict or internal or external stressors by explaining
the problem in minute detail, thinking that may resolve the problem.

Example: You explained that the reason you got home late is that you did your project at
your classmate’s house and it took a long time to finish it.

EXTERNALIZATION
It is tending to perceive in the external world and in external objects elements of one’s
own personality, including instinctive impulses, conflicts, moods, attitudes, and styles of
thinking.

Example: A patient who is overly argumentative might instead perceive others as

argumentative and himself as blameless.

FATIGUE
You feel tired, but you’re not physically ill.

Example: When you realize that you have many school work to do, you feel tired.

FANTASY
It is the tendency to retreat into fantasy in order to resolve inner and outer conflicts.

Example: A frustrated singer imagining himself as a pop star and a performer to a lot of
concerts in front of many audiences.

FIGHT OR FLIGHT REACTION

The individual deals with emotional conflict or internal or external stressors by cranking
up the body when threatened, readying it for fighting or running away.

Example: The storm is so strong storm surge were formed, it is up to you to if you will
evacuate or save your things first.

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FIXATION
The cessation of the process of development of the personality at a stage short of
complete and uniform mature independence is known as fixation.

Example: Having oral fixations like thumb sucking or nail biting.

FORGIVENESS
It is the cessation of resentment, indignation or anger as a result of a perceived offence,
disagreement, or mistake, or ceasing to demand retribution or restitution.

Example: A person had forgiven someone who sin against them even though he never
heard any apology.

FRANKNESS
You’re honest and blunt, but this covers up your actual thoughts and feelings.

Example: You say that your friend’s partner is not physically good.

GENERALIZATION
The individual deals with emotional conflicts or internal or external stressors by looking at
a person, situation as a whole; being non-specific.

Example: Your dad left your mom when you were still a kid. You’re scared to venture into
a relationship thinking that he will leave you too.

GLARING/STARING
The individual deals with emotional conflicts or internal or external stressors by not using
words.

Example: You glared at your brother when he is about to tell your secret.

GRATITUDE
It is a feeling of thankfulness or appreciation involving appreciation of a wide range of
people and events.

Example: You are so thankful to your mom because she bought you a laptop.

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HALLUCINATION
You see or hear what you are trying not to think about – wishes, comments, fantasies or
criticism – with no reality testing.

Example: A person is hearing one’s name called by a voice that no one else seems to
hear.

HELP-REJECTING COMPLAINING
Involves dealing with stress by complaining and making repeated requests for help that
disguise hidden feelings of hostility toward others, which is then expressed by rejecting
the suggestions, advice, or help that others offer. The complaints may involve physical or
psychological symptoms or life problems.

Example: A person complains to their partner about problems at work. When the partner
suggests ways of resolving the problems the solutions are rejected out of hand and the
person continues to complain.

HOSTILE AGGRESSION
You get into fights to hide unpleasant feelings.

Example: Faye punches walls out of anger.

HUMILITY
It is a mechanism by which a person, considering their own defects, has a humble self-
opinion. It is intelligent self-respect which keeps one from thinking too highly or too meanly
of oneself.

Example: The victorious white team amicably congratulates their opponents the black
team even though they seem to lack sportsmanship.

HYPOCHONDRIASIS
Exaggerating or overemphasizing an illness for the purpose of evasion and regression.
Reproach arising from bereavement, loneliness or unacceptable aggressive impulses
toward others is transformed into self-reproach and complaints of pain, somatic illness
and neurasthenia.

Example: A person who is sure that his or her headaches are caused by a brain tumor.

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HUMOR
It is the usage of comedy to overtly express feelings and thoughts without personal
discomfort or immobilization and without producing an unpleasant effect on others. It
allows the person to tolerate and yet focus on what is too terrible to be borne; it is different
from with, a form of displacement that involves distraction from the affective issue.

Example: You try to make the situation laughable, you laugh and all but deep inside the
situation already hurts.

IDEALIZATION
It is the overestimation of the desirable qualities and underestimation of the limitations of
a desired object.

Example: A person who idealizes the president that there comes a time he wants to mimic
the president, his leadership skills, social skills, looks and other things related to the
person whom he admires.

IDENTIFICATION
The unconscious modeling of one's self upon another person's character and behavior.

Example: A school girl wants her mother to buy her the same kind of shoes her
classmates are wearing; she angrily rejects the idea that she is trying to be like the other
girls and insists that the shoes are truly the best available and are the style she has always
wanted.

IDENTIFICATION WITH FANTASY

You act like your favorite hero or heroine.

Example: You want to become like the Flash with so you are always running.

IDENTIFICATION WITH PARENTS’ UNCONSCIOUS OR CONSCIOUS

WISHES/FANTASIES
You do as your parents forbid, act out their corrupt wishes, and get punished.

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IDENTIFICATION WITH THE AGGRESSOR
You act abusive to a person because someone has acted abusive to you. This protects
you from feeling angry

Example: You are hurting your siblings because your father is hurting you also.

ILLUSION FORMATION
You consciously visualize a scene that is upsetting or pleasant and know it’s a fantasy.

Example: Daydreaming

INCORPORATION
The individual deals with emotional conflict or internal or external stressors by taking parts
of another into you. This may include defining or redefining yourself according to someone
else’s values, preferences, attitude.

Example: You are normally loud and happy but you become quiet when you are in the
house of your grandparents because they do not want loud noises.

INHIBITION
The individual deals with emotional conflicts or internal or external stressors by
consciously limiting or renouncing some ego functions, alone or in combination, to evade
anxiety rising out of conflict with instinctual impulses, the superego, or environmental
forces or figures.

Example: Monica has a social shyness.

INTELLECTUALIZATION
It is the excessive usage of intellectual processes to avoid affective expression or
experiences. Undue emphasis is focused on the inanimate in order to avoid the
expression of their inner feelings, and stress is excessively placed on irrelevant details to
avoid perceiving the whole.

Example: A person who is heavily in debt builds a complex spread sheet on how long it
would take him to repay using different payment options and interest rates.

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INTROJECTION
Identifying with some idea or object so deeply that it becomes a part of that person.

Example: A business leader sets high moral standards within the company. Many follow
her lead.

ISOLATION OF AFFECT
Attempting to avoid a painful thought or feeling by objectifying and emotionally detaching
oneself from the feeling.

Example: A doctor describing a mutilated accident victim in cool clinical terms is someone
who is adaptively using isolation of affect.

JUDGMENTALISM
The individual deals with emotional conflict or internal or external stressors by placing
others on a lower spiritual level to cover one’s own spiritual inadequacies.

Example: Saying what you think the person is even though if you don’t know him well.

JUSTIFICATION
The individual deals with emotional conflict or internal or external stressors by trying to
balance your wrong with wrong of others.

Example: A wife taking too many tranquilizers because her husband is angry all the time.

LIBIDINAL REGRESSION
You are afraid of sex and assertiveness, so you become dependent or stubborn instead.

LYING
The individual deals with emotional conflict or internal or external stressors by making
blatant lies to cover one’s back.

Example: You are saying you don’t love her well on fact, you do love her.

MANIA
Maniac episodes of wild, frenetic activity are unconsciously employed by some individuals
as a distraction from unpleasant situations as a means to ward of feelings of depression.

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MANIPULATION
The individual deals with emotional conflict or internal or external stressors by trying to
indirectly blame someone else for your difficulty. Then trying to get the other person to
straighten up so that you can.

MENTAL INHIBITION
Threatening thoughts, emotions, desires or fears are blocked out of the conscious mind.

MERCY
It is the compassionate behavior on the part of those in power.

Example: A king allowed a captive to be freed because his son is left alone dying.

MINDFULNESS
It is the adoption of a particular orientation toward one’s experiences in the present
moment, an orientation that is characterized by curiosity, openness, and acceptance.
Example: Fe never forgot her sister’s teenage pregnancy that is why she does not practice
sex until marriage.

MINIMIZATION
Not acknowledging the significance of one’s behavior.

Example: A boy who had a one night stand says that it’s just one night; it’s not big deal.

MODERATION
It is the process of eliminating or lessening extremes and staying within reasonable limits.
It necessitates self-restraint which is imposed by oneself on one’s own feelings, desires
etc.

Example: You are restraining yourself to drink a lot of beer in a party you attend.

MORALIZATION
Similar to rationalization. When one is using rationalization one is making behavior or
feelings “reasonable”. When one use moralization, one is making behavior or feelings
“justifiable” or a moral obligation. Mild forms of moralization are used in everyday life in
regard to building character.

Example: Carlo preaching justification for his method of getting rid of individuals whom
he felt were immoral or undesirable members of society.

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NEGATIVISM
You refuse to cooperate and treat other people condescendingly.

Example: A patient is found with her eyes closed. When asked to open her eyes, she
closes them tighter. Each request provokes further opposition.

NOMADISM
This is another withdrawal reaction wherein in an individual who suffered from frustration
has a tendency to wander from place to place as the individual desires to escape from a
certain frustrating condition.

Example: You are transferring school almost every year just to find a perfect friend.

OMNIPOTENCE
The individual deals with emotional conflict or internal or external stressors by feeling or
acting as if he or she possesses special powers or abilities and is superior to others.

Example: Because Mariel wants to, she thinks she can catch up lost time to get good
grades, even if she doesn't study.

OVERLY-RECEPTIVE
Overly-Receptive people are bombarded by a myriad of stimuli; receiving too much input,
in contrast to the deflector, this person has a tendency to pay too much attention to those
stimuli.

Example: A person is finding it difficult to ignore stimuli or to selectively choose what is

relevant that any one time leaving them “flooded” with thoughts and feelings.

OWNERSHIP
It is the cornerstone of Gestalt psychology; the concept of accepting responsibility for all
aspects of oneself.

Example: A group leader who takes all the responsibilities and tasks that are assigned to
the group.

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PASSIVE AGGRESSION
Expressing aggression toward others indirectly through passivity, masochism, behavior
and turning against the self. Manifestation of passive aggressive behavior includes failure,
procrastination and illnesses that affect others more than oneself.

Example: A person at a meeting was asked to complete a task wherein he thinks he will
not be able to comply. They argued about how important it is, but at the end of the day,
they did not agree to do anything.

PERFECTIONISM
The individual deals with emotional conflicts of internal or external stressors by never
slipping up again.

Example: Lhine spends 30 minutes writing and rewriting a two-sentence email

PLACATING
The individual deals with emotional conflict or internal or external stressors by submitting
or surrendering to other people.

PLAYING THE VICTIM

To avoid dealing with problems or feeling responsible for the situation, the victim finds it
easier to make other people the bad guy and believes that everything happens to them.
They have difficulty taking any ownership for problems and are unable to acknowledge
they have choices and can take action.

Example: A person who is being bullied does not take any action to stop the violence, yes
the bully always have the consequence but you still don’t act.

POLARIZATION
The individual tends to meet in or to the others as completely good or bad without
managing to integrate the positive and negative qualities of each one.

POSTPONEMENT OF AFFECT
A defense mechanism which may be used against a variety of feelings or emotions such
a temporal displacement, resulting simply in a later appearance of the affect reaction and
in thus preventing the recognition of the motivation connection, is most frequently used
against the effects of rage (or annoyance) and grief.

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PREVARICATION
You lie on purpose, for a reason.

PROJECTION
It is the denial of one’s unacceptable feelings and desire and finding them in another
person.

Example: You still have your class, but you want to go home, instead of saying to your
professor that it is you who wanted to go home; you said that it is your classmate.

PROJECTIVE BLAMING
You unfairly blame somebody else for your problem.

Example: You blame your friend because you are not able to watch the concert of Hillsong
Young and Free.

PROJECTIVE IDENTIFICATION
The object of projection invokes in that person precisely the thoughts, feelings or
behaviors projected.

Example: A paranoid schizophrenic who develops the delusion that he is being

persecuted by the police; fearing the police, he begins to act furtively and anxiously
around police officers, thereby raising the suspicions of police officers, who then begin to
look for some grounds on which to arrest him.

PSYCHOTIC DENIAL
It is a more severe form of denial, with no or little contact with reality.

PSYCHOTIC DISTORTION
It is perceiving reality differently than others. Individuals using this defense transform
reality in order to deal with the pain.

QUESTIONING
The individual deals with emotional conflict or internal or external stressors by firing
questions at the potential intruder to keep him from bringing up threatening issue in your
own life.

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RATIONALIZATION
Creating an acceptable reason for a behavior that is actually performed for a less
acceptable reason.

Example: A parent punishes his child and says that it’s for the child’s own good.

REACTION FORMATION
Replacing an anxiety-provoking idea with its opposite.

Example: You really hate your professor in English but instead of being stubborn on him,
you tend to love him and the subject.

RECONSTRUCTION OF REALITY
You reinvent a situation after denying the reality.

REGRESSION
People behave as if they we’re at the earlier stage of development.

Example: Aged people sometimes act like a child for them not to be anxious.

REPRESSION
Is the mind’s active attempt to prevent memories of traumatic experiences from reaching
conscious awareness.

Example: A man has a phobia with snake but cannot actually remember the first time he
got scared because of them.

RESILIENCE
Having bad past but grow up having good traits.

Example: A person who grew up abused shows kindness to other people.

RESISTANCE
This defense mechanism produces a deep-seated opposition to the bringing of repressed,
unconscious data to awareness. Through its operation, the individual seeks to avoid
memories or insights which would arouse anxiety.

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RESPECT
It is the willingness to show consideration or appreciation.

Example: You are respecting the opinion of others even if your opinion and theirs is
contradicting.

RESTITUTION
Is the mechanism of relieving the mind of a load of guilt by making up or reparation.

REVERSAL
This defense, as well as turning against the self, was considered to come into play quite
early in life. It refers mainly to turn love into hate and hate into love for defensive purposes.

RITUALIZATION
Rituals could potentially lead to an OCD. It means establishing a routine.

Example: You always perform things you always do every morning before going to school.

SCHIZOID FANTASY
Indulge in autistic retreat in order to resolve conflict and to obtain gratification.
Interpersonal intimacy is avoided, and eccentricity serves to repel others. The person
does not fully believe in the fantasies and does not insist on acting them out.

Example: A writer is too lonely to write in his apartment, so he goes to a coffee shop with
his laptop computer and manuscript. There he is not really connected with anybody,
especially since he does not give out signals that he wants to talk to anyone, but he is not
alone, either.

SARCASM
People who have a great deal of hostility toward themselves, another person, or a
particular group, often---manifest their hostility to others by making side jokes about
themselves and others.

Example: You are telling your friends that you are ok but deep inside, you are not.

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SELF-ASSERTION
Involves dealing with stress by expressing your feelings and thoughts directly in a way
that is not aggressive, coercive, or manipulative.

Example: The wife telling her husband that she is mad at him rather than slamming the
door or throwing up the china.

SELF-DEPRECIATION
It is the act of devaluing oneself.

Example: You are talented and yet you always say that you’re not.

SELF OBSERVATION
Involves dealing with stress by reflecting on your own thoughts, feelings, motivation, and
behavior, and then responding appropriately.

SEXUALIZATION
Endowing an object or function with sexual significance that it did not previously have or
possessed to a smaller degree in order to ward off anxieties associated with prohibited
impulses or their derivatives.

SILENCE
Using silence to protect you from talking about the problem. This is often the case with
men in marriage. When confronted with the issue, the individual may just walk away or
stand there to say nothing.

Example: You prefer to keep quiet and not to talk when they ask you what is your problem.

SIMPLE DENIAL
The individual deals with emotional conflict or internal or external stressors by treating
unpleasant facts, emotions, or events as if they are not real or don’t exist.

SHOUTING
The individual deals with emotional conflict or internal or external stressors by using loud
voice to try to control the situation.

Example: Rafael uses his loud voice for intimidating others.

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SPLITTING OF SELF IMAGE OR OTHERS
Is the inability to see gray areas. A person who uses splitting sees things as all good or
all bad. This often is seen in borderline personality disorder.

Example: A baby having a hard time realizing that his mother has both a terrible and
gentle side; hence, should not be categorized as “bad mommy” or “good mommy”.

SOMATIZATION
Converting psychic derivatives into bodily symptoms and tending to react with somatic
manifestations, rather than psychic manifestations.

Example: A policemen who has to be very restricted in his profession, develops

hypertension.

STOCKHOLM SYNDROME
The victim identifies with the aggressor.

SUBLIMATION
Channeling psychic energy from an unacceptable drive into a more acceptable one.

Example: A man who has a strong sexual urge became an artist.

SUBSTITUTION
Through this defense mechanism, the individual secures alternative or substitutive
gratification comparable to those that would have been employed had frustration not
occurred.

SUPPRESSION
Is consciously or subconsciously postponing attention to a conscious impulse or conflict.
Issues may be deliberately cut off, but they are not avoided. Discomfort is acknowledged
but minimized.

Example: You decided not to think about a problem that is making you anxious.

SYMBOLIZATION
An object or act represents a complex group of objects and acts, some of which may be
conflict or unacceptable to the ego; objects or acts stand for a repressed desire.

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TEMPORAL DISPLACEMENT TO THE FUTURE
You imagine “if only…” or “someday…”

TEMPORAL REGRESSION
You focus on earlier times to not think about current conflict.

THOUGHT SUPPRESSION
Consciously deciding to delay addressing negative situations and emotions.

THREATENING
Using aggression to avoid facing in issue.

Example: A teacher, being deprived from a sexual act with his wife, flunks a student and
asks her that he will pass her if she will have sex with him.

TOLERANCE
The practice of deliberately allowing or permitting a thing of which one disapproves.

Example: You tolerate your brother for going home late even if you know that it is not
good.

TOPOGRAPHIC REGRESSION
You dream to avoid painful reality

TRANSFERENCE
You shift memories of past situations and relationships onto a current person. You then
use old defenses to forget the past or to master it by living it again symbolically or
changing the ending.

TURNING ON THE SELF

You’re angry at someone but attack/kill yourself instead.

TURNING SELF-CRITICISM ONTO THE OBJECT-

You criticize somebody else instead of berating yourself.

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UNDOING
Involves dealing with stress by using words or behaviors designed to negate or make
amends symbolically for unacceptable thoughts, feelings, or actions.

Example: You accidentally broke your vase, to “undo” it, you repetitively sweep the floor
and clean the area where you broke.

UPWARD AND DOWNWARD SOCIAL COMPARISONS

Used as a means of self-evaluation. Individuals will look to another individual or
comparison group who are considered to be worse off in order to dissociate themselves
from perceived similarities and to make they feel better about themselves or their personal
situation.6

Example: You compare yourself to a bad person to asses yourself.

WISHFUL THINKING
Making decisions according to what might be pleasing to imagine instead of by appealing
to evidence, rationality, or reality.

Example: Believing that you will win the lottery.

WITHDRAWAL
Withdrawal is a more severe form of defense. It entails removing oneself from events,
stimuli, and interactions under the threat of being reminded of painful thoughts and
feelings.

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