Defense Mechanism Flashcards
Dealing with anxiety by reaching out to others
altruism
Dealing with unacceptable feelings or impulses by unconsciously substituting acceptable forms of expression
sublimination
Voluntarily denying unpleasant thoughts and feelings
supression
unconsciously putting unacceptable ideas, thoughts, and emotions out of awareness
repression
Sudden use of childlike or primitive behaviors that do not correlate with a person’s current developmental level
regression
Shifting feelings related to an object, person, or situation to another less threatening object, person, or situation
displacement
Unacceptable feelings or behaviors are controlled or kept out of awareness by overcompensating or demonstrating. Overcompensating or demonstrating the opposite behavior of what is felt
reaction formation
What is an adaptive use of reaction formation in a smoker?
A person who is trying to quit smoking repeatedly talks to adolescence about the dangers of nicotine
What might be a reaction formation of a person who resents caring for an aging parent?
A person who resents having to care for an aging parent becomes overprotective and restricts their freedoms.
Performing an act to make up for prior behavior (most commonly seen in children)
Undoing
What is a maladaptive use of undoing?
An individual buys their significant other flowers and gifts after an incident of partner abuse
What is creating reasonable and acceptable explanations for unacceptable behavior?
Rationalization
A disruption in consciousness, memory, identity or perception of the environment that results in compartmentalization of uncomfortable or pleasant aspects to oneself
Dissociation
Pretending the truth is not reality to manage unpleasant, anxiety causing thoughts, or feelings
Denial
Emphasizing strengths to make up for weaknesses
Compensation
Conscious or unconscious assumption of the characteristics of another individual or group
Identification
What is an adaptive use of identification of a child with cancer?
A child who has chronic illness pretends to be a nurse for their dolls
Separation of emotions and logical facts when analyzing or coping with the situation or event
Intellectualization
What might be a maladaptive use of intellectualization with someone who has a terminal illness?
focuses on creating a will and financial matters rather than acknowledging their grief
Responding to stress through the unconscious development or physical manifestation not caused by a physical illness
Conversion
Demonstrating an inability to reconcile negative and positive attributes of self or others into a cohesive image
Splitting
What is an example of splitting with a client-nurse relationship?
A client tells a nurse that the nurse is the only one who cares about them, yet the following day, the client refuses to talk to that nurse.
Attributing one’s unacceptable thoughts and feelings onto another who doesn’t have them
Projection
what is an example of regression a child who has lost their pet?
A young child temporarily wets the bed when they learn that their pet has died
what are some nursing interventions for mild to moderate anxiety (5)
-use active listening
-provide a calm presence recognizing the clients distress
-evaluate past coping mechanisms
-explore alternatives to problem situations
-encourage participation in activities, such as exercise that can temporarily relieve feelings of intention
what are some nursing interventions for severe to panic level anxiety? (5)
-Provide an environment that mutes physical and safety needs of a client and remain with the client provide a quiet environment with minimal stimulation
-use medications and restraints only if other interventions have failed to decrease anxiety to safer levels
-encourage gross motor activities such as walking set limits with firm short and simple statements
-speak slowly and in a low pitch
-direct the client to acknowledge reality and focus on what is present in the environment
