Defense Mechanisms Flashcards
When needs are felt, individuals are motivated, or stimulated, to act, if the need is met, satisfaction, of a feeling of pleasure or fulfillment occurs, if a need is unmet, tension, or frustration occurs, may be met by direct or indirect methods
Meeting needs
hard work, realistic goals, situation evaluation, cooperation with others
Direct methods
Indirect methods of dealing with needs reduce the need and help relieve the tension, the need is still present, but the tension is reduced, defense mechanisms, unconscious acts that help a person deal with an unpleasant situation or socially unacceptable behavior, are the main indirect methods
Indirect methods
Everyone uses defense mechanisms; some use is helpful and allows the individual cope with certain situations, can be unhealthy if they are used all the time and are substituted for more effective ways of dealing with situations, unconscious actions used to cope with difficult situations, not always negative, unless their use begin to interfere with an individual’s sense of reality
Defense Mechanisms
Using a reasonable excuse or acceptable explanation for behavior in order to avoid the real reason or true motivation
Rationalization
A patient who fears having laboratory tests performed may say “I can’t take time off from my job”.
Helps a person to cope with fear of the test or test results
Rationalization examples and purpose
Placing the blame for one’s own actions and inadequacies on someone else or on circumstances rather than accepting responsibility for the actions
Projection
“The teacher failed me because she doesn’t like me”
Allows the person to avoid having to admit that they have made mistakes
Projection example and purpose
Transferring feeling from one object or person to another object or person. Usually occurs because the individuals cannot direct the feelings toward the person responsible, such as a boss or teacher
Displacement
A man is mad at his boss and goes home and yells at his family
Allows feelings to be expressed through or to less meaningful objects or people
Displacement example and purpose
Substituting one goal for another goal in order to achieve success
Compensation
A student wants to become a doctor, but does not have enough money for med school and becomes a physician’s assistant instead
Allows person to overcome weakness or obstacle and achieve success
Compensation example and purpose
Dreamlike thought process that occurs when a person is awake
Daydreaming
A person dreams of becoming a dental hygienist and takes courses to work toward the goal
Provide a means of escape if a person is not satisfied with reality
Dreamlike example and purpose
Transfer of unacceptable or painful ideas, feelings, and thought into the unconscious mind. Occurs when feelings or emotions become too painful or frightening to deal with
Repression
A person is terrified by heights but does not know why
Allows the individual to continue functioning and to “forget” the fear or feeling
Repression example and purpose
Similar to repression but the individual is aware of the unacceptable feelings or thoughts and refused to deal with them. The individual may substitute work, a hobby, etc., to avoid the situation
Suppression
A woman ignores a lump in her breast, refuses to see her doctor and avoids thinking about it by working overtime
The individual avoids dealing with the stress by focusing on other activity
Suppression example and purpose
Disbelief of an event or idea that is too frightening or shocking for a person to cope with
Denial
A mother, though told her daughter has terminal cancer, continues to plan for her daughter’s college entrance
Temporarily isolates person from full impact of a traumatic situation
Denial example and purpose
Ceasing to communicate or physically removing yourself from a conflict or painful situation
Withdrawal
You work with an individual who constantly criticizes your work, so you do all you can to avoid him
Escape from an unpleasant situation
Withdrawal example and purpose
Trivializing significance of one’s behavior
Minimization
I may miss a lot of school, but I still get more work done than other students
Helps one to feel better about themselves
Minimization example and purpose
Actions are opposite from how one feels
Reaction and Formation
A woman is very angry with her boss and would like to quit her job. Instead, she is overly kind and generous toward her boss
Escape from one’s inability to face conflict
Reaction and Formation example and purpose
Use of academic type explanation to separate personal feelings from painful events
Intellectualization
A person receives a diagnose of a terminal illness and instead of expressing grief, focuses on the small details of the medical procedures
Escape from dealing with an unpleasant situation
Intellectualization example and purpose
Emotional conflicts or tensions are converted into physical symptoms that have no physical cause
Conversion
Before giving a speech to her class, a student becomes nauseous
Escape from unpleasant situation
Conversion example and purpose
Reverting to an earlier stage of development in the face of extreme stress
Regression
After the birth of sibling, a child suddenly starts to wet the bed after years of not doing so
Returning to a time when the person felt safer
Regression example and purpose
To effectively meet the needs of patients, health care workers must understand and recognize the actions that individuals take to meet their needs
By doing so, health care workers can provide more efficient and higher quality care
Implications for Health care Workers
