Defense Mechanisms Flashcards
What is the purpose of defense mechanisms?
To preserve self-cohesion, self-esteem/self-image, & relational ties (manage relational conflicts).
Help reduce or avoid conscious or unconscious stress.
Meant to be protective.
Keep emotions w/i bearable limits in the midst of emotional crises.
Postpone or channel surges in biological drives (aggressive or sexual).
What are defense mechanisms?
Patterned thoughts, feelings, or behaviors that arise in response to external (unacceptable realities) or internal threats.
Which defense mechanism is almost never adaptive?
Projection
Which defense mechanism is almost always adaptive?
Sublimation
Which DM category does regression, fixation, identification, projection, splitting & dissociation fall into?
Immature.
Which DM category does repression, rationalization, isolation, intellectualization, displacement, somatization fall into?
Neurotic
Which DM category do ppl w/ personality disorders employ?
Immature.
Which DM category do humor, altruism, sublimation, and suppression fall into?
Mature
Which DM category does suppression fall into?
Mature
Which DM category does somatization fall into?
Neurotic
Which DM category does displacement fall into?
Neurotic
Which DM categories do repression & regression fall into?
Repression–Neurotic
Regression–Immature
What are you doing to a patient if you deny or disparage their projection?
You are denying a part of them.
You are attacking them.
Which DM deals with internal realities? External realities?
Internal–repression
External–denial
When a child throws a temper tantrum–that is ______?
When a sociopath murders someone–that is _______?
Acting Up
Acting Out
What is splitting? Which DM is this?
Where you oscillate b/w idealizing somone & hating them.
Immature.
What is usu the most effective way to breach immature DMs?
Not invitation, but CONFRONTATION. And group help.
When is regression healthy?
When you have a terminal illness–it is a part of the process of letting go.
What DM is this? Note: sometimes associated w/ chronic pain.
Coping by going back to a previous level of development.
Regression
What is Donald Trump an example of? Which DM category?
Fixation.
Tries to meet their need for recognition, attention & affirmation.
Requires empathy.
Immature DM.
What DM is Stockholm’s Syndrome an example of? What are other examples of this DM? Which DM category?
Identification. Immature DM.
Wearing dead dad’s watch.
Feeling dead spouse’s disease symptoms.
Which DM is common in PTSD or when getting a diagnosis of a terminal illness? Which DM category?
Dissociation.
Total change in perception.
Immature.
What is it called when a man suddenly wakes up one day & realizes that he resents his wife?
Which DM category?
Repression
Intermediate/Neurotic
What is it called when you go over a social misstep over & over in your head w/ a different outcome? It is associated w/ OCD. Which DM category?
Undoing
Intermediate or Neurotic.
What is it called when you disconnect from the gravity of an emergency situation while you are administering CPR only to have a flood of adrenaline afterwards? Which DM category?
Isolation
Intermediate/Neurotic
What is it called when a kid who is abused by his father bullies at school? Which DM category?
Displacement
Intermediate/Neurotic
What is it called when your assumptive world is shattered & you start to hate yourself? Maybe with a diagnosis of lung cancer when you have never smoked? Which DM category?
Turning against the self
A form of displacement onto yourself.
Intermediate/Neurotic
The lady doth protesteth too much. Which DM is this? Category?
Reaction Formation.
Intermediate/Neurotic
Which DM does this show…better a surgeon than a sadist. Which category?
Sublimation
Mature
Which DM do all medical students practice? Also seen in eating disorders…Which Category?
Asceticism.
Mature
Note: med students also employ the mature Anticipation DM
When you get to a party & realize you have a flat tire…and consciously decide to fix it after the party…which DM are you employing? Which category?
Suppression
Mature
What is transference?
Making assumptions about a person based off of people from your past that they remind you of.
Remember: we are born to attach, not relate.
What is countertransference?
When a doctor assumes something about the pt & let’s that sorta alter the way they interact.
Objective: lean back from a menacing person.
Subjective: don’t want to discuss sexual issues w/ someone that reminds you of your mom.
