Defense mechanisms

Question 1

delusional projection

Answer 1

either/or
-perception of own feelings in another person and then acting on the perception
-other people’s feelings inside oneself e.g. devil devouring my heart

Question 2

distortion

Answer 2

grossly reshaping external reality TO SUIT INNER NEEDS

incl megalomaniacal beliefs, wish-fulfilling delusions

in contrast to delusional projection where distress is alleviated by assigning responsibility for offensive feelings elsewhere, in distortion unpleasant feelings are replaced with their opposites.

Question 3

splitting

Answer 3

failing to reconcile both positive and negative attributes into a whole understanding of a person or situation, resulting in all-or-none thinking

typical of BPD

Question 4

projection

Answer 4

attributing your own unacceptable feelings to another person

e.g. cheat on partner then accuse partner of cheating

Question 5

projective identification

Answer 5

same as projection but PI takes into account emotional impact of the recipient who is being projected onto

Question 6

schizoid fantasy

Answer 6

creating an internal retreat into one’s imagination to avoid uncomfortable situations.

This defense mechanism may present commonly in children or later in development, may be present in schizoid personality disorder

Question 7

acting out

Answer 7

The development of detrimental behaviors that distract attention and energy away from other stressors.

seen in conduct disorder, antisocial personality disorder, or oppositional defiant disorder.

Question 8

regression

Answer 8

reverting back to an earlier stage of development when faced with an unpleasant thought or emotion

Question 9

repression

Answer 9

subconsciously blocking ideas or impulses that are undesirable

Question 10

displacement

Answer 10

transferring emotional burden/reaction from one entity to another

e.g. someone who has a stressful day at work then lashes out against their family at home.

Question 11

reaction formation

Answer 11

Replacing initial impulse toward a situation or idea with the opposite impulse.

e.g. insulting a romantic interest, being overtly kind to someone you hate

Question 12

sublimitation

Answer 12

Transforming emotion into pursuits considered by societal norms to be more useful.

e.g. someone who channels their aggression and energy into playing sports

Question 13

intellectualisation

Answer 13

An emphasized focus on facts, logic, and abstract reasoning to assert control over and reduce unpleasant emotions associated with internal or external events.

Question 14

undoing

Answer 14

individual makes an attempt to cause past thoughts, words, gestures or actions not to have occurred

Freud originally used the term ‘ungeschehenmachen’ which translates to ‘to make null and void’ or ‘to make unhappen’.

It can appear similar to reaction formation but in undoing there is a more determined attempt to challenge the very reality of the act / thought / feeling rather than simply trying to counterbalance with opposite behaviours.

A good example of this occurs (rarely) at crime scenes. The offender alters the crime scene in what has been considered to be an attempt to symbolically reverse the murder based on feelings of guilt or remorse. For example, ‘a son stabbed his mother to death during a fierce argument. After calming down, the son was hit by the full impact of his actions. First, he changed the victim’s bloodied shirt, then placed her body on the couch with the head on a pillow. He covered her with a blanket and folded her hands over her chest so she appeared to be sleeping peacefully (Russell, 2018).

Question 15

suppression

Answer 15

conscious or semiconscious decision to postpone paying attention to something

postpone but don’t avoid