Defense Mechanisms Flashcards
Narcissistic Defenses
Denial
Distortion
Projection
Immature Defenses
Acting out Hypochondriasis Somatization Regression Passive Aggressive Splitting Idealizing
Neurotic Defense
Controlling Isolation Displacement Intellectualization Reaction Formation Dissociation Rationalization
Mature Defenses
Altruism Suppression Humor Anticipation Ascetic Sublimation
Denial
Narcissistic Defense
OK for short periods, can become problematic. Denying problems
Distortion
Narcissistic Defense
They turn their perception of reality into whatever suits their needs
Not psychotic
Projection
Narcissistic Defense
Putting whatever emotions you have onto someone else
common in paranoia
Acting out
Immature Defense
Extravagant behavior, usually to gain attention.
common with personality disorders
Hypochondriasis
Immature Defense
Converting psychological problem to a physical one
Less damaging to the self-esteem
Somatization
Immature Defense
Similar to hypochondriasis but the psychological problems transformed into physical symptoms are not dependent of misinterpreted stimuli, but are present constitutively
Regression
Immature Defense
taking the mental state back to previous time period.
acting like a child
Passive aggressive
using sarcasm, jokes, etc. to be aggressive without any direct confrontation
Splitting
Overemphasizing the difference between “bad guys” and “good guys”, will put people into these categories and try to get rid of the “bad guys”, the idea of the person may switch as well.
Passive aggressive
Immature Defense
using sarcasm, jokes, etc. to be aggressive without any direct confrontation
Splitting
Immature Defense
Overemphasizing the difference between “bad guys” and “good guys”, will put people into these categories and try to get rid of the “bad guys”, the idea of the person may switch as well.
Idealizing
Immature Defense
half the aspect of splitting, one person is idolized (Narcissistic people will only be treated by the “chief doctor” even if it doesn’t exist
Controlling
Neurotic Defense
Ease anxiety by trying to control everything and everyone
Isolation
Neurotic Defense
Remove their affect (emotions) from situations to protect their self-esteem
Displacement
Neurotic Defense
“Passing it down”
an attending screams at a resident, who then screams at a medical student
Intellectualization
Neurotic Defense
Displacing emotional conversation with intellectual conversation to “pretend’ the emotional pain isn’t there
Reaction Formation
Neurotic Defense
Expressing the opposite of what the true emotions are in an unconscious process
Dissociation
Neurotic Defense
Removing your personality from the event in question and creating a different one to save some of the self-esteem (think multiple personality disorder)
Dissociation
Neurotic Defense
Removing your personality from the event in question and creating a different one to save some of the self-esteem (think multiple personality disorder)
Rationalization
Neurotic Defense
Rationalizing the “necessity” of your actions to keep your sense of morale/ego intact
Scarface clip
Altruism
Mature defense
Mother Theresa
Charity to boost self-esteem
Suppression
Mature Defense
The only conscious defense mechanism
Not dealing with an issue at the moment (best type of defense)
Humor
Mature Defense
Subconscious choice to avoid a painful situation or reality, considered positive and shared
Anticipation
Mature Defense
Knowing you are going to be psychologically stressed, and you unconsciously prepare for that situation
Ascetic
Mature Defense
Renouncing classical pleasures in life to be “free”
Tibetan monks
Sublimation
Mature Defense
Doing something positive in response to an inner or deep inadequacy to save your self-esteem
Not for others, that would be altruism
