Defense Mechanisms Flashcards
DEFENSE MECHANISMS
To manage internal conflicts
Acting Out
dealt with through actions rather than talking about feelings
Compensation
enables one to make up for real or fancied deficiencies such as a short person being cocky
Conversion
cognitive tensions manifest themselves in physical symptoms such as seeing a crime then going blind
Decompensation
deterioration of existing defenses.
Denial
inability to acknowledge true significance of thoughts, feelings etc.
Devaluation
frequently used by persons with borderline personality in which a person attributes exaggerated negative qualities to self or another. View events or people as all good or all bad.
Dissociation
split mental functions that allows to express forbidden or unconscious impulses without taking responsibility for the action, either they dont remember or it is not experienced as his or her own ).
Displacement
directing an impulse, wish, or feeling toward a person or situation (i.e., a man angry at his boss
kicks his dog).
Idealization
overestimation of an admired aspect or attribute of another.
Identification
a person patterns himself or herself after a significant other such as repeating phrases
Identification With the Aggressor
mastering anxiety by identifying with a powerful aggressor such as being abused then becoming the abuser
Incorporation
primitive mechanism in which psychic representation of a person (or parts of a person) is/are figuratively ingested
Inhibition
loss of motivation to engage in (usually pleasurable) activity avoided because it
might stir up conflict over forbidden impulses
Introjection
loved or hated external objects are symbolically absorbed within self (i.e., in severe depression, unconscious unacceptable hatred is turned toward self).
Intellectualization
avoids uncomfortable emotions by focusing on facts and logic jargon is usually used.
Isolation of Affect
unacceptable impulse, idea, or act is separated from its original memory source, thereby removing the original emotional charge associated with it.
Projection
attributing one’s disowned attitudes, wishes, feelings, and urges to some external object or person. EX. hostile wife would say that her spouse has anger problem
Projective Identification
utilized by persons with Borderline Personality Disorder—unconsciously perceiving others’ behavior as a reflection of one’s own identity such as “Looks like you gained weight” when the person who said it gained weight
Rationalization
third line of defense; not unconscious. Giving believable explanation for
irrational behavior such as someone getting rejected then calling the person ugly
Reaction Formation
person adopts affects, ideas, attitudes, or behaviors that are opposites of those he or she harbors consciously or unconsciously
Regression
partial or symbolic return to more infantile patterns of reacting or thinking. Can be in service to ego (i.e., as dependency during illness).
Repression
expressed clinically by amnesia or symptomatic forgetting
serving to banish unacceptable ideas, fantasies, affects, or impulses from consciousness.
Splitting
associated with Borderline Personality Disorder in which a person perceives self and others as “all good” or “all bad.” A person cannot integrate the good and bad in people.
Sublimation
potentially maladaptive feelings or behaviors are diverted into socially
acceptable, adaptive channels ex. person who is angry starts playing sports
Substitution
unattainable or unacceptable goal, emotion, or object is replaced by one more
attainable or acceptable.
Symbolization
a mental representation stands for some other thing, class of things etc. Someone wants to join the army they might say defending the flag.
Turning Against Self
defense to deflect hostile aggression or other unacceptable impulses from another to self.
Undoing
using words or actions to cover up thoughts and feelings such as washing hands OCD to get rid of thoughts
