We all experience situations in our daily lives that make us feel sad, anxious, or uncomfortable. But we don’t want these feelings to last. We can’t let ourselves feel. In that moment, we want reduce anxiety and to focus on more favorable situations. Defense Mechanisms are here to help.

What are Defense Mechanisms and how do they work? What is the origin of Defense Mechanisms?

This theory’s foundation is Sigmund Freud’s personality theory. The theory is composed of three elements: Ego, Id and Superego. Let’s first take a closer look at these concepts.

• Id: Source of psychological energy is derived from instinctive drives and needs. It follows the pleasure principle.
• Ego: The ego It acts as a conscious mediator between the inner self and the external reality. It is able to satisfy the Id’s needs in a realistic, balanced manner.
• SuperegoIt is a collection of morals and rules that have been passed down from parents and society. It is sometimes called conscience. It acts as a controller.

According to Sigmund Freud, conflicts between Id and Superego are a result of psychoanalysis. Cause anxiety. The ego creates defense mechanisms as a natural reaction to protect itself from the enemy. Stress arising out of the person’s inner conflicts or the need to protect his social life image. The ego activates defense mechanisms to protect itself when there is no balance. These mechanisms do not occur consciously, but are not intentionally created. Perhaps it is a defense mechanism that we have developed in our youth, or a negative experience that acts as a shield.

Why do we use Defense Mechanisms?

Individuals use their defense mechanisms to deal with everyday problems. This is how the individual attempts to defend himself. While both defense mechanisms and countermeasures can be employed, they are not always mutually exclusive. Positive and negative They can have long-lasting negative consequences. If a person is unable to find the solution he believes is the best, he might experience more complicated situations in his inner world.

We should never forget that all healthy individuals have defense mechanisms. Everybody uses Defense Mechanisms every day, even if they are not conscious. This condition can only be considered disorder if it is extreme.

Types of Defence Mechanisms

There are many defense mechanisms. This article will focus on the most common ones.

Do not deny it.

A state of being unable to accept situations, thoughts, or feelings that are difficult to manage and anxiety-inducing is called denial. The person is unable to change the situation and will tend to ignore it. “No, that cannot be!” One of its most recognizable characteristics is Pollyannaism.

Example: Addicts don’t accept the fact that they are addicted. Someone who is aware of his addiction acts as though he doesn’t know how to avoid confrontation, etc.

Suppression

Supression refers to the attempt to forget about situations, feelings and thoughts that can’t be handled by the individual. It is also known as anxiety-provoking or unpleasant, pushing them into the subconscious, and then ignoring them.

Example: It is easy to forget details of events and other important information.

Projection

This is when people give their thoughts, feelings, and wishes to someone else.

Example: Cheating spouses accuse their spouse of cheating. A student who fails to pass the exam can attribute their failure to the difficulty of their exam, the teacher, or both.

Change in direction

If the reaction is not directed at the target it was intended for, it is called changing direction. Moving the response toward a place without any connection to the object, condition, person, or other subject is known as changing direction.

Example: One man is angry at his mother and shouts at her brother, etc.

There are no excuses

It is the act of linking the cause to an action rather than linking the move to the cause. It is one the most common defense mechanisms. It can be used to address frustrations caused by unfulfilled wishful thinking.

Example: Defensive that the person in front behaves this way because he is entitled to it, even though he knows that it’s wrong.

Humor

It’s used to make light of difficult situations and to use humor to do so. This is the most used.

Example: You can laugh at a person’s sadness or make a joke about it.