MAJOR DEFENSE MECHANISMS

DEFENSE DEFINITION EXAMPLE DISORDERS

MECHANISMS AND
PERSONALITY
TYPE

Denial Refuse to face negative A theft, preferring to think that Narcissistic

behavior someone forced them into personality,
committing the crime, in order to Psychosis
avoid dealing with the guilt should
they accept their actions.
Displacement Take it out someone else A student dislike her teacher for Hysteric personality,
having lower grade,she cannot Neurosis
express her feelings because of
fearof punishment,unconsciously
displace aggression toward best
friend, making excuses for treating
her badly without justification.

Identification Attach to something positive A person moving schools or Dependent

countries, starting a new job or personality,
entering a new social circle might Depression
adopt the social norms or
attitudes of classmates,in order to
avoid being rejected by their new
peers.
Introjection Conform feelings for A person may introject religious Dependent personality
approval ideas that they have heard at
church, or political opinions that
friends espouse. 
Projection See your faults in others A person who is afraid of crossing Paranoid
a bridge with a friend might
accuse them of having a fear of
heights
Rationalization Excuse and justify mistakes shoplifter blaming the high price Anti social and
of sweets to justify their theft of a
narcissistic
chocolate bar personality,OCD
Repression Putting thinks to darkness One can't remember your father's Obsessive compulsive
funeral. personality
,Neurosis
Regression Act much younger to feel One might regress by eating meals Borderline and
better that they were given as a child hysteric personalty
Sublimation/ Divert negative into Athletes may use sublimation to Mature mechanism
Rechannelization acceptable concentrate their energy on
productive activities such as
training.
Undoing Over hide negative with A person may intentionally hurt OCD
habit someone, but realising that the
person was frail, feel guilty with
regards to their behavior. They
may try to undo their action by
apologising or offering to help the
person.
Intellectualization Thinking about events in a A woman who has been raped Paranoid
cold ,clinical way seeks out information on other personality,OCD
cases and the psychology of
rapists and victims. She takes self-
defense classes in order to feel
better (rather than more directly
addressing the psychological and
emotional issues).

Incorporation Through which another A woman has referred for the

person or his attributes are treatment by her
symbolically taken within husband,because of crying spells
oneself and inability to take care of her
children.she stated that she is
afraid as she was like her mother
and don’t like herself due to the
traits she has incorporated with
her mother
Conversion Converting emotional Repressed impulses and feelings Conversion disorder
conflict into behavioral or are ‘converted’ into a physical
physical symptoms complaint such as a cough or
feelings of paralysis
Dissociation Detachment of emotion from One may enter a state of Schizoid personality
an object.or feel separated daydreaming, staring into space
from the outside world and letting their mind wander
until someone nudges them,
prompting them to acknowledge
reality once more.
Fantasy Gratifying frustrated desires One will idealised outcomes of Schizoid
 by imaginary achievement their lives changing for the better
in some way.
Substitution Unobtainable goal, emotion, A boy who cannot go to a medical Mature mechanism
satisfaction, impulse, college for lack of funds or
interest or need is replaced sufficient merit, may opt to go for
by another more acceptable an evening course in X-ray
one. technology.

Isolation Emotional charge is A person with a particularly Antisocial personality

isolated/separated/divorced
stressful job may use isolation to
from any idea separate their work life from their
or object. family life, avoiding the stress
affecting their relationships.
humor Capacity to not to take A person’s treatment for cancer Mature mechanism
oneself too seriously makes him lose his hair,so he
makes jokes about being bald
Reaction formation Pretend that you are A man may experience feelings of OCD,Depression
different love towards a married
woman. But he experience
feelings of dislike towards her -
the opposite of the original
feelings.
Compensation Strengthen one to hide An academically weak student
another may perform very well in sports or
cultural activities.