PSYCH TRANS 2

ego cannot recognize, therefore reduce

ILO ILO DOCTORS’ COLLEGE O F MED ICINE
anxiety.
Molo, Iloilo City
S.Y. 2018-2019
Examples of Projection
BATCH 2021  “OH MY GOD, SHE’S SO FAT/UGLY/SLUTTY!”
DISCIMUS SAPIENCIA UT VIRTUS o You might have felt an immense
sense of distaste and dislike for
this person, when in fact this is
a projection mechanism veiling
PSYCHIATRY your own deeper body-image
BLOCK 2 issues. Likely, you are deeply
insecure about your own body,
LE CTUR ER: DR. V AR GA S and thus unconsciously project
MAIN TOPIC: MENTAL/ DEFENSE MECHANISM this loathing to others.
 “THAT IS GROSS/BAD, GET IT AWAY FROM
Outline
ME.”
I. Definition of Defense Mechanisms
II. Classifications of Defense Mechanisms
o What we react the most strongly to
III. Narcissistic-Psychotic Defenses says the most about what we place
IV. Immature Defenses the most importance in. For
V. Neurotic Defenses instance, if we can’t stand
VI. Mature Defenses watching sex on TV, this could very
well be a reflection of a hidden
DEFINITION OF DEFENSE MECHANISMS sexual shame or insecurity we in
ourselves.
 Adaptive involuntary coping mechanisms that distort
 “HE/SHE IS HAVING AN AFFAIR.”
our perception of reality in order to reduce subjective
o The fear that your partner/spouse
distress, anxiety, and depression.
is having an affair or is
 If such changes in reality are not “distorted” and untrustworthy is often a reflection
“denied”, they can result in disabling anxiety and of the way you feel about yourself.
depression, or both. All normal people functioning in
 Unconscious strategies that protect us from threats to relationships feel attracted to
our self-esteem and other sources of anxiety. other people at one point or
 These involuntary mental mechanisms: another, and sometimes this self-
o Restore psychological homeostasis discovery is met with fear and
o Provide a mental time-out to adjust to shame which is then often
sudden changes in reality and self-image projected onto the other partner.
(example: winning the lottery, unexpected
accident or a diagnosis of an incurable illness) 2. Denial
 Sometimes, people will accept reality and the
CLASSIFICATIONS OF DEFENSE MECHANISMS seriousness of the fact, but they will deny
George Vaillant classified defense mechanisms into four types: their own responsibility and instead blame
I. Narcissistic-Psychotic Defenses other people or other outside forces.
II. Immature Defenses  Inability to accept reality
III. Neurotic Defenses  If some situation is just too much to handle,
IV. Mature Defenses the person just refuses to experience it; the
person will continue to deny existence or
truth because it is too uncomfortable to face.
NARCISSISTIC-PSYCHOTIC DEFENSES
 It will only last as long as we can hold onto
1. Projection our distorted belief that we are fine, when in
 Involves transferring unwanted aspects of reality, we are not
the self onto others  Functions to protect the ego from things with
 Much of what we criticize in other may which the individual cannot cope
reflect something we’re hiding from
ourselves Examples of Denial
 Projection works by allowing the expression  “No, I’m just a social smoker.”
of the desire or impulse, but in a way that the

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 A person who is functioning alcoholic will
often simply deny they have a drinking
problem, pointing to how well they function
in their job and relationships.
 They might admit that they do use drugs or
alcohol, but will claim that his substance
abuse is not a problem.
 In chronic or terminal illnesses, people with
such illnesses may think, “It’s not so bad. I’ll
get over it,” and refuse to make any lifestyle
changes.
3. Distortion
 Grossly reshaping the experience of external
reality to suit inner needs
Example of Distortion
 A singer who is not told at an audition that
she needs a lot of work to make her voice
stronger remembers the audition as notable
for receiving only positive feedback.
IMMATURE DEFENSES
 Common in preadolescent years
 Related to intimacy or its loss
Examples of Immature Defenses
 Acting out
 Blocking
 Hypochondriasis
 Introjection
 Passive-aggressive behavior
 Regression
 Somatization
 Schizoid fantasy
1. Acting out
 Performing an extreme behavior in order to
express thoughts or feelings the person feels
incapable of otherwise expressing
 When a person acts out, it can act as a
pressure release, and often help the
individual feel calmer and peaceful once
again.
Examples of Acting Out
 Instead of saying, “I’m angry with you,” a
person who acts out may throw a book at the
person, or punch a hole through the wall
 A child’s temper tantrum is a form of acting
out when he or she doesn’t get is or her way
with a parent.
 Self-injury may also be a form of acting-out,
expressing in physical pain what one cannot
stand to feel emotionally.
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PSYCH TRANS 2
2. Hypochondriasis
 Exaggerating or overemphasizing an illness
for the purpose of evasion
 Responsibility can be avoided, guilt can be
circumvented
3. Introjection
 Internalizing the qualities of an object
 Identifying with the aggressor
 A focus on negative or feared traits, i.e. if you
are afraid of someone, you can practically
conquer that fear by becoming more like
them
4. Passive aggression
 Is about being passive, appearing to be OK
with things and saying “yes”
 The passive aggressive will say “yes” to
requests even if they don’t want to do them.
 They often lack the strength to stand up for
themselves and say no assertively.
Examples of Passive Aggression
 Deliberately pissing someone off out of anger
but pretending you didn’t know it would
bother them
o When she was trying to study, I
blasted my music as loud as I could
 Not answering the phone to avoid someone
and pretending you simply weren’t able to
talk to them.
 Agreeing to help someone because you don’t
have enough guts to say no and then doing a
sloppy job because you never really wanted
to help
 Deliberately hurting someone or something
but pretending it was an accident
 Agreeing to do something and then
procrastinating such that the thing is not
done on time or at all.
o The person may tell you it is fine to
attend your friend’s party, but he
does not start getting ready to go on
time and runs an hour late.
 As a passive aggressive, I…
o Hide my hostility by seeming
someone I dislike, and am unable to
be honest with the person.
o Say I agree with something but don’t
follow through because I don’t agree
with it.
o Try to please people by agreeing to
their plan of action, yet actually
doing the opposite.
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o Act one way, which is true to my
inner feelings, yet say another.
o Avoid conflict at all cost by giving in
to others, then procrastinate and
never do what I agreed to do.
o Am angry, but afraid to show my
anger, so I quietly take my revenge
by doing the opposite.
 Passive aggressive think in a very specific
way
o I must avoid an argument, fight, or
conflict at all costs.
o I never “win” in confrontation.
o I must please people by telling them
what they want to hear.
o No one wants to know how I feel.
o No one will understand how I feel.
5. Regression
 Moving oneself back to a once secure place
when experiencing an insecure state of
emotion
 Reversion to an earlier stage of development
in the face of unacceptable thoughts or
impulses
 When we are troubled or frightened, our
behaviors often become more childish or
primitive
 Ann Freud call this defense mechanism
regression, suggesting that people act out
behaviors from the stage of psychosexual
development in which they are fixated.
 For example:
o An individual fixated at the oral
stage might begin eating or smoking
excessively, or might become very
verbally aggressive.
o A fixation at the anal stage might
result in excessive tidiness or
messiness.
Examples of Regression
 A child may begin to suck their thumb again
or wet the bed
 Teenagers ma giggle uncontrollably when
introduced into a social situation involving
the opposite sex
 An adult may regress when under a great
deal of stress, refusing to leave their bed and
engage in normal, everyday activities.
6. Somatization
 Occurs when the internal conflicts between
the drives of the Id, Ego and Super Ego take
on physical characteristics
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PSYCH TRANS 2
 Traumatic events manifested themselves
physically
Example of Somatization
 A person experienced paralysis on one side,
which linked to a dream in which she felt
paralyzed while trying to fend off a snake
from her bed-bound father.
7. Schizoid fantasy
 “Finding a happy place”
 People retreat into a fantasy world in order
to escape from reality, a way to escape real
problems.
 In some cases, this may be beneficial:
thinking about an upcoming vacation, or a
reward from work when it gets too stressful,
is a healthy use of fantasy.
 It may become part of the problem:
imagining the worst consequences may lead
to fear, or reliving a bad situation may lead to
anger and depression; imagining solutions to
problems instead of actually solving them can
have negative consequences.
 In younger children, for example, if they are
having a hard time at school, they might
convince themselves that they are spies, or
have superpowers like superman.
NARCISSISTIC DEFENSES
 Common in neurotic disorders
Examples of Narcissistic Defenses
 Controlling
 Displacement
 Dissociation
 Externalization
 Inhibition
 Intellectualization
 Isolation
 Rationalization
 Reaction formation
 Repression
 Sexualization
1. Displacement
 Redirection of an impulse (usually
aggression) onto a powerless substitute
target
 Transferring of one’s aggression from one
target to another, usually more innocent
target
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Example of Displacement
 A worker, angry at his boss, obviously unable
to direct his anger and hostility to his
intended target, comes home and yells at his
wife.
 She, now also angry and upset, displaces her
anger on the child, who then further
displaces it on their pet dog.
 Most often, we take out our frustrations on
the people we love.
2. Dissociation
 People who use dissociation as a defense
mechanism tend to momentarily lose their
connection to the world around them.
 They may feel separated from the outside
world, as though they exist in another realm.
 Dissociation often helps people to cope with
uncomfortable situations by “removing”
themselves from them.
 They may enter a state of daydreaming,
staring into space and letting their mind
wander until someone nudges them,
prompting them to acknowledge reality once
more.
3. Intellectualization
 Thinking is used to avoid feeling
 Involves removing one’s self emotionally
from a stressful event
 Excludes unpleasant urges from full
awareness by removing their affective charge
Examples of Intellectualization
 A person who has just been diagnosed with a
terminal illness might focus on learning
everything about the disease in order to
avoid distress ad remain distant from the
reality of the situation.
 A woman who has been raped seeks out
information on another 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.)
4. Isolation
 Leads a person to separate ideas or feelings
from the rest of their thoughts
Example of Isolation
 A person with a particularly stressful job may
use isolation to separate their work from
their family, avoiding the stress affecting
their relationships.
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PSYCH TRANS 2
5. Rationalization
 Justifying one’s own negative actions,
thoughts and experiences
 “Make excuses”
 Involves explaining an unacceptable behavior
or feeling in a rational or logical manner,
avoiding the true reasons for the behavior
 Protects self-esteem and self-concept
 When confronted by success or failure,
people ten d to attribute achievement to
their own qualities and skills while failure are
blamed on other people or outside forces
Examples of Rationalization
 A person who has been turned down for a
date might rationalize the situation by saying
they were not attracted to the other person
anyway.
 A student might blame a poor exam score on
the instructor rather than his lack of
preparation.
 You lose your temper in front of people you
want to like and respect you. To make
yourself feel better, you mentally attribute
your outburst to a situation outside your
control, and twist things so that you can
blame someone else for provoking you.
 Bob has been dumped by his girlfriend,
Susan. Instead of moving on and accepting
the end of his relationship with Susan, he
continues to rationalize the break-up by
telling people that Susan only broke up with
him because she was having a bad day, or
reassuring himself that everyone breaks up
sooner or later. By doing this, he is able to
avoid the emotional pain and the thought of
his own incompetence as a mate.
6. Reaction Formation
 Reduces anxiety by taking up the opposite
feeling, impulse, or behavior
 According to Freud, reaction formation is
used to hide true feelings by behaving in the
exact opposite manner.
Example of Formation Reaction
 You secretly harbor lustful feelings toward
someone you should probably stay away
from. You don’t want to admit to these
feelings, so you instead express the very
opposite of those feelings. This object of your
lust now becomes the object of your bitter
hatred.
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 You treat someone you strongly dislike in an
excessively friendly manner in order to hide
your true feelings.
7. Repression
 “Putting away”
 Acts to keep information out of conscious
awareness
 To keep disturbing or threatening thoughts
from becoming conscious
 Note: These memories just don’t disappear;
they continue to influence our behavior.
Examples of Repression
 A person who has repressed memories of
abuse suffered as a child may later have
difficulty forming relationships.
 Bob has been dumped by his girlfriend,
Susan. Instead of moving on and accepting
the end of his relationship with Susan, he
goes on with his life avoiding any thoughts
that have to do with his past relationship with
Susan.
MATURE DEFENSES
 Healthy and adaptive mechanisms
 Useful in the integration of personal needs and
motives, social demands, and interpersonal relations
Examples of Mature Defenses
 Altruism
 Anticipation
 Asceticism
 Humor
 Sublimation
 Suppression
1. Altruism
 An act of goodwill towards another person,
known as altruism behavior, can be used as a
way of diffusing a potentially anxious
situation
 It involves getting pleasure from giving to
others what the individual would have
received.
Example of Altruism
 A former alcoholic serves as an Alcoholics
Anonymous sponsor to a new member –
achieving a transformative process that may
be lifesaving to both giver and receiver.
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PSYCH TRANS 2
2. Anticipation
 Involves rehearsing possible outcomes in
one’s mind or telling oneself that will not be
as bad as they imagine
Example of Anticipation
 A person with a phobia of dentists might
anticipate an appointment to have a tooth
removal by telling themselves that the
procedure will be over in just a few minutes,
and reminding themselves that they have
had one previously without any problems.
3. Humor
 Hiding of one’s anxiety by expressing an
outward sense of humor about an
emotionally tolling event
 Using comedy to overly express feelings and
thoughts without personal discomfort and
without producing an unpleasant effect on
others
Example of Humor
 Bob has been dumped by his girlfriend,
Susan. Instead of moving on and accepting
the end of his relationship with Susan, he
jokes with his friends and tells them he might
be the ugliest son of a gun in town, and that’s
why she dumped him. By doing this, Bob is
covering up his pain and anxiety with a false
sense of humor.
4. Sublimation
 Involves transforming unacceptable desires
into constructive and socially acceptable
forms
 This is similar to displacement, but takes
place when we manage to displace our
emotions into a constructive rather that
destructive activity.
Examples of Sublimation
 Many great artists and musicians have had
unhappy lives and have used the medium of
art of music to express themselves.
 Sport is another example of putting our
emotions (e.g. aggression) into something
constructive.
 A surgeon who takes hostile impulses and
converts them into “cutting” other people in
a way that is perfectly acceptable in society.
 The deaf, angry, and lonely Beethoven
transformed his pain into triumph by putting
Schiller’s “Ode to Joy” to music.
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5. Suppression
 Occurs consciously
 Involves attempting not to think about a
memory or feelings when an uneasy thought
enters their mind or they might preoccupy
their minds by undertaking an unrelated task
to distract themselves

A person may also suppress feelings of love or dislike towards a

person, behaving normally towards them as though they felt
dispassionate towards them.

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