INTRODUCTION

 Founder of child psychoanalysis and also

contributed to ego and adolescent
psychology.
 She began her children’s psychoanalytic
practice in 1923 in Vienna, and later served
as chair of the Vienna Psychoanalytic society.
 Founder of the Hampstead Child Therapy
Course and Clinic (The Anna Freud National
Centre for Children and Families).
 INTRODUCTION
 Anna Freud was the first to study children's lives
directly. When she did, she discovered that her
patients' problems had their origins in social reality
as well as in private fantasy.
 From observations of children in wartime, children
growing up, and children of divorce, Anna Freud
concluded that the ego has to cope with life as
well as with the instincts.
 Sigmund Freud described a number of defense
mechanisms, it was his daughter Anna Freud who
provided the clearest and most comprehensive
look at mechanisms of defense in her book “The
Ego and the Mechanisms of Defense”.
ANNA FREUD IS BEST KNOWN
FOR
 Contributions to ego
psychology
 Defense mechanisms
 Founder of child
psychoanalysis
 EGO PSYCHOLOGY
 Ego that observes both the impulses of the id
and the restraints of the superego, and since
the ego is available to the psychoanalyst, she
concluded “this means that the proper field
for our observation is always the ego.”
 When these factors come in conflict, and the
ego cannot easily resolve the conflict,
anxiety develops.
 In order to help alleviate that anxiety, and to
continue restraining the impulses of the id,
the ego resorts to defense mechanisms.
 DEFENSE MECHANISMS
 Some defense mechanisms are seen as protecting us
from within, from the instinctual impulses of the id
(e.g., repression); other defense mechanisms protect
us from external threats (e.g., denial).
 When treating a patient, the goal of the psychoanalyst
is to determine how much a given defense mechanism
contributes to the symptoms and to the ego resistance
of the patient (in other words, resistance to therapy).
 To help understand these issues, Anna Freud identified
and discussed ten defense mechanisms as being
commonly recognized in the field of
psychoanalysis: regression, repression, reaction-
formation, isolation, projection, introjection,
and sublimation.
 DEFENCE MECHANISMS
Repression
 Repression involves blocking an impulse from conscious expression.
Examples include forgetting a traumatic event, such as sexual abuse,
or being unaware of hostile feelings toward family members.
Regression
 When faced with difficult situations that we cannot resolve, we may
regress to behavior indicative of an earlier stage of development.
Denial
 Denial refers to simply refusing to believe an unpleasant reality.
Projection
 Projection involves attributing our own negative impulses to another
person. If, for example, we want to see another person fail, perhaps
to make us feel superior, we may claim that they are trying to
interfere with our success.
 DEFENCE MECHANISMS
Reaction-Formation
A reaction-formation is the process of suppressing
unacceptable impulses and adopting an opposite course of
action.
Identification
We often model our behavior after people we admire, or adjust
our behavior based on people we fear. Internalizing this
process of identifying with others is primarily how the
superego develops, how we adopt the rules and guidelines of
our culture and make them our own.
Displacement
Sometimes we cannot respond directly to unpleasant situations,
so we displace (or transfer) our impulses onto another object.
Rationalization
Rationalization is the process of finding logical reasons for
unacceptable behavior or thoughts.
Isolation
Isolation involves separating the anxiety-provoking aspects
of an event from one’s other thoughts and behaviors the
other parent.
Sublimation
Sometimes referred to as the successful defense mechanism,
sublimation is the process of channeling unacceptable
impulses into socially acceptable forms. It is often said that
great artists must suffer before they can find the inspiration
to master their craft.
 TYPES OF ANXIETY
 Neurotic Anxiety- Id-Ego Conflict.

 Moral Anxiety- Ego-Superego conflict

 Reality Anxiety - Ego-External World

conflict
 DISCUSSION QUESTION
 Anna Freud believed that even normal
personality development involved the
common use of defense mechanisms.
 Consider your own personality. Are there
situations that make you anxious and, if so,
can you recognize the defense mechanisms
you rely on?
 Do you have a common defense mechanism
that you use more than any other?
 KAREN HORNEY
 Karen Horney was a psychoanalyst and theorist
who suggested that people possess a number of
neurotic needs that play a role in driving behavior.
 In her 1942 book "Self-Analysis," Horney outlined
her theory of neurosis, describing different types
of neurotic behavior as a result of overusing
coping strategies to deal with basic anxiety.
 Psychoanalytic theorist Karen Horney developed
one of the best-known theories of neurosis. She
believed that neurosis resulted from basic anxiety
caused by interpersonal relationships.
 BASIC ANXIETY
 According to Horney, basic anxiety (and therefore neurosis) could
result from a variety of situations. She suggested that as children,
people often have experiences that contribute to neuroticism, including:

 Excessive admiration
 Injustice and discrimination
 Isolation from other children
 Lack of respect for needs
 Lack of guidance
 Lack of warmth
 Over-protection
 Parental arguments or hostility in the home
 Too much or too little responsibility
 Unkept promises
 TYPES OF BASIC ANXIETY
 Needs that move people towards others: These neurotic
needs cause individuals to seek affirmation and
acceptance from others. People with these needs are
often described as needy or clingy as they seek out
approval and love.
 Needs that move people away from others: These
neurotic needs create hostility and antisocial behavior.
These individuals are often described as cold, indifferent,
and aloof.
 Needs that move people against others: These neurotic
needs result in hostility and a need to control other
people. These individuals are often described as difficult,
domineering, and unkind.
COPING WITH NEUROSIS

Reframe Your Thinking

Practice Mindfulness

Focus on Relationships

Talk to a Professional