When do we use defense mechanisms

You may become unjustifiably angry with your direct reports, or even snap at your innocent colleagues. Grohol , Psy. Remember, defense mechanisms are normal.

And, when used occasionally, can actually help you. It requires that you do the one thing you were hoping to avoid: allowing yourself to be vulnerable. Like any other behavior, the first step in making a change is to recognize the problem. There are plenty of other defense mechanisms out there, including:. Find someone you trust on your team or in your office that can hold you accountable and identify when they see you putting your guard up.

So, if your goal is to change your behavior, you can expect a pretty decent success rate. This sentiment holds true in sports, but not so much at work. Relying on any type of defense mechanism too much makes it all too easy to lose sight of the reality right in front of you.

After all, if I could finally force myself to sit down and write this article, I think you can overcome your own defense mechanism, too.

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We all have thoughts, feelings, impulses, and memories that can be difficult to deal with. In some cases, people deal with difficult feelings by utilizing what are known as defense mechanisms. These defense mechanisms are unconscious psychological responses that protect people from feelings of anxiety, threats to self-esteem, and things that they don't want to think about or deal with. The term got its start in psychoanalytic therapy, but it has slowly worked its way into the parlance of everyday language.

Think of the last time you referred to someone as being "in denial" or accused someone of "rationalizing. Most notably used by Sigmund Freud in his psychoanalytic theory, a defense mechanism is a tactic developed by the ego to protect against anxiety.

Defense mechanisms are thought to safeguard the mind against feelings and thoughts that are too difficult for the conscious mind to cope with. In some instances, defense mechanisms are thought to keep inappropriate or unwanted thoughts and impulses from entering the conscious mind.

In Sigmund Freud's model of personality, the ego is the aspect of personality that deals with reality. While doing this, the ego also has to cope with the conflicting demands of the id and the superego.

In order to deal with anxiety, Freud believed that defense mechanisms helped shield the ego from the conflicts created by the id, superego, and reality. According to Freud, anxiety is an unpleasant inner state that people seek to avoid. Anxiety acts as a signal to the ego that things are not going the way they should. As a result, the ego then employs some sort of defense mechanism to help reduce these feelings of anxiety. Not all types of anxiety are created equal. Nor do these anxieties stem from the same sources.

Freud identified three types of anxiety:. Although we may knowingly use these mechanisms, in many cases these defenses work unconsciously to distort reality.

For example, if you are faced with a particularly unpleasant task, your mind may choose to forget your responsibility in order to avoid the dreaded assignment. In addition to forgetting, other defense mechanisms include rationalization, denial, repression, projection, rejection, and reaction formation.

While all defense mechanisms can be unhealthy, they can also be adaptive and allow us to function normally. The greatest problems arise when defense mechanisms are overused in order to avoid dealing with problems. In psychoanalytic therapy , the goal may be to help the client uncover these unconscious defense mechanisms and find better, healthier ways of coping with anxiety and distress.

Sigmund Freud's daughter, Anna Freud , described 10 different defense mechanisms used by the ego. Other researchers have also described a wide variety of additional defense mechanisms.

Have you ever had a really bad day at work and then gone home and taken out your frustration with family and friends? Then you have experienced the ego defense mechanism of displacement. Displacement involves taking out our frustrations, feelings, and impulses on people or objects that are less threatening. Displaced aggression is a common example of this defense mechanism.

Rather than express our anger in ways that could lead to negative consequences like arguing with our boss , we instead express our anger towards a person or object that poses no threat such as our spouse, children, or pets. Denial is probably one of the best-known defense mechanisms, used often to describe situations in which people seem unable to face reality or admit an obvious truth e.

Denial is an outright refusal to admit or recognize that something has occurred or is currently occurring. People living with drug or alcohol addiction often deny that they have a problem, while victims of traumatic events may deny that the event ever occurred.

While this may save us from anxiety or pain, denial also requires a substantial investment of energy. Because of this, other defenses are also used to keep these unacceptable feelings from conscious awareness. In many cases, there might be overwhelming evidence that something is true, yet the person will continue to deny its existence or truth because it is too uncomfortable to face. Defense mechanisms are a normal, natural part of psychological development. Identifying which type you, your loved ones, even your co-workers use can help you in future conversations and encounters.

Dozens of different defense mechanisms have been identified. Some are used more commonly than others. Here are a few common defense mechanisms:. Denial is one of the most common defense mechanisms. It occurs when you refuse to accept reality or facts. In other words, you avoid the painful feelings or events.

This defense mechanism is one of the most widely known, too. Unsavory thoughts, painful memories, or irrational beliefs can upset you. Instead of facing them, you may unconsciously choose to hide them in hopes of forgetting about them entirely.

That does not mean, however, that the memories disappear entirely. They may influence behaviors, and they may impact future relationships. You just may not realize the impact this defense mechanism is having. Some thoughts or feelings you have about another person may make you uncomfortable. For example, you may dislike your new co-worker, but instead of accepting that, you choose to tell yourself that they dislike you.

You see in their actions the things you wish you could do or say. A good example of this defense mechanism is getting angry at your child or spouse because you had a bad day at work.

Neither of these people is the target of your strong emotions, but reacting to them is likely less problematic than reacting to your boss. Remember, defense mechanisms are most often learned behaviors, most of which we learned during childhood. Trauma can impact your life in many ways. Sometimes, you may not be aware. These are some of the possible effects it has on childhood and adulthood. A mother shares her advice on how to talk about losing a child.

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This is what the Cannon-Bard theory attempts to explain. Grohol, Psy. Primitive Defense Mechanisms. Mature Defense Mechanisms. How to Talk About Your Grief. Are You Too Judgmental? How to Limit Fundamental Attribution Error.