Ego Defense Mechanisms 30th Nov

8/8/2019 Ego Defense Mechanisms 30th Nov

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DEFENCE MECHANISMSDEFENCE MECHANISMS are unconsciousare unconsciousPsychological strategies brought into play by variousPsychological strategies brought into play by variousentities to cope with reality and to maintainentities to cope with reality and to maintain selfself--imageimage..

Healthy persons normally use different defencesHealthy persons normally use different defencesthroughout life; ego defence mechanism becomesthroughout life; ego defence mechanism becomespathological only when its persistent use leads topathological only when its persistent use leads tomaladaptivemaladaptive behaviorbehavior such that the physical and/orsuch that the physical and/ormental health of the individual is adversely affected.mental health of the individual is adversely affected.

The purpose of ego defence mechanisms is to protectThe purpose of ego defence mechanisms is to protectthe mind/self/ego fromthe mind/self/ego from anxietyanxiety

, social sanctions or to, social sanctions or toprovide a refuge from a situation with which one cannotprovide a refuge from a situation with which one cannotcurrently cope.currently cope.


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Commonly found among emotionally healthyadults

Considered mature, even though many have their

origins in an immature stage of development.

Adapted through the years in order to optimizesuccess in life and relationships.

Use of these defences enhances pleasure andfeelings of control.

Help integrate conflicting emotions andthoughts, while still remaining effective.


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1. Altruismperforming acts that benefit others in order to vicariously

experience pleasure

2. Humorexpressing feelings through comedy without causingdiscomfort to self or others

3. Sublimation satisfying socially objectionable impulses in anacceptable manner (thus channelingthem rather thanpreventingthem)(Clinical example: Person with unconscious urges to physically controlothers becomes a prison guard.)

4. Suppressionpurposely ignoring an unacceptable impulse oremotion in order to diminish discomfort and accomplish a task(Clinical example: Nurse who feels nauseated by an infected woundputs aside feelings of disgust to clean wound and provide necessarypatient care.)

Mature defenses


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Common in adults.Common in adults.

Have shortHave short--term advantages in coping, butterm advantages in coping, butcan often cause longcan often cause long--term problems interm problems inrelationships, work and in enjoying life whenrelationships, work and in enjoying life when

used as one's primary style of coping with theused as one's primary style of coping with theworld.world.


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1. Controllingregulating situations and events of external environment to relieve anxiety

1. Undoingattempting to reverse a situation by adopting a new behavior (Clinical example: Man who hashad a brief fantasy of killing his wife by sabotaging her car takes the car in for a complete check-up.)

2. Displacementshifting emotions from an undesirable situation to one that is personally tolerable(Clinical example: Student who is angry at his mother talks back to his teacher the next day and refuses toobey her instructions.)

3. Intellectualizationavoiding negative feelings by excessive use of intellectual functions and by focusing

on irrelevant details or inanimate objects (Clinical example: Physician dying from colon cancer describesthe pathophysiology of his disease in detail to his 12-year-old son.)

4. Isolation of affectunconsciously limiting the experience of feelings or emotions associated with astressful life event in order to avoid anxiety (Clinical example:Woman describes the recent death of herbeloved husband without emotion.)

5. Rationalizationcreating explanations of an event in order to justify outcomes or behaviors and to make

them acceptable.(Clinical example: HIGH-YIELD FACTS Psychotherapies My boss fired me todaybecause shes short-tempered and impulsive, not because I havent done a good job.)

6. Reaction formationdoing the opposite of an unacceptable impulse (Clinical example: Man who is inlove with his co-worker insults her.)

7. Repressionpreventing a thought or feeling from entering consciousness (Repression is unconscious,whereas suppression is a conscious act.)

Neurotic Defenses


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Often present in adults but more commonly present inOften present in adults but more commonly present inadolescentsadolescents..

Lessen distress and anxiety provoked by threateningLessen distress and anxiety provoked by threateningpeople or by uncomfortable reality.people or by uncomfortable reality.

People who excessively use such defences are seen asPeople who excessively use such defences are seen associally undesirable in that they are immature, difficult tosocially undesirable in that they are immature, difficult todeal with and seriously out of touch with reality.deal with and seriously out of touch with reality.

Overuse almost always leads to serious problems in aOveruse almost always leads to serious problems in aperson's ability to cope effectively.person's ability to cope effectively.Often seen in severe depression and personalityOften seen in severe depression and personalitydisorders.disorders. In adolescence, the occurrence of all of these defences isIn adolescence, the occurrence of all of these defences isnormal.normal.


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Acting outgiving in to an impulse, even if socially inappropriate,in order to avoid the anxiety of suppressing that impulse (Clinicalexample: Man who has been told his therapist is going on vacation

forgets

his last appointment and skips it.)

Denialnot accepting reality that is too painful (Clinical example:Woman who has been scheduled for a breast mass biopsy cancels herappointment because she believes she is healthy.)

Regressionperforming behaviors from an earlier stage of developmentin order to avoid tension associated with current phase of development(Clinical example:Woman brings her childhood teddy bear to thehospital when she has to spend the night.)

Projectionattributing objectionable thoughts or emotions to others(Clinical example: Husband who is attracted to other women believeshiswife is having an affair.)

Immature Defenses


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They permit one to effectively rearrange externalThey permit one to effectively rearrange externalexperiences to eliminate the need to cope with realityexperiences to eliminate the need to cope with realitycausing users of these mechanisms to appear irrationalcausing users of these mechanisms to appear irrationaloror insaneinsane to others.to others.

Common in overtCommon in overt psychosispsychosis..

Also found inAlso found in dreamsdreams and throughout childhood asand throughout childhood aswell.well.


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Delusional Projection: Grossly frank delusions about external reality, usually of a

persecutory nature.

Denial:

Refusal to accept external reality because it is too threatening; arguingagainst an anxiety-provoking stimulus by stating it doesn't exist; resolution of

emotional conflict and reduction of anxiety by refusing to perceive or consciouslyacknowledge the more unpleasant aspects of external reality.

Distortion: A gross reshaping of external reality to meet internal needs.

Splitting: labeling people as all good or all bad (often seen in borderlinepersonality disorder) (Clinical example:Woman who tells her doctor, you and thenurses are the only people who understand me; all the other doctors are mean andimpatient.)

Extreme projection: The blatant denial of a moral or psychological deficiency,which is perceived as a deficiency in another individual or group.

PATHOLOGICAL DEFENSE

MECHANISMS


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Ego Defense Mechanisms 30th Nov

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