Coping with Challenges: The Role of Defense Mechanisms
Defense mechanisms are a set of psychological strategies used by individuals to protect themselves from uncomfortable emotions, such as anxiety, guilt, and shame. In this blog, we will discuss some examples of these defense mechanisms and how they are used to cope with a breakup.
- Repression is blocking thoughts from conscious awareness. If you ask a person how they feel after a breakup, they may respond that they have not been thinking about it for a while.
- Denial is not accepting the ego-threatening truth. After a breakup, a person may still continue to act as if they are still together because they just can’t accept the truth.
- Reaction formation is expressing the opposite of how one truly feels. A boy may claim he hates his ex-girlfriend even though he truly loves her deep in his heart.
- Regression is returning back to an early comforting behavior. The boy may curl himself up in the corner of his bed to seek comfort.
- Intellectualization is undertaking an academic study of a topic. The boy may start conducting a research project about failed teen romance.
- Sublimation is one of the most healthy defense mechanisms. It is channeling one’s frustration towards a different goal. The boy may set a goal for himself to start studying hard and aim for a 4.0 GPA.
- Rationalization is coming up with a beneficial result of an undesirable occurrence. The boy may start to believe that he can find a better girlfriend.
- Displacement is redirecting one’s feelings toward another person or object. The boy could displace his feelings of love to another girl.
- Projection is the belief that the feelings one has toward another is held by the other person. The boy may believe his ex-girlfriend still loves him.
Overall, understanding these different defense mechanisms can help us better cope with difficult emotions and situations in a healthier way.
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