Top 7 Psychological Defense Mechanisms
The human mind has a variety of defense mechanisms to protect us from unpleasant emotions and situations. They can include rationalization, repression, reaction formation, sublimation, projection, and regression.
Reaction formation involves consciously behaving in a way that is opposite to your instincts. It can involve doing things like being nice to someone you dislike.
1. Denial
Denial is the process of refusing to acknowledge or accept painful aspects of external reality or internal thoughts, feelings, or memories. It is often used as a defense mechanism against severe psychological disorders, such as narcissistic personality disorder.
When someone is reliant on this defensive mechanism, they may be unable to see or understand their own unhealthy behaviors. As a result, they might not believe they have any problems and instead blame their behavior on others. For example, a person might rationalize their irrational anger reaction in front of a colleague by saying they were provoked.
This defense mechanism involves unconsciously pushing a memory out of consciousness to avoid feeling associated anxiety or fear. It’s often referred to as “repression,” and it can lead to emotional or behavioral difficulties later on in life. For instance, an adult who repressed a childhood trauma might still struggle to trust others, even when there are no real threats.
People who use this defense mechanism redirect unacceptable impulses into pursuits that are considered more acceptable by themselves and others. For example, a person who feels angry might channel their frustration into a physical activity like exercising or punching a bag.
2. Displacement
Displacement is the unconscious process of redirecting a negative feeling or impulse to a less threatening source. A classic example of this is displaced aggression, where someone who feels angry takes their anger out on a person or thing that poses less of a threat. This is often seen in people who suffer from conduct disorder, antisocial personality disorders, or oppositional defiant disorder.
Like other defense mechanisms, displacing emotions and urges is not necessarily bad for mental health. However, prolonged use can cause lingering problems because it prevents you from dealing with your feelings and facing your anxieties and fears.
One of the biggest disadvantages of displaced aggression is that it can lead to physical injuries, especially self-harm. For instance, if you take your anger out on others or yourself, it can have devastating effects on your body and your relationships.
Displacement is considered a secondary defense mechanism, as opposed to primary or immature defenses like acting out, avoidance, and sublimation. These are more mature coping mechanisms that allow you to express your negative emotions in a healthy manner. For example, you may channel your anger into playing sports instead of hurting yourself or your loved ones.
3. Sublimation
Sublimation is the process of redirecting negative emotions or impulses into socially acceptable pursuits. For example, someone with anger issues might channel their aggression into sports instead of lashing out physically or verbally at others. This helps to protect the ego from anxiety by replacing potentially harmful impulses with positive ones.
Sigmund Freud's daughter, Anna, expanded on this defense mechanism in her book "Psychology of Defense Mechanisms." She described how people use sublimation to transform thoughts that are unacceptable into activities that are more acceptable. For instance, a person might redirect their sexual urges into art or other more respectable hobbies.
Another way to use this defense mechanism is to redirect a reaction towards a different person than the one you're upset with. For instance, you might be angry at your boss but react to your child or spouse. This allows you to get out your anger while avoiding a confrontation with the person who deserves it.
Many therapists believe that sublimation is a mature defense mechanism that can improve cognitive processes. However, it can also be damaging to your mental health if you use it for too long. Jerome Blackwell compares defense mechanisms to circuit breakers, saying that they can help you to cope with anxieties and difficult situations by switching out inappropriate behaviors for more mature ones.
4. Rationalism
The rationalist movement is well known for its skepticism of emotions and an emphasis on evidence and logical thought. However, this does not mean that emotional considerations are irrelevant or insignificant. Rationalists are also concerned with cognitive biases and the ways in which these influence logic and reasoning. They recognize that the distortions of our thinking are not just a personal nuisance, but have real-world consequences. For example, when a parent makes excuses for why they did not help with the dishes or clean the house, they are using rationalization as a defense mechanism. This can damage family relationships and create resentment over time.
Rationalization is an unconscious defense mechanism in which apparent logical reasons are used to justify behaviors that are driven by unconscious instinctual impulses. This mechanism helps people maintain their self-respect and protect themselves from feelings of guilt, and can be a useful coping strategy in some cases. However, if it is consistently utilized to justify destructive behavior, it can be damaging to mental health and may require a professional's attention.
5. Projection
Projection is the unconscious process of attributing one’s negative thoughts or impulses to someone else. This defense mechanism is often used by people who are feeling overwhelmed or guilty about their own behavior. For example, a man having an affair might accuse his wife of cheating on him when in reality he is feeling guilty and internally conflicted about his own behavior. This form of defense mechanism is also known as blame-shifting and falsely accusing others of wrongdoing.
While people frequently use the term “projection” in everyday conversation, they don’t usually think of it as a defense mechanism. However, it is one of the most common defense mechanisms and can be very difficult to recognize in yourself or others.
Projection is closely related to repression, which involves figuratively pushing fears, stressors, and anxieties down into the unconscious to avoid confronting them. While repression can be an effective defense mechanism, it is important to understand that suppressed emotions will eventually bubble to the surface. Likewise, psychological projection can have serious consequences if it isn’t managed appropriately. If you are struggling with any of these defense mechanisms, you may benefit from talking to a therapist. Use our therapist finder and directory to connect with a therapist who is right for you.
6. Avoidance
This defense mechanism involves avoiding people, places and things that trigger uncomfortable feelings. For example, someone with social anxiety may avoid crowds of people or hanging out with groups of friends, as a way to spare themselves from feeling anxious or uncomfortable. However, when a person regularly engages in avoidance behavior, they never learn effective ways to cope with these feelings or experiences and often become stuck in a cycle of maladaptive behaviors.
Another type of avoidance is sublimation, which is the process of channeling conflicted thoughts, unmet desires or unacceptable impulses into productive outlets, like exercise or writing music. For instance, if someone feels guilty about lying to their friend, they might suppress these feelings so they can get through the day and then try to distract themselves by exercising or writing music.
Some coping mechanisms are more adaptive than others and are used on a continuum, with more mature defense mechanisms improving cognitive processes and less-mature ones causing harm. It is important for therapists to help clients understand the origin and purpose of their defense mechanisms in order to provide them with healthy tools that they can use in the future. BetterHelp’s Schema Therapy Flash Cards are an excellent tool that therapists can use with their clients to teach them bite-sized morsels of wisdom that will help them to respond healthily to any maladaptive defense mechanisms.
7. Neglect
As the most primitive of defense mechanisms, neglect involves pushing disturbing thoughts or memories into the unconscious. These may resurface in the form of nightmares or Freudian slips, but they will continue to cause anxiety. Examples of this type of defense include repressing memories of sexual abuse, not mentioning a past relationship to new romantic partners or denying an unpleasant experience at work.
Neglect can be a serious concern, especially in children who have experienced emotional trauma. This is because it can lead to long-term psychological problems, like a lack of ego resilience and difficulty with emotional regulation (Stoltenborgh, Bakermans-Kranenburg, & Van IJzendoorn, 2013). It is also associated with a range of other negative outcomes, including poor school performance and a lack of attachment security.
To help your client learn more healthy coping strategies, you can use Schema Therapy Flash Cards. These simple tools provide bite-sized morsels of wisdom that can be easily carried and used during stressful moments. If your client is prone to avoidant behaviors, you can also suggest they try our Conquering Avoidant Tendencies worksheet. It helps clients identify their sources of anxiety and practice tackling these issues in manageable steps. BetterHelp has 20,000 licensed therapists ready to help. Start a free online assessment to get matched with the best therapist for you.
