Defence mechanism

A subconscious reflex by which a person prevents himself or herself from showing emotion.


Coping mechanisms are employed by the mind to mitigate distressing or undesirable emotions, impulses, experiences, or events, and to evade conflicts both externally and internally.


The primary defense mechanism employed by the mind is repression, characterized by the suppression of unacceptable thoughts. Additional forms of defense mechanisms include displacement, rationalization, projection, reaction formation, and isolation.


Displacement involves redirecting dangerous thoughts or feelings towards a harmless object or target. For instance, when someone is angry at another person, they may express their anger by kicking furniture instead of physically harming the individual. Rationalization, on the other hand, entails reinterpreting thoughts or actions in a more acceptable manner. For example, a person may criticize someone else but justify it by saying, “It’s for your own good.” In projection, an individual attributes their own faults or feelings onto someone else. This occurs when they believe that someone else hates them when, in reality, it is their own feelings of hatred towards that person. Reaction formation involves concealing an unacceptable emotion by displaying actions or behaviors that suggest the opposite. For instance, someone may disguise their hatred for another person by showing excessive concern and care for them.


Isolation, as a defense mechanism, involves the retention of unpleasant memories, such as experiences of assault, while concealing the associated emotions. Consequently, a person may recall such an event without displaying apparent emotions.


 


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