Defense Mechanism (Dr.

Sonia Rodriguez)
July 4, 2011 1

SIGMUND FREUD
Founder of Psychoanalysis EARLY 1900s: affluent women would have diminished functioning of certain parts of the body without any pathophysiologic mechanism through constant conversation, their symptoms would disappear BIRTH OF PSYCHOANALYSIS

When it comes to unraveling the mysteries of the human mind, no body of knowledge approaches that of psychoanalytic theory.
NOTE: Psychoanalysis is hardly done nowadays because its expensive and time-consuming

Properties of Defense Mechanisms They manage instinct, drive and affect. They are unconscious but they can be made conscious through verbal cues. They are discrete. They are dynamic and reversible. They can be adaptive, as well as pathological suppression of certain emotions They may be used singularly or in tandem with other defenses.

CLASSIFICATION OF DEFENSE MECHANISM

Narcissistic Defenses

1.

The Topographic Model The mind is divided into 3 regions: a. Consciousperceptions coming from outside world or from w/in
b. the body or mind are brought into awareness (attention cathexis) Preconsciousmental events, processes and contents that can be brought into conscious awareness by focusing attention interfaces both unconscious and conscious regions of the mind; repressive barrier Unconsciousmental contents and processes that are kept from conscious awareness through censorship and repression; related to instinctual drives (sexual and self preservative) primary processing thinking facilitates wish fulfillment and instinctual discharge, governed by the pleasure principle

Immature Defenses Neurotic Defenses Mature Defenses

Narcissistic Defenses
prevent the individual from being able to cope with a real threat and
obscure his/her ability to perceive reality (In Dra. Rodriguezs lecture these defenses were under Immature Defenses)

c.

2.

Stages of Psychosexual development 1. Oral 4. Phalic 2. Anal 5. Latency 3. Urethral 6. Genital

Fixation in Anal Mode: Obsessive-Compulsiveness Fixation in Oral Stage: Alcohol consumption, Smoking

1. Denial Avoiding awareness of some painful aspect of reality by negating sensory data. Painful external reality is abolished. Only lasts for a while Examples:
o A person who is a functioning alcoholic will often simply deny they have a drinking problem, pointing to how well they function in their job and relationships. A smoker concludes that the evidence linking cigarette use to health problems is scientifically worthless.

NOTE:

3.

Structural theory a. IDreservoir of unorganized instinctual drives (We are all born Id. Everything NOW! NOW! NOW!)
lacks capacity to delay or modify drives

b.

EGOcontrol motility, perception, contact with reality, and the delay and modulation of drive expressions
essential for self-preservation abstract thinking and verbal expression (conscious and preconscious); defense mechanisms (unconscious)

2. Distortion Grossly reshaping external reality to suit inner needs Feelings of delusional superiority and entitlement Megalomaniac beliefs o A woman believes that she is Virgin Mary. Hallucinations o A man who hears voices even though in reality theres no one there. Grandiose delusions o A man thinks he is Superman and that he can save the world. 3. Projection Perceiving and reacting to unacceptable inner impulses and their derivatives as though they were outside the self and subsequent acting on the perception People who take methamphetamine experience this kind of defense mechanism: causes paranoia Examples:
o o A woman who dislikes her boss thinks she likes her boss but feels that the boss doesn't like her. A boyfriend who has a strong desire to cheat with his girlfriend accuses his girlfriend of flirting with other men.

c.

SUPEREGOthe moral conscience based on values and ideals internalized from parents
heir to the Oedipus Complex provides scrutiny of persons behavior, thoughts, feelings
and makes comparisons with standards (what a person should not do) Ego ideal prescribes what a person should do according to standards and values

THE DEFENSIVE FUNCTIONS OF THE EGO

The Ego and the Mechanisms of Defense by Anna Freud, 1936 Defense Mechanisms: emerge as a reflection of the egos attempts to mediate between the pressures of the id and the demands of external reality Ego: protects the Id from exploding; protects the superego from being so punitive Edding, Engada, Enriquez, Esguerra, Espinosa

Immature Defenses
used in childhood and adolescence, but mostly abandoned by adulthood,
since they lead to socially unacceptable behavior and/or prevent the adult from optimal coping with reality

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1. Acting Out Expressing an unconscious wish or impulse through action to avoid being conscious of an accompanying affect The unconscious fantasy is lived out impulsively in behavior thereby gratifying the impulse, rather than the prohibition against it Examples:
o o A childs temper tantrum is a form of acting out when he or she doesnt get his or her way with a parent. Self-injury may also be a form of acting-out, expressing in physical pain what one cannot stand to feel emotionally.

An adult has a temper tantrum when he doesn't get his way. An adolescent who is overwhelmed with fear, anger and growing sexual impulses might become clinging and begin thumb sucking or bed-wetting.

6. Schizoid Fantasy/Frank Schizophrenia Indulging in autistic retreat to resolve or avoid conflict, and to obtain gratification Intimacy is avoided and eccentricity serves to repel others People keep to themselves and do not actually fully believe in their fantasies Example:
o A 15-year-old boy dreams of being the world chess champion. He spends nearly all of his time alone studying the game and wont discuss other topics.

2. Hypochondriasis Exaggerating or overemphasizing an illness for the purpose of evasion and regression. Responsibility can be avoided, guilt may be circumvented & instinctual impulses are warded off. Examples:
o o A man insists that his stomachache isintestinal CA. A woman believes that her headaches are being caused by a brain tumor.

3. Introjection Internalizing the qualities of another person You introject the qualities of the person that you love when you lose that person and you become that person Can be positive or negativeintrojection of a loved object (avoids the pain of separation or threat of loss)or identification with the aggressor(avoids anxiety placing the aggression under
ones own control)

7. Somatization Converting psychic derivatives into bodily symptoms & reacting with somatic, rather than psychic manifestations Desomatization infantile somatic responses are replaced by thought and affect; Resomatization person regeresses to earlier somatic forms when faced with conflict Examples o A girl experiences abdominal pains only every Monday when she wants to avoid attending a class. When checked, nothing is wrong with her. o A woman has a mass appearing on her neck whenever she has a difficult problem to handle. When checked, test shows negative result. 8. Blocking Temporarily or transiently inhibiting thinking Tension arises when the impulse, affect or thought is inhibited

Examples: o Cory Aquino is a simple housewife who doesnt know anything about politics. When her husband gets murdered, it seems as if theres no one else perfect enough to takeover the candidacy for but her. She internalizes all of her husbands qualities and becomes the president. o When a boy is constantly being beaten up by his father, he internalizes his fathers behavior as his own and grows up to be an abusive father himself.

Neurotic Defenses
common in everyone, but clearly not optimal for coping with reality since
they lead to problems in relationships, work, and problems in enjoying life

4. Passive-Aggressive Behavior Expression of aggression toward others indirectly through passivity, masochism & turning against the self. Failures, procrastination, illnesses that affect others more than oneself Example: o You dont like your boss but you have no choice but to stay in that company. You express your aggression by procrastinatingand delaying work. 5. Regression Attempting to return to an earlier psychosexual phase of development to avoid tension & conflict evoked at the present level of development. You have to regress every now and then because wecannot be mature all the time. (normal phenomenon) Regression may be needed in relaxation, sleep, orgasm and in the creative process. Examples: o Some artists drink (regression to the oral stage)before painting. Drinking releases their inhibitions. Edding, Engada, Enriquez, Esguerra, Espinosa

1. Controlling Attempting to manage or regulate events or objects in the environment to minimize anxiety & to resolve inner conflicts. Example: o A mother, who does not want to let her child go, creates a 5-year, 10-year plan for her child. 2. Displacement Shifting an emotion or drive from one idea or object to another that resembles the original in some aspect or quality Permits the symbolic representation of the original idea or object by one that evokes less distress. Examples: o An employee is mad at one his colleagues at work then becomesirritable and ill tempered to everyone else at home.
o After parental scolding, a young girl takes her anger out on her little brother.

3. Dissociation Temporarily but drastically modifying a persons character or ones sense of personal identity to avoid emotional distress Fugue states (loss of awareness of ones own identity) and hysterical conversions Page 2 of 3

Psychogenic amnesia: you forget certain parts of very traumatic situations Example: o A rape victim completely forgets what happened to her,
leaves her home and becomes a totally different person.

8. Externalization Perceiving elements of ones own personality (instinctual impulses,

conflicts, moods, attitudes) in the external world and in external objects More general term for Projection

4. Intellectualization Excessively using intellectual processes to avoid affective expression or experience Focus is on: the inanimate to avoid intimacy with people; the external reality to avoid expression of feelings; the irrelevant details to avoid perceiving the whole. Med students are fond of doing this! You want to explain everything in a way that you were taught. Example: o Your own mother has a clot. To avoid attaching feelings over it (being worried, etc.), you approach her in an intellectual way: you explain to her everything from the clotting factors to the coagulation system.
o A person who has just been given a terminal medical diagnosis, instead of expressing their sadness and grief, focuses instead on the details of all possible fruitless medical procedures.

9. Inhibition Consciously limiting ego functions to evade anxiety arising out of

conflict with the Id, Superego and environmental forces or figures

10. Isolation Splitting or separating an idea from the affect that accompanies it
Social isolation absence of object relationships Example: o Being indifferent to someone who has hurt you badly.

11. Sexualization Endowing an object of function with sexual significance to ward of

anxieties associated with prohibited impulses

Mature Defenses
used by "healthy" adults, they optimize one's ability to have normal
relationships, enjoy work, and to take pleasure in life

5. Rationalization Offering rational explanations in an attempt to justify attitudes, beliefs, or behavior that may otherwise be unacceptable. Motives are instinctually determined Example:
o A woman, who starts dating a man she really likes,is suddenly dumped by the man for no reason. She reframes the situation in her mind with, I suspected he was a loser all along. Stating that you were fired because you didn't kiss up the boss, when the real reason was your poor performance.

1. Altruism Using constructive & instinctually gratifying service to others to undergo a vicarious experience Benign and constructive reaction formation
Altruistic surrender surrender of direct gratification or instinctual needs in favor of fulfilling the needs of others to the detriment of oneself

Example: o A woman engages in building foundations and doing philanthropic work after her husband died.

6. Reaction Formation Transforming an unacceptable impulse into its opposite Characteristic of obsessional neurosis If this is used frequently at any early stage of development, it can become permanent obsessional character Examples:
o o A parent who unconsciously resents a child spoils the child with outlandish gifts. A woman who is very angry with her boss and would like to quit her job may instead be overly kind and generous toward her boss and express a desire to keep working there forever.

2. Anticipation Realistically anticipating or planning for future inner discomfort Premature but realistic affective anticipation of dire and potentially dreadful outcomes Example:
o A family prepares themselves for the death of a family member with terminal CA.

7. Repression Expelling or withholding from consciousness an idea or feeling; conscious perception of instincts or feelings is blocked Two types: o Primary repression: curbing ideas or feelings before they o
attain consciousness Secondary repression: excludes from awareness what was once experienced at a conscious level

3. Asceticism Eliminating the pleasurable effects of experiences Gratification is derived from renunciation, and asceticism is directed against all base pleasures perceived consciously Example: o A man renounces his materialistic urges to lead a life of simplicity. 4. Humor Using comedy to overtly express feelings & thoughts without personal discomfort or immobilization & without producing an unpleasant effect on others

Queen of defenses Examples:

o o A traumatized soldier has no recollection of the details of a close brush with death. (secondary repression) Having unacceptable sexual feelings for someone are buried in the unconscious. (primary repression)

Allows the person to tolerate but focus on what is too terrible to bear Different from wit (a form of displacement that involves distraction from the affective issue) Example: o A person's treatment for cancer makes him lose his hair so he makes jokes about being bald.

Edding, Engada, Enriquez, Esguerra, Espinosa

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5. Sublimation Achieving impulse gratification & the retention of goals but altering a socially unacceptable aim or object to a socially acceptable one Instincts are channeled rather than blocked Example: o A womanwho was sexually abusedas a child becomes a human rights lawyer who protects several women and children from having to undergo what she experienced.
o When a person has sexual impulses they would like not to act upon, they may instead focus on rigorous exercise

6. Suppression Consciously or semiconsciously postponing attention to a conscious impulse or conflict Issues may be deliberately cut off but they are not avoided, discomfort is acknowledged but minimized Repression is UNCONSCIOUS. Suppression is CONSCIOUS. Example: o A bad memory comes up when youre in the middle of an important meeting. You say to yourself, No, I have to forget. Now is not the time.
o You are attracted to someone at work but say that you really don't like the person at all.

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Humor as a Defense Mechanism :P

Sources: Dr. Rodriguezs Lecture Kaplan and Saddock (THAT SUPER EXPENSIVE PSYCH BOOK!) 2013B Trans Psychology 7 by Santrock (undergrad psych textbook) Transcribed by: Edding, Sherida Engada, Kashmir Mae Enriquez, Camille Lucia Esguerra, Maria Cecil Espinosa, Malcolm Ray Edited by: Robin Aguila

Edding, Engada, Enriquez, Esguerra, Espinosa

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