Defense mechanisms: what are they, and their 10 most important types?

The basic mechanisms by which reality is denied or covered up, according to Freudian theory.

Defense mechanisms are one of the most important concepts of the theory of psychoanalysis, which emerged from the works of Sigmund Freud. theory of psychoanalysis, which emerged from the works of Sigmund Freud.

They are a series of psychological processes that, hypothetically, would regulate the way in which the contents of the unconscious manifest themselves in our consciousness and in our behaviors.

In this article we will see what exactly are the defense mechanisms, with several examples and a classification of its main types.

Defense mechanisms in psychoanalysis.

In the article "Sigmund Freud: life and work of the famous psychoanalyst", we commented that the function of the ego is to satisfy the impulses of the it and not to offend the moral character of the superegowhile valuing reality. This is not an easy task, and Freud describes that the ego uses mechanisms to manage the conflicts between these psychic instances.

Defense mechanisms, therefore, are procedures that unconsciously maintain procedures that unconsciously maintain psychological equilibrium in order to cope with the anguish or anxiety associated with the conscious expression of a representation of the ego. associated with the conscious expression of a drive representation (sexual or aggressive), with the transgression of the moral code, or with a real external danger.

In other words, starting from the idea that there are contents belonging to the unconscious that cannot pass to the consciousness without further ado because they would disturb us too much, the defense mechanisms would make it possible for part of them to pass through a kind of filter being expressed in a way in which they are denied or too distorted to affect us too much.

Defense mechanisms are incorrect ways of resolving psychological conflict and can lead to disorders of the mind, behavior and, in the most extreme cases, to somatization of the psychological conflict that causes it.

The following are the ten main defense mechanisms described in the theories of psychoanalysis.

1. Displacement

Refers to the redirection of an impulse (usually an aggression) towards a person or an object.. For example, someone who feels frustrated with his boss and kicks his dog, or a piece of furniture. In this case we are faced with a defense mechanism: as it is not possible to hit the boss because he would fire us from our job, we move the object of our anger towards any other being or object.

2. Sublimation

It is similar to displacement, but the impulse is channeled towards a more acceptable form. A sexual drive is sublimated towards a non-sexual purposeIt is aimed at objects positively valued by society, such as artistic activity, physical activity or intellectual research.

3. Repression

This is the mechanism that Sigmund Freud first discovered. It refers to the process by which the ego erases events and thoughts that would be painful if they were kept at the conscious level, since the satisfaction of the drive is not the only way to repress.The satisfaction of the repressed drive is irreconcilable with other demands of the superego. superego or reality.

4. Projection

Refers to the tendency of individuals to attribute (project) their own thoughts, motives or feelings to another person.. The most common projections can be aggressive behaviors that provoke a feeling of guilt, and socially unacceptable sexual fantasies or thoughts. For example, a girl hates her female roommate, but the superego tells you that this is unacceptable. She may solve the problem by thinking that it is the other person who hates her.

5. Denial

It is the mechanism by which the subject blocks external events so that they do not form part of the consciousness and, therefore, he treats and, therefore, treats obvious aspects of reality as if they did not exist. For example, a smoker who denies that Smoking can cause serious health problems. By denying these harmful effects of tobacco, he can better tolerate his habit, naturalizing it.

6. Regression

Refers to any regression to previous situations or habits, a return to immature patterns of behavior.. For example, an adolescent who is not allowed to go away for a weekend at a friend's house and reacts with a tantrum and screams in front of his parents, as if he were a younger child.

7. Reactive training

Impulses are not only repressed, but are also, are controlled by exaggerating the opposite behavior. That is, the occurrence of a painful thought is stopped by replacing it with a more pleasant one. For example, a person who is very angry with a friend, but tells him that everything is all right to avoid the discussion.

8. Isolation

Is a mechanism by which memories are divorced from feelings, as a way to better withstand and tolerate facts and reality. and reality. An intolerable idea for the ego is separated from the emotions it produces, so that it remains in the consciousness in a weakened form. For example, relating a traumatic episode with total normality, as if talking about the weather or any other trivial matter.

9. Condensation

It is a mechanism by which certain elements of the unconscious (latent content) are reunited in a single image or object during the dream.. It consists of the concentration of several meanings in a single symbol. The process of condensation makes the account of the manifest content much shorter than the description of the latent content. It is a term that arises from psychoanalytic explanations that account for the creation of dreams.

10. Rationalization

In rationalization a real reason that is not acceptable is replaced by another one that is acceptable. That is, the perspective of reality is changed by offering a different explanation. For example, a woman falls madly in love with a man, and they start a relationship. A month into the relationship, the man breaks off the relationship because he considers that the woman has very low self-confidence and does not let him breathe. Despite the fact that the woman has had three consecutive failed love affairs for the same reason, she concludes, "I already knew this man was a loser," or "I knew from the first moment that this man was not suitable for me."

Bibliographical references:

• Almendro, M.T. (2012). Psicoterapias. Manual CEDE de Preparación PIR, 06. CEDE: Madrid.
• Arlow, B. (1964), Psychoanalytic Concepts and the Structural Theory. Nueva York: International Universities Press.
• Cramer, P. (1991). The Development of Defense Mechanisms: Theory, Research, and Assessment. Nueva York, Springer-Verlag.
• Grünbaum, A. (1984). The Foundations of Psychoanalysis: A Philosophical Critique. University of California Press.