Defence mechanisms (also known as Ego Defences) were identified by Sigmund Freud and then further developed by his daughter Anna Freud.
Defence mechanisms are psychological strategies that are unconsciously used to protect a person from anxiety arising from ‘unacceptable’ thoughts or feelings. So when we have negative emotions or impulses, we often look for ways to cope with these unwanted feelings.
Unlike the conscious coping strategies that we use to manage daily stress, defence mechanisms operate on an entirely unconscious level.
Why is this important? Because defences are unconscious it means we are behaving in ways we are unaware of. If we suffer from road rage, fight regularly with our partners or friends, struggle to be assertive – all of this could be because we are displacing a lot of our negative emotions in ways we don’t realise.
Once we become more self-aware we can practice taking responsibility and owning our ‘forbidden feelings’ and dealing with them more effectively.
Ever get the feeling someone is 'dumping' on you? Displacement is a psychological defence mechanism in which a person redirects a negative emotion from its original source to a less threatening recipient that is less likely to come with repercussions. This allows us to satisfy an impulse to react, but we don’t risk significant consequences.
An example of this defence mechanism is getting angry at our child or partner because we had a bad day at work. Neither of these people is the target of our strong emotions, but reacting to them is likely less problematic than reacting to our boss.
Defence mechanisms are psychological strategies that are unconsciously used to protect a person from anxiety arising from ‘unacceptable’ thoughts or feelings.
Projection is the misattribution of a person’s undesired thoughts, feelings, or impulses onto another person who does not have those thoughts, feelings or impulses. Projection is used especially when the thoughts are considered unacceptable for the person to express, or they feel completely ill at ease with having them.
For example, a partner may be angry at their significant other for not listening, when in fact it is the angry partner who does not listen. Or the very drunk person from a party the night before says to a fellow guest the next day, "Your drinking was out of control last night, Steven."
Projection is often the result of a lack of insight and acknowledgement of one’s own issues, motivations and feelings. Another reason why self-awareness is so very important.
Unlike the conscious coping strategies that we use to manage daily stress, defence mechanisms operate on an entirely unconscious level.
Some people who feel threatened “escape” to an earlier stage of development. This type of defense mechanism may be most obvious in young children. If they experience trauma or loss, they may suddenly act as if they’re younger again. They may begin wetting the bed or sucking their thumb.
Adults can regress, too. Adults who are struggling to cope may return to sleeping with an old stuffed animal. And common behaviour such as comfort eating, chain smoking or chewing on pencils or pen tops point to regressive behaviour too.
1. Displacement
2. Projection
5. Regression
6. Denial
This is one of the most common defense mechanisms. It happens when you refuse to accept reality or the facts. You block things from your mind so that you don’t have to deal with their emotional impact.
The phrase, “They’re in denial” may have become a flippant jokey phrase we all use from time to time, but it is actually a rather steadfast defence mechanism that is hard to break and means a person is avoiding reality despite what may be obvious to people around them.
Once we become more self-aware we can practice taking responsibility and owning our ‘forbidden feelings’ and dealing with them more effectively.
Some people may attempt to explain away their undesirable behaviors. This allows them to feel comfortable with the choice they made, even if they know on another level it’s not right.
For example, people who might be angry at co-workers for missing a deadline could be ignoring the fact that they've done this in the past too.
3. Rationalisation
When a difficult situation arises, you remove all emotion from your responses and instead focus on quantitative facts. Reasoning is used to block confrontation with an unconscious conflict and its associated emotional stress.
You may see this strategy in use when a person who is let go from a job chooses to spend their days creating spreadsheets of job opportunities and leads. Or when a relationship ends and a person is strangely analytical and void of emotion as they describe the upsetting events of the ending.
4. Intellectualisation
7. Repression
We bury our traumatic experiences and events that cause us emotional distress in the hopes that we will forget them entirely. However these then unconsciously tend to drive our behaviours and decisions and may impact our lives in very negative ways.
If we are scared of the dark, have a phobia of any kind or have a strong dislike or aversion to anything, this could be in part due to an experience we have had that is repressed and we cant recall. But it lives on in us powerfully through these fearful behaviours and beliefs.
8. Compartmentalisation
This is separating your life into independent sectors as a means to protect it. An easy example is when you choose to not discuss certain personal issues at work. Similarly, you also may not ‘bring your work home’ with you.
Compartmentalisation is a skill. It’s the ability to be hurt, sad, disappointed, afraid or angry about something and put those feelings away until a time when you can deal with them better. Many people do it all the time and it's not unhealthy.
However some people over-compartmentalise. They have developed large boxes that they frequently lock painful feelings in, and bury them in the dark recesses of their minds. This allows them to discount, deny or dismiss the impact of life experiences that caused pain in the past or present.
9. Sublimation
In psychology, sublimation is a defence mechanism in which socially unacceptable impulses are transformed into socially acceptable actions or behaviour, resulting in a long-term conversion of the initial impulse. This is why it can often be considered a positive strategy because those who rely on it choose to redirect their strong emotion into an object or activity that is appropriate and safe.
Usually a physical activity like exercise or sports, but not always. Indeed many a beautiful song has been written using this defence mechanism. This was actually one of Freud's favourites as he contended that the appreciation or creation of ideal beauty was rooted in these primitive urges or impulses that had been transformed through sublimation into incredible art.
For the athletes, creatives, hard workers and leaders out there - perhaps what 'drives' you is actually a deeply unconscious process that you are recreating in your life in a supremely powerful and positive way.
10. Reaction Formation
This is reacting in an opposite way to those of your instincts. Emotions that are deemed unacceptable will be morphed into exaggerated expressions of their polar opposite. So when you experience negative emotions you will react in an overly positive way.
Usually this is in terms of consciously focusing on a behaviour that is more favourable to you than the feared knee-jerk reaction or impulse may display. It is an attempt to cover up your true feelings.
Common examples would be somebody that is feeling attacked, instead of explaining their stance, will go on the offensive and attack back; or laughing when you feel uncomfortable or in the face of tragedy. We can also show and feel strong hate feelings towards someone we may unconsciously love (but don't want to love). Or we may embody 'pure' and morally superior attitudes outwardly to mask our crude and primitive desires.
