How to avoid thoughts, people or events that make them feel bad
Many know Sigmund Freud, who discovered defence mechanisms. People create defence strategies to escape negative thoughts, people, and experiences.
Freud claims that humans do not consciously and deliberately engage in these behaviours to escape extreme pain, guilt, rage, and humiliation. These natural defence systems become an issue when employed too often or for too long.
Because Freud's theories and methods cannot be validated scientifically, they are no longer employed in treatment. However, his views advanced psychology, and some of his concepts, such as defence mechanisms, remain valid.
A therapist who discovers that his client is utilising “projection” as a defence technique can improve the therapeutic process. By knowing defence mechanisms, we may understand ourselves and others and better our relationships.
Denial is a popular defence. It happens when you struggle to accept life's reality. To avoid the emotional impacts of difficult, sad, and traumatic situations, denial-prone people live as if the incident never happened.
Losing a child may cause a mother to put extra plate on the dinner table and wash and iron their clothes. When you talk to this individual about their unfortunate occurrence, they may act as they don't know or shift the subject.
Unlike the denial defence mechanism, these people accept that they have had a terrible incident but choose not to think about or talk about it in order to forget it. A long-term spouse who separates from his spouse continues to live as if he never was married and never knew his ex-spouse.
When thoughts and sentiments concerning another person become too much to handle, a person projects them onto them. They act like others have these thoughts and feelings, not them.
They may be jealous of someone they envy who is prettier or more successful than them and think badly of them. They may dislike their new coworker but think they do. When someone feels jealous or guilty, they use this defence mechanism.
This defence mechanism involves reacting to another person or object instead of the offender. An upset employee may not be able to express his displeasure to his boss, so he transfers it to his spouse and children at home, or a child who is angry with his instructor and frightened to react may smash his toy when he gets home.
Sad or dangerous persons may unconsciously “escape” to a younger developmental age. This defence mechanism is typical in kids. Trauma or bereavement may make them act like babies. A child resentful of his newborn brother may act as a baby to win parental attention. He may suck his thumb, wet his bed, or beg his mother to feed him when he can eat.
This defence mechanism is used by people who know their actions are wrong and try to justify them. A thief may feel entitled to steal, a gambler may say "There is both winning and losing in life" despite putting themselves in a difficult situation, or a woman who is battered may think "If she hadn't dressed so revealingly, this wouldn't have happened to her."