Freud’s Defense Mechanisms

The Ego’s job is so difficult that unconsciously all people resort to psychological defenses. Rather than face intense frustration, conflict, or feelings of unworthiness, people trick themselves into believing nothing is wrong.

Defense Mechanisms Defenders of the ego from experiencing anxiety about failing in its tasks.

Repression When a person has painful memories and unacceptable thoughts and motives that causes the ego too much anxiety, she may push that thought or urge out of consciousness down into the unconscious.

Projection Another way the ego avoids anxiety is to believe that impulses coming from within are really coming from other people.

Reaction Formation Involves replacing an unacceptable feeling or urge with its opposite. For example a divorced father may resent having his child for the weekend. Unconsciously, he feels it is terribly wrong for a father to react that way. So he showers the child with expressions of love and exciting trips.

Regression Means going back to an earlier and less mature pattern of behavior. When a person is under severe pressure and his or her other defense mechanisms are not working he may start acting in a way that helped him in the past. For example temper tantrums, crying, making faces or reverting to eating and sleeping all the time.

Sublimation Unconscious shifting of an unacceptable drive. Example: Lust for a sister into a culturally acceptable behavior, lust for your friends sister.

Displacement Occurs when the object of an unconscious wish provokes anxiety. The anxiety is reduced when the ego unconsciously shifts to another object. For example if you wanted to hit your father but you hit your little brother instead.