Defense Mechanisms Lesson 3

Describe the purpose of defense mechanisms. Your first response to a stressor is physical. The energy boost and the other changes put a strain on your body. Your body tries to get back to normal as soon as it can. Relieving mental distress may not be so easy. Many people use defense mechanisms to cope with mental distress. A defense mechanism is an automatic, short-term behavior to cope with distress.

Identify defense mechanisms. Defense mechanisms include: rationalization, making excuses instead of admitting mistakes displacement, shifting negative feelings about one person to another repression, blocking out unpleasant memories denial, ignoring reality or pretending that something doesn’t exist projection, putting the blame for your problem on someone or something else

Explain why defense mechanisms may be harmful. You may use defense mechanisms to cope with stressors and deal with problems. For example, it may be easy for you to deny that a problem exists. Or you may get angry with someone and blame that person for something that is really your fault. In either case, your distress is reduced and you may feel better. You think you have dealt with the stressor.

But defense mechanisms do not make the stressor go away. Defense mechanisms are temporary. They are the easy way out. Defense mechanisms delay having to deal with the stressor. In the end, the stressor is still there. Often, it becomes even worse. While defense mechanisms may help in the short term, finding other ways to manage the distress in your life is better.