Defense mechanisms concepts stems from Sigmund Freud's psychoanalytic theory . Developed in detail by his daughter Anna Freud through her 1937 published book The Ego and the Mechanisms of Defence describing 10 main defense mechanisms. Concept continues to be an important part of many psychologists and with the goal to help develop more self-awareness and healthier ways of coping with stressful situations.

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Defense mechanisms-
Introduction

2. What are defense mechanisms?
 Defense mechanisms are unconscious behaviors or
psychological strategies people use to avoid experiencing
anxiety, discomfort, or threats to the ego.
 As “mechanisms that mediate the individual’s reaction to emotional
conflicts and to external stressors”
 As automatic psychological mechanisms that mediate the
individual’s reaction to emotional conflicts and to internal or external
stressors
American Psychiatric
Association, 2013-14
• These defenses are vital in explaining how we differ in our reactions to
trauma and stress
 People are typically not aware when they're using these self-
protective methods "Because they're survival adaptations, it
would be misguided to say defense mechanisms are bad, wrong,
or unhealthy," she adds. "At the same time, they tend to block
our awareness of our true underlying experiences, create
tension in our bodies, and make it harder for us to be truly
intimate and vulnerable with others."
 Defense mechanisms concepts stems from Sigmund Freud's
psychoanalytic theory .
 Developed in detail by his daughter Anna Freud through her 1937

3. How they work
 Individual's personality has three components: the id, the ego, and the
superego.
 The id - Primal part of ourselves seeking to fulfill our most basic desires
and impulses
 Superego-Part of ourselves concerned with upholding morality and
social norms.
 The ego -Realistic part of ourselves that attempts to satisfy, moderate,
and balance the needs of the id, the superego, and reality.
 In the Freudian psychological framework, defense mechanisms are
actually ego defenses—methods used by the ego to protect against the
anxiety of dealing with the competing, often incompatible demands of
the id and the superego.
 When situations arise where the id, superego, and reality are in conflict
with one another, the ego attempts to protect itself from the resulting
discomfort by using these defense mechanisms.
 2015 study puts it, defense mechanisms are used "in order to maintain
mental homeostasis and protect the conscious mind from the effects of
such conflicts.“

4. How they work…
 According to Muñoz, most of our defense mechanisms
are usually learned in childhood. "Defense
mechanisms are a huge part of what has helped us
survive difficult or overwhelming physical,
emotional, and psychological experiences as we've
moved through childhood and adolescence into
adulthood," she explains.
 Many of our defense mechanisms can contribute to
relationship issues and even emotional and physical
ones, wherein we may be experiencing symptoms of
anxiety or stress but not realize it.
 “Many of our somatic complaints and interpersonal
problems can be traced to our defense
mechanisms," she explains.
 Immature psychological defense mechanisms are likely
to become associated with psychiatric illness.
 The development of psychological problems can be

5. Uncovering Defense Mechanisms
 Defense mechanisms range from primitive and neurotic to mature and
adaptive.
 The healthier end of the spectrum are positive coping strategies
 The other end of the spectrum represents emotional dysregulation,
 Defense mechanisms are typically “ordered hierarchically and divided
into four categories according to their psychosocial maturity and level
of adaptedness” (Fang et al., 2020, p. 2), as follows:
 1.Psychotic defenses (Level -0)
Mechanisms in place to avoid conflicts experienced in relating to the
external world, such as the denial and distortion of what has happened
 2.Immature defenses(Level 1 to 4)
Psychological processes that reduce anxiety and distress caused by
threatening individuals and reality, such as projection, acting out, and
passive aggression
 3.Neurotic defenses (Level 5 & 6)
Psychological defenses that intend to keep associated feelings, fears,
and ideas outside of awareness, such as repression, displacement, and
isolation

6. Defensive
Category
Defense Level Individual
Defense
Mature Defensive
Category
Level -7
Highly adaptive Defense Level
Demonstrating the highest (most mature)
adaptation to life while integrating
feelings, ideas, and consequences
(including affiliation, humor, and altruism)
1. Affiliation
2. Altruism
3. Anticipation
4. Humour
5. Self
Assertion
6. Self
Observation
7. Sublimation
8. Suppression
Neurotic
Defensive
Category
Level -6-Obsessional Defense Level
Used to distance the individual from
threatening feelings while maintaining
cognitive awareness without
distortion (including undoing,
intellectualization, etc.)
9. Isolation of
Affect
10.Intellectuali
zation
11.Undoing
Level -5-Neurotic Defense
Level
Used to maintain a lack of
awareness regarding
Level -5a
Hysterical
12.Repression
13.Dissociation
Level -5b 14.Reaction
Higher Adaptiveness

7. Defensive
Category
Defense Level Individual Defense
Immatur
e
Defensi
ve
Categor
y
Immatur
e Non
Depressi
ve
Level 4-Minor Image Distortion
Defense Level
Used to dismiss problems by
distorting the image of self
(including omnipotence or
devaluation of self and others)
16.Idealization of Self
Image
17.Idealization of Other’s
Image
18.Devaluation of self
Image
19.Devaluation of Other’s
Image
20.Omnipotence
Level 3 -Disavowal Defense Level
Used to avoid the reality of
stressful events (including denial
and projection)
21.Denail
22.Rationalization
23.Projection
24. Autistic Fantasy
Immatur
e
Depressi
ve
Level 2-Major Image Distortion
Defense Level
Used to eliminate ambivalence by
forming a single emotional view
(including the splitting of self-
image and others’ images)
25.Splitting of Self Image
26.Splitting of other’s
Image
27Projective
Indentification
Lower Adaptiness

8. Defensive Category Defense Level Individual Defense
Psychotic
(P-DMRS extends the
DMRS )
Level -0
Highly adaptive Defense
Level
31.Pssychotic denial
32.Autistic withdrawal
33.Distortion
34.Delusional Projection
35.Fragmentation
36.Concretization