The idea of the mechanisms of psychological defense was formed within the framework of the psychoanalytic direction in psychology. Psychological defense consists of a number of specific techniques for processing experiences that neutralize the pathogenic influence that these experiences can have. The idea of psychological defense was introduced by Freud and developed by his daughter A. Freud. The most common definition is Tashlykov: defense mechanisms- these are “adaptive mechanisms aimed at reducing pathogenic emotional stress, protecting against painful feelings and memories and the further development of psychological and physiological disorders.” All defense mechanisms have two common characteristics: 1) they are usually unconscious, 2) they distort, deny or falsify reality. Psychological defense mechanisms vary in degree of maturity. The most infantile, immature mechanisms are considered to be repression and denial - they are characteristic of young children, as well as of the most socially immature personality type - the hysterical one. Adolescence is more characterized by mechanisms that occupy an intermediate position in the degree of maturity: identification and isolation. The most mature defense mechanisms include sublimation, rationalization, and intellectualization. The following psychological defense mechanisms are most often described.
1. Repression. The mechanism of repression was described by Freud, who considered it central in the formation of neurotic disorders. Repression is a psychological defense mechanism through which impulses (desires, thoughts, feelings) that are unacceptable to the individual alarming, become unconscious. Repressed (suppressed) impulses, without finding resolution in behavior, nevertheless retain their emotional and psycho-vegetative components. During repression, the meaningful side of a psychotraumatic situation is not realized, and the emotional stress caused by it is perceived as unmotivated anxiety.
2. Denial - a psychological defense mechanism that consists of denial, unawareness (lack of perception) of any traumatic circumstance. As an outward-directed process, “denial” is often contrasted with “repression” as a psychological defense against internal, instinctual demands and drives. As a mechanism of psychological defense, denial is implemented in any external conflicts and is characterized by a pronounced distortion of the perception of reality, when the individual does not perceive information that contradicts his basic attitudes, ideas about the world and himself.
3. Reactive formations. This type of psychological defense is often identified with overcompensation. Reactive formations include the replacement of “Ego” - unacceptable tendencies with the exact opposite. For example, a child's exaggerated love for one of his parents may be a transformation of a socially unacceptable feeling of hatred towards him. Pity or caring can be seen as reactive formations in relation to unconscious callousness, cruelty or emotional indifference.
4. Regression - a return to an earlier stage of development or to more primitive forms of behavior and thinking. For example, hysterical reactions such as vomiting, finger sucking, baby talk, excessive sentimentality, preference for “ romantic love” and ignoring sexual relations in an adult come into play when the “Ego” is not able to accept reality as it is. Regression, like reactive formations, characterizes the infantile and neurotic personality.
5. Insulation- separation of affect from intellectual functions. Unpleasant emotions are blocked in such a way that the connection between a certain event and its emotional experience does not appear in consciousness. In its phenomenology, this psychological defense mechanism resembles alienation syndrome in psychiatry, which is characterized by the experience of loss of emotional connection with other people.
6. Identification - protection from a threatening object by identifying oneself with it. Thus, a little boy unconsciously tries to be like his father, whom he fears, and thereby earn his love and respect. Thanks to the identification mechanism, symbolic possession of an unattainable but desired object is also achieved. Identification can occur with almost any object - another person, animal, inanimate object, idea, etc.
7. Projection. The mechanism of projection is based on the process by which unconscious and unacceptable feelings and thoughts are localized externally and attributed to other people. An aggressive person is inclined, assessing himself as a sensitive, vulnerable and sensitive person, to attribute aggressive traits to others, projecting onto them responsibility for socially disapproved aggressive tendencies. Examples of hypocrisy are well known, when an individual constantly attributes his own immoral aspirations to others.
8. Substitution (displacement). The action of this protective mechanism is manifested in a kind of “discharge” of suppressed emotions, usually hostility and anger, directed at the weaker, defenseless (animals, children, subordinates). In this case, the subject can perform unexpected, in some cases meaningless, actions that resolve internal tension.
9. Rationalization- a pseudo-reasonable explanation by a person of his desires, actions, in reality caused by reasons, the recognition of which would threaten the loss of self-esteem. The most striking manifestations of the rationalization mechanism are called “sour grapes” and “sweet lemon”. The “sour grapes” defense consists of devaluing the unattainable, reducing the value of what the subject cannot obtain. The “sweet lemon” defense is aimed not so much at discrediting an unattainable object, but at exaggerating the value of what a person actually possesses. Rationalization mechanisms are most often used in situations of loss, protecting against depressive experiences.
10. Sublimation- psychological protection through desexualization of initial impulses and their transformation into socially acceptable forms of activity. Aggression can be sublimated in sports, eroticism in friendship, exhibitionism in the habit of wearing bright, catchy clothes.
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The defense mechanisms of the human psyche are aimed at reducing negative and traumatic experiences and manifest themselves at the unconscious level. This term was coined by Sigmund Freud , and then more deeply developed by his students and followers, most notably Anna Freud. Let's try to figure out when these mechanisms are useful, and in what cases they hinder our development and better respond and act consciously.
website will tell you about 9 main types of psychological defense that are important to realize in time. This is exactly what the psychotherapist does most of the time in his office - he helps the client understand the defense mechanisms that limit his freedom, spontaneity of response, and distort interaction with people around him.
1. Displacement
Repression is the removal of unpleasant experiences from consciousness. It manifests itself in forgetting what causes psychological discomfort. Repression can be compared to a dam that can break - there is always a risk that memories of unpleasant events will burst out. And the psyche spends a huge amount of energy to suppress them.
2. Projection
Projection manifests itself in the fact that a person unconsciously attributes his feelings, thoughts, desires and needs to the people around him. This psychological defense mechanism makes it possible to relieve oneself of responsibility for one’s own character traits and desires that seem unacceptable.
For example, unreasonable jealousy may be the result of a projection mechanism. Defending against own desire infidelity, a person suspects his partner of cheating.
3. Introjection
This is the tendency to indiscriminately appropriate other people's norms, attitudes, rules of behavior, opinions and values without trying to understand them and critically rethink them. Introjection is like swallowing huge chunks of food without trying to chew it.
All education and upbringing is built on the mechanism of introjection. Parents say: “Don’t put your fingers in the socket, don’t go out into the cold without a hat,” and these rules contribute to the survival of children. If a person as an adult “swallows” other people’s rules and norms without trying to understand how they suit him personally, he becomes unable to distinguish between what he really feels and what he wants and what others want.
4. Merger
In merging there is no boundary between “I” and “not-I”. There is only one total “we”. The fusion mechanism is most clearly expressed in the first year of a child’s life. Mother and child are in fusion, which contributes to the survival of the little person, because the mother very subtly feels the needs of her child and responds to them. IN in this case it is about the healthy expression of this defense mechanism.
But in relationships between a man and a woman, merging hinders the development of the couple and the development of partners. It is difficult to show your individuality in them. Partners dissolve in each other, and passion sooner or later leaves the relationship.
5. Rationalization
Rationalization is an attempt to find reasonable and acceptable reasons for the occurrence of unpleasant situation, situations of failure. The purpose of this defense mechanism is to preserve high level self-esteem and convincing ourselves that we are not to blame, that the problem is not ours. It is clear that it will be more beneficial for personal growth and development to take responsibility for what happened and learn from life experience.
Rationalization can manifest itself as devaluation. A classic example of rationalization is Aesop's fable “The Fox and the Grapes.” The fox cannot get the grapes and retreats, explaining that the grapes are “green.”
It is much more useful for yourself and for society to write poetry, draw a picture, or simply chop wood than to get drunk or beat up a more successful opponent.
9. Reactive formation
In the case of reactive formation, our consciousness protects itself from forbidden impulses by expressing opposing impulses in behavior and thoughts. This protective process is carried out in two stages: first, the unacceptable impulse is suppressed, and then at the level of consciousness the completely opposite one manifests itself, while being quite hypertrophied and inflexible.
Psychological protection is a complex mechanism of an individual’s response to any external stimulus. Psychological defense as a mechanism always occurs in response to a real or hidden threat. Moreover, this mechanism, as a rule, is activated in people completely unconsciously. We don’t understand why we suddenly begin to behave aggressively, withdraw into ourselves, or try with all our might to offend our interlocutor, to touch his heartstrings. Psychological defense is a state of personality characterized by increased anxiety, suspiciousness and a feeling of hidden resentment. Psychological protection implies the need to seek refuge within ourselves, relying on own ideas about reality.
It should be noted that psychological defense mechanisms, as a rule, remain unconscious to the person himself. He constantly justifies his own inaction in order not to make any further efforts to change the situation. After all, it is much easier to endlessly complain about life than to actually try to change something. Psychological defense is a mechanism that works regardless of our desire. Rather, the choice of type of protection in each specific case depends on the character of the person, his temperament, and level of ambition. It just becomes convenient for a person to use this mechanism in life. Among the types of psychological defense, the following are distinguished.
Blocking
This type psychological defense allows you to prevent a traumatic event from entering consciousness. A person takes the necessary steps to avoid feelings of guilt, envy, anger, disappointment, etc. Blocking promotes escape from reality without significant emotional loss. Certainly, unresolved problems will they ever return from new strength and will disturb the consciousness, drive a person into depression and anxiety. Blocking is an unconscious mechanism that allows you to remain at your starting point and postpone active actions for a while. This method cannot be called constructive, since it does not allow the individual to fully grow and develop.
Distortion
Distortion is a type of psychological defense that makes it possible to carry a traumatic event into consciousness, changing its essence to a safer option. Of course, this is self-deception. A person cannot endlessly persuade himself, pretend that everything is fine, but in fact, over the years the situation only increases catastrophically, growing in scale. Distortion is a type of psychological defense that for a long time does not allow the individual to see the truth. Not everyone can look the truth in the eye, because to do this you need to have courage. The more we distort information about ourselves, the more difficult it becomes for us to live in the world and communicate with other people.
Methods of psychological protection
There are several ways of psychological protection. The mechanism of its action is so subtle that most people simply do not notice that they are bogged down in their own discontent and suffering. Types and methods of defense are based on an unconscious escape from reality. People are sometimes so afraid of solving problems that they even avoid thinking about their own problems. Let's take a closer look at the common methods that a person usually resorts to.
Self-accusation
This is a very common way of escaping from a disturbing situation; it can be called classic. A person, under any guise, publicly or privately, tries to blame himself. This is the only way he can feel calm for a while. This mechanism is activated almost automatically. Self-blame, oddly enough, sometimes helps you feel important and needed. The person does not realize that in the end he only makes things worse for himself. Other people will never worry as much about our problems as the person himself, immersed in suffering, does.
Blaming others
This type of psychological defense occurs very often in life. People rush to blame others for their failures and failures, sometimes not noticing that they themselves are to blame for everything. People are sometimes so skillful at abdicating responsibility that one can only wonder how they manage to deceive themselves so smoothly. With this approach, a person’s conscience is partially or completely dulled, and he becomes unable to adequately evaluate his own actions. The psychological defense mechanism remains unnoticed by consciousness. This type of escape from reality partly helps a person compensate for his own stupidity.
Addictive behavior
The appearance of any addiction indicates that it becomes difficult for an individual to live in this world and perceive it adequately. The formation of dependence allows you to be in illusion for a long time, to avoid concrete steps and actions. The very mechanism of the appearance of alcohol, drug or other forms of addiction is associated with a strong fear of life. A person is literally overcome in reality by nightmares that he has created for himself. He is driven by a hidden desire to isolate himself, to hide from life, which seems too scary and dangerous.
Psychological defense mechanisms
Modern psychological science identifies many mechanisms for the development and manifestation of psychological defense. These mechanisms allow you to stay safe for a long time, avoid mental anguish and anxiety. In other words, defense mechanisms contribute to fencing off from reality and falling into oblivion.
Repression
This mechanism provokes the process of forgetting. The person seems to be pushing away information that is disturbing to him. He concentrates his internal forces not on deciding pressing problems, but to push them out into the depths of the subconscious as soon as possible. This usually happens when a person has no strength left to fight or the information is so traumatic that it can cause serious damage to the psyche and cause its disorder. In many cases, repression is a mechanism that facilitates quick relief from oppressive suffering. Freed from pain and fear with the help of this mechanism, it even seems to become easier. But in reality this is self-deception.
Negation
The denial mechanism is usually used if there is grief in the family, say, one of the close relatives has died. This psychological defense mechanism is activated completely unconsciously. A person stubbornly repeats the same thing for hours, but does not accept what happened. This is how protection against destructive information works. The brain simply cannot concentrate on anything completely; it blocks the receipt of dangerous news, and the threatening event does not seem to spread, but is suspended. It's amazing what games the subconscious can play with us! By refusing to experience mental pain here and now, we unwittingly transfer it into the future.
Regression
This psychological defense mechanism helps to focus attention on oneself. As a rule, older children resort to this technique when a child appears in the family. youngest child. Parents notice that the elder suddenly begins to behave inappropriately: he pretends to be a little fool, as if he is pretending to be helpless and defenseless. This behavior indicates that he really lacks parental attention and love. Adults, as a rule, slide to a lower level of development and take a position that does not correspond to their skills.
Insulation
This psychological defense mechanism helps a person not to encounter daily circumstances that cause him suffering and irritation. Isolation should often be understood precisely as self-isolation, since a person begins to actively avoid participating in those events that cause him visible inconvenience. By avoiding a problem, a person greatly limits himself, since he does not leave himself the opportunity to return someday later in order to correct the situation for the better.
Projection
This psychological defense mechanism involves hiding one’s own shortcomings by detecting flaws in the character of another person. It has been proven that the more we are irritated by certain things in ourselves personal qualities, this is how we see the people around us. Thus, a lazy person projects his own inaction and apathy onto others. It seems to him that there are only couch potatoes and irresponsible people around him. An aggressive person is incredibly irritated by angry people. And those who for some reason consider themselves unworthy of love, happiness and attention will everywhere meet people in whom this feature will manifest itself even more strongly. The projection of the unconscious allows us, for the time being, not to notice our own shortcomings. This is why in rare cases a person is able to independently notice that he is deteriorating.
Substitution
Substitution is a complex mechanism for avoiding a disturbing event. The person doesn’t just push it away, but tries to fill the resulting void by any means necessary. With the help of substitution, people are partly able to compensate for their loss with something else of equal value. For example, after experiencing the death of a pet, some people willingly immediately get another animal. The subconscious dictates to them the idea that it is necessary to immediately acquire a new favorite for own peace of mind. Substitution, of course, does not relieve suffering, since the unexperienced pain does not go away, but is driven even deeper.
Rationalization
When a person finds himself powerless in the face of some depressing circumstances, he begins to explain to himself what happened, calling on the voice of reason to help him. Rationalization as a psychological defense mechanism is a very common phenomenon. We all, to one degree or another, reflect on current events, looking for hidden meaning and meaning. With the help of rationalization, you can reduce the destructive effect of any conflict, justify any mistake or moral damage caused. People sometimes don’t think about how much they run away from themselves, turning away from the ugly truth. How much smarter would it be to experience it once? heartache than to constantly stumble because of it in similar cases.
Sublimation
Sublimation is a psychological defense mechanism that is aimed at experiencing uncontrollable emotions and feelings, but only in another area of life. Let's say, bitterness can be somewhat reduced by starting to write heartbreaking poems or read poets on similar topics. It would seem that unrequited love itself will not disappear because of this; one thing can reduce the quality of emotional experiences. Sublimation is great way forget your own uselessness and restlessness. Very often, sublimation is associated with creative endeavors. Taking up painting, writing, and music helps you forget past failures. Watching TV series and reading books also partly compensates a person for his loneliness, allowing him to experience those feelings and emotions that real life There just isn't room.
Thus, psychological protection helps a person overcome severe mental pain and cope with the deafening manifestations of life. However, you cannot constantly live away from reality, since there is a great risk of being separated from your own plans, hopes and actions.
Have you noticed certain behavioral patterns in yourself as a standard reaction to certain life situations? For example, when you are fired from work, explaining the situation to your family, you blame your boss and say that he was constantly finding fault, although the situation was not entirely like that, and he had a reason for criticism? Or when you lose your temper and yell at another person, is it easier for you to put them in a negative light? These actions can cause rejection by society. People around me sometimes chalk it up to “ complex character" And obviously not everyone thinks that such actions are a typical psychological defense. Let's understand this concept.
What is psychological protection?
This term was introduced back in 1894 by the great psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud. He came to the conclusion that a person can react to circumstances that are unpleasant for him in two ways: block them in a conscious state or distort these circumstances to such an extent that their scale is significantly reduced or deviated in the other direction.
All defense mechanisms have two characteristics that unite them. Firstly, they are not conscious. A person activates them without realizing it. This is simply self-deception. And secondly, the main goal of these mechanisms is to distort or deny reality as much as possible so that it does not seem so alarming or threatening to a person. It is worth noting that people often use several defense mechanisms at once in order to protect their personality from unpleasant, traumatic events. This is in no way a deliberate lie or exaggeration.
Despite the fact that all these defensive reactions are aimed at protecting a person’s psyche, preventing him from becoming depressed or experiencing severe stress, they can also cause harm. We cannot live our whole lives in a state of denial or blaming everyone around us for our troubles, replacing our own reality with the distorted picture that our subconscious has given us.
What types of psychological defense are there?
Let's look at the main defense mechanisms that Sigmund Freud identified. Each person will be able to recognize at least one, or even several mechanisms that his psyche activated earlier.
Repression. This mechanism is also called “motivated forgetting.” It acts by displacing the traumatic event from the conscious level to the subconscious. But, nevertheless, the problem remains in the human psyche, retains tension at the emotional level, and also leaves a mark on the person’s behavior.
Thus, psychological defense in the form of repression can manifest itself in victims of violence when the shock from the experienced situation is so strong that the psyche simply sends the memory to the depths of the subconscious. A person simply does not remember that some terrible actions were committed against him and lives as he lived before.
But, whatever one may say, the repressed memory will make itself felt. This directly affects human behavior. For example, a girl who has been raped, even if she does not remember these terrible events in her life, may show fear, mistrust and anxiety in communicating with men in the future. Living in such a state requires constant expenditure of psychological energy. Sometimes the need for that information that has been repressed can come out and manifest itself in the so-called “psychopathology” everyday life"- in dreams, jokes, slips of the tongue and other similar manifestations.
Also, the consequences of repression can manifest themselves in the presence of psychosexual disorders in a person (such as frigidity or impotence), or in psychosomatic diseases. Repression is the main and most common type of psychological defense. It directly affects other protective mechanisms of the individual, in some cases being their basis.
This type of defense is activated at the moment when a person does not want to realize the presence of some traumatic circumstance. For example, a serious illness.
For the first time we all encountered this mechanism back in early childhood. When, having broken his mother's favorite vase, the child sincerely declares that he did not do it. In this situation, there are two options: either the baby is very good at deceiving, or he was very afraid that he would be scolded or that his mother would be upset, and his subconscious simply repressed the memory that he really broke this vase.
Projection. The mechanism by which a person attributes his unacceptable feelings, behavior, thoughts to other people or the environment in general. So, within the framework of this mechanism, we can shift responsibility for our mistakes, failures and mistakes to other people.
A striking example of projection is when we transfer our negative qualities(real or fictitious) on another person, and we experience feelings of hostility towards him for this. We don’t like him, because on a conscious level we don’t understand that we ourselves have the shortcomings that were attributed to him.
Sublimation. This is a psychological defense that involves a person changing his impulses to those that can be expressed in a manner acceptable to society. Sublimation is the only healthy tactic for taking control of impulses that others do not accept.
For example, a man who is prone to sadism on a subconscious level can realize his need by writing novels or playing sports. In these types of activities, he can demonstrate his superiority over other people, but do this in a way that will bring a result useful to society. Freud writes in his writings that the sublimation of sexual instincts has become one of the main engines of culture and science in the West. It was this mechanism that led to the rise in ideology, culture and is of great importance for modern life.
Reactive education. Such psychological defense is triggered in those moments when a person wants to transform some desires and thoughts that are unacceptable to society or to himself into completely opposite ones. When, for example, a woman who hates her relative expresses care and love for her in every possible way. Or a man who vehemently opposes homosexuals may thus suppress his inclination towards same-sex love.
Due to this distortion of reality, it is difficult to assess objective opinion person. After all good attitude can only be a suppression of real negative thoughts and desires. But sometimes personality defense mechanisms work the other way around. For example, when a person expressing anger is actually feeling good-natured or interested. And feigned or ostentatious hatred is a consequence of a relationship or unrequited love, which became a traumatic event for him.
Rationalization. This is a type of defense in which a person tries to explain his mistakes, failures or blunders from a logical point of view. And, what’s most interesting, he often manages to convince both himself and others that everything is actually okay. Thus, a man who has been rejected by a woman can convince himself and his loved ones that she is completely unattractive or has bad character, bad habits etc. That is, as they say: “I didn’t want it that much.” And sometimes we can even find defense mechanisms in fables. A good example rationalization is found in Aesop's fable about the fox and the grapes: the fox heroine could not reach to pick a bunch of grapes, and began to reassure herself that the berries were not yet ripe.
Depreciation. This psychological defense is one of the most cruel and inhumane types of defense in relation to the world around us. . Because a person with a devalued “I” (which is often undeserved) tries to devalue the whole world around him, thereby saving his own self-esteem. This mechanism very often works in young people, because in their youth most of them underestimate themselves and suffer from complexes. And so young people use irony, trying to ridicule all the shortcomings of society.
This is a type of defense in which a person also tries to create a distorted reality around himself. These psychological mechanisms appear in the form of fantasies. For example, man walking to work and visualizes the situation when he finds a case with money. And, naturally, in dreams they are not stolen or earned from someone’s misfortune. They are completely “clean”, they just fell from the sky for him. And so, over time, a person notices that while walking down the street, he looks around, deep down hoping to see that very case. Does fantasy negative consequences? It depends on what form it appears in. Sometimes, if we just dream about something, it gives us the opportunity to distract ourselves, relieve stress, and think about pleasant things. But sometimes the thought of a fantasy object becomes obsessive. And if a person quits his job and wanders aimlessly through the streets, hoping that he will soon find such a case with money and instantly solve his financial issues, then this is undoubtedly a harmful act of fantasizing. In such cases, defense mechanisms work against ourselves.
Transferred aggression. This is a very common mechanism that uses large number people. Good example: when the head of the family, who that day could not perform well at work and was reprimanded by his superiors, comes and “takes it out” on his relatives. He finds flaws in them, shouts, tries to start a quarrel, provokes household members in order to free himself from the negativity that has accumulated in him throughout the day.
In Japan they figured out how to get rid of this - in a specially designated room at enterprises they installed a rubber doll with the appearance of the head of this enterprise. And next to it are the beats. Thus, an employee who is dissatisfied with relationships in the team or criticism of the manager can go and beat up his realistic copy. This helped reduce the number of scandals at home due to troubles at work. Often, the aggression suffered can manifest itself in somatic illnesses, when a responsible, vulnerable person prone to depression transfers all the anger for mistakes onto himself, his body. Often this can even result in alcohol addiction.
Insulation. This is a mechanism in which a person seems to divide his personality into two or more, separating the one that does bad things. This is an unconscious abstraction from a problem, immersion in which can provoke unpleasant feelings and even cause a neurotic state. This often manifests itself in childhood, when a child, having done something bad, “turns” into another person - a mouse or a cartoon character, for example, who admits that a boy or girl did something bad, but not he, the “mouse.” "
Regression. This is a transition to a simpler, more primitive level of functioning. It is characteristic of individuals who are prone to hysterics. They are often characterized by infantilism, which is why the transition to childish behavior and refusal to take responsibility is an almost natural reaction to unpleasant events. Some researchers are inclined to believe that personality regression is one of the reasons for the development of schizophrenia.
Are defense mechanisms good or bad?
It would seem that psychological defense in many cases works against a person, plunging him into an environment of distorted reality. His attitudes, actions and thoughts are adjusted to it, which is a negative influence.
But, nevertheless, in the absence of psychological protection, it would be incredibly difficult for people to endure stressful situations. News of illness or problems at work could provoke severe mental disorders or physical illness.
You cannot blame a person who fantasizes too much, substitutes concepts or does not want to accept certain events in your life. It is quite possible that he does this not intentionally, unconsciously.
And in order to smooth out " side effects» psychological defense, it is necessary to work not on changing a person’s behavior, but on eliminating the consequences of trauma, which became a provocateur for the activation of defense.
