Ego Defence Mechanisms Essay, Research Paper

DEFENSE MECHANISMS

The map of defense mechanism is to protect the Ego, and defense mechanism may be instigated by Anxiety due to increase in instinctual tenseness, Super-Ego menaces or realistic dangers. Anna Freud lists nine defense mechanism: REGRESSION, repression, REACTION FORMATION, ISOLATION, UNDOING, PROJECTION, INTROJECTION, TURNING AGAINST THE SELF, and REVERSAL & # 8211 ; plus 10th SUBLIMATION. SPLITTING and DENIAL are besides normally listed as defense mechanism.

It is normally assumed that defense mechanism belong to specific phases of development, e.g. INTROJECTION, projection, denial, dividing to the ORAL stage ; reaction-formation, isolation and undoing to the ANAL stage.

Defense mechanism Mechanisms are unconscious mental procedures which are employed to decide struggle between natural demands ( The Id ) , internalized prohibitions ( The Super-Ego ) and external world. They Are directed against painful experiences. They are descriptive constructs merely.

? Repression: –

It is the basic defense mechanism mechanism. There is refusal to acknowledge external world and forcing into unconscious of the unacceptable inherent aptitudes and feelings or conflicting urges.

Therefore their perceptual experience is inhibited and prevented from making consciousness. Denial is a CONSCIOUS refusal of acknowledgment of external world.

? Arrested development: –

Return to an earlier province or manner of working. It is a defensive procedure by which the topic avoids anxiousness by return an earlier phase of psychosexual development. The phase to which the arrested development occurs being determined by the being of FIXATION POINTS.

? Supplanting: –

The procedure by which energ ( CATHEXIS ) is transferred from one mental image to another. Supplanting is one of the primary procedures and in dreams one image can typify another. Symbolization and SUBLIMATION depend on consecutive supplantings.

? Avoidance:

This can happen in state of affairss which arouse unpleasant feelings, memories or repressed conflicting urges. It is more common in phobic disorder.

? Reversal: –

Instincts are capable of undergoing reversal so that Sadism can alter to Masochism, Voyeurism into Exhibitionism, etc. Reversal being normally, though non ever from Active to Passive.

? Obsessional Defense: –

? Rationalization:

Rational statement is given to avoid an interior unconscious facet of an impulse or feeling. The authoritative illustration of the & # 8221 ; Sour Grapes & # 8221 ; in Aesop & # 8217 ; s fable. We all give justifications which may be sensible for our determinations, Acts of the Apostless, feelings and caprices.

? Intellectualization:

Here a rationalized account is given, but in a instead theorizing and argumentative mode. For illustration a argument and treatment about value of depth psychology by patient may be a opposition against engagement in curative relationship.

? REACTION FORMATION: –

This is experiencing or a behaviour which the antonym of the unacceptable I

nstinctual urges. It is making the antonym where the quality of the urge is changed in its antithesis. For illustration kindness may be the declared behaviour when the urge is to be inhuman treatment. Obsessional cleanliness and lavation may hide an urge to indulge in dirty, forbidden or obscene act or illusion.

? WITHDRAWAL / ISOLATION OF AFFECT: –

An unconscious thought allowed into consciousness but all affect is withdrawn from it, i.e. the thought is separated from its associated affect. This is really frequent in obsessive ( Often of aggressive nature and accompanied by anxiousness )

? Undoing: –

A charming effort to change by reversal the action of an urge.

Closing the gas pat may be a reversal of the want to open it.

? OTHER DEFENSE MECHANISMS: –

? DENIAL

? Projection:

Attribution of one & # 8217 ; s ain unacknowledged feelings to others. A feeling of choler may be transformed into a fright of people assailing the individual.A denial and projection of dependence demands may be displayed as a ailment of who other people are weak and demanding.

? Introjection

? Internalization

? Externalization

? Designation

? Distortion:

Grossly reshaping external world to accommodate interior demands.

? Turn AGAINST THE SELF: –

Unacceptable aggression towards others is expressed indirectly towards the ego. In inactive aggressive, hypochondriacal and depressive patients the aggression is turned inward and may end in self-destruction.

? ACTING OUT:

Direct look of an unconscious urge in order to avoid consciousness of the attach toing affect.

? Sublimation:

A healthy header mechanism. The indirect look of the inherent aptitude in a societal acceptable mode without inauspicious effects.

? COMMON DEFENSE STRUCTURES

? Craze: Denial, Projection and Identification

? Paranoia: Splitting and Projection

? Depression: Turning onto the ego

? Phobia: Avoidance, and Displacement of the affect

? REGRESSION is used in Conversion Hysteria and Eating Disorders.

? REVERSAL is manifested in Passive Aggressive and Dependant Personality Disorders.

KLEINIAN DEFENSE MECHANISMS: –

? SPLITTING:

Freud talked about splitting of the self-importance, but Melanie Klein considered Splitting as a defence mechanism. The positive and the negative fantasized relationships remain separate in consciousness with one option dissociated from the other. The kid sees the Good Mother as Separate from the Bad Mother, the patient may see the Madonna as wholly different and has nil to make with the Prostitute.

? PROJECTIVE Designation:

Part of ego is projected into another to harm, control or possess him or her. The dissociated unacceptable parts of the ego are projected onto the other so the individual identifies with the other.