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Defense mechanisms
ego's protective method of reducing anxiety by distorting reality.
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Repression
-preventing painful or unacceptable thougths from entering consciousness
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- - forgetting the details of your parent's painful death
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Sublimation
-redirecting unmet desires or unacceptable impulses into acceptable activities
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- rechanneling sexual desires into school, work, art, sports, or hobbies that are constructive
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Denial
protecting oneself from an unpleasent reality by refusing to perceive it
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- alcoholics refusing to admit their addiction
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Rationalization
substituting socially acceptable reasons for unacceptable ones
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- Justifying cheating on an exam by saying "everyone does it"
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Intellectualizaton
ignoring the emotional aspects of a painful experience by focusing on abstract thoughts, words, or ideas.
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emotionless discussion of your divorce while ignoring underlying pain
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Projection
transferring unacceptable thoughts, motives, or impulses to others
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- becoming unreasonable jealous of your mate while denying your own attraction to others
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Reaction Formation
refusing to acknowledge unacceptbale urges, thoughts, or feelings by exaggerating the opposite state
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- promoting a petition against adult bookstores even though you are secretly fascinated by pornography
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Regression
responding to a threatening situation in a way appropriate to an earlier age or level of development
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- throwing a temper tantrum when a friends doesnt want to do what youd like
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Displacement
redirecting impulses toward a less threatening person or object
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yelling at a coworker after being criticized by your boss
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