Defense Mechanisms for Psych

(Unconsciously) pushing an unpleasant memory into the unconscious mind.

intentionally/consciously trying to forget an unpleasant experience or memory. Includes keeping yourself busy and creating diversions.

an attempt to substitute "good" reasons for our real reasons. Allows people to disguise from themselves the fact that they acted from motives that conflict with their professed standards.

• sour grapes- belittling what you fail to achieve
• sweet lemons-convincing yourself that you are just as well off without whatever you failed to achieve; being "glad" you lost or failed.

the unconscious attribution of your (negative) thoughts and feelings to another person or group.

taking your emotions out on substitute people or objects; a redirection of emotion, in the absence of the object that would satisfy our instinctual urges. Substitute objects are rarely as satisfying as the original objects, but they are less threatening.

copying the behavior, beliefs, lifestyle, and other characteristics of somebody else.

creating a make-believe world (in preference to the actual world).

making up for a personal lack or handicap by doing something else well; highlighting your assets.

putting others down, ridiculing people, or acting superior in order to mask your own feelings of inferiority.

finding acceptable outlets for ID energy; the ability to sublimate our impulses makes possible the ideas, values, attitudes, and activity that characterize the civilized adult human being.

finding unacceptable or illegal outlets for ID energy.

putting things off

inability to stay in one place, in one job, with one relationship; incapable of commitment.

disliking everything mentioned, every possible alternative. Excessive use of sarcasm. people using negativism are highly defensive.

refusal to accept the (painful) truth.

trying to atone for bad behavior ... GUILT ... pretending something did not happen.

not showing feelings; creating an emotional wall around yourself; keeping distance from others.

dismissing anxiety by analyzing emotion issues intellectually and converting them to theory rather than action. (Also called isolation or dissociation.)

dividing your life into separate air-tight compartments to avoid facing the inconsistencies. Creating multiple "selves" to fit into opposing situations.

behaving the opposite of how you really feel over a period of many years; living a lie.