Defense Mechanisms

Repression

Banishes anxiety-arousing thoughts, feelings, and memories from consciousness.

Repression Examples

Not wanting to accept or remember who you were; repressing memories associated with war trauma or childhood trauma.

Regression

Reverting to an earlier childhood soothing mechanism when faced with stress or anxiety.

Regression Examples

Throwing tantrums, sleeping with a stuffed animal, or sucking your thumb.

Denial

Refusing to accept reality or the truth.

Denial Examples

"I'm not a druggie. I can control it."

Rationalization

Creating self-justifying explanations instead of accepting reality.

Rationalization Examples

"I only cheat because of the expectations placed on me."

Sublimation

Channeling unacceptable thoughts, impulses, or actions into socially acceptable behaviors.

Sublimation Examples

Boxing instead of physically attacking someone, hunting instead of killing a person, or playing violent video games instead of acting violently.

Reaction Formation

Behaving the complete opposite of how one truly feels about a situation/person.

Reaction Formation Examples

Being overly nice to someone you dislike or a closeted gay person acting extremely homophobic.

Projection

Attributing your own unacceptable thoughts, feelings, or behaviors to someone else.

Projection Examples

Accusing someone of being rude when you are the one acting rudely, or a stalker claiming that their victim is actually stalking them.

Displacement

Redirecting emotions, especially anger or frustration, from the original source toward a safer or less threatening target.

Displacement Examples

Being angry at your boss but taking your anger out on someone else because you cannot safely express it toward your boss.