Ego Defense Mechanism In Mild to Moderate Anxiety

In mild to moderate level of anxiety the strength of the _____ is tested

Ego

unconscious psychological processes that help an individual cope with anxiety resulting from a stressful internal or external environment

Ego Defense Mechanisms

Covering up a real or perceived weakness by emphasizing a trait one considers to be more desirable

Compensation

“A teenage boy with cerebral palsy is unable to participate in football, instead he becomes a great student”

Compensation

Refusing to acknowledge the existence of a real situation or the feelings associated with it

Denial

“a woman drinks alcohol everyday, cannot stop, does not acknowledge that she has a problem”

Denial

The transfer of feelings from one target to another that is considered less threatening or that is neutral

Displacement

“A patient is angry at the DR and does not express it but becomes verbally abusive with the nurse”

Displacement

An attempt to increase self-worth by acquiring certain attributes and characteristics of an individual one admires.

Identification

“A teenager who required lengthy rehab after an accident decides to become a physical therapist as a result of his experiences.”

Identification

An attempt to avoid emotions associated with a stressful situation by using the intellectual processes of logic, reasoning, and analysis.

Intellectualization

“A woman’s husband is being transferred to a city far away from their hometown. She hides her anxiety by explaining to her parents the advantages associated with the move.”

Intellectualization

Integrating the beliefs and values of another individual into one’s own ego structure

introjection

“Children integrate their parents’ value system into the process of conscience formation. A child says to a friend, ‘Don’t cheat. It’s wrong.”

Introjection

Separating a thought or memory from the feeling, tone, or emotion associated with it.

Isolation

“A woman describes being attacked and raped without showing any emotion”

Isolation

Attributing feelings or impulses unacceptable to oneself to another person

Projection

“A man who is addicted to alcohol blames his wife for his excessive drinking”

Projection

Attempting to make excuses or formulate logical reasons to justify unacceptable feelings or behaviors

Rationalization

A patient tells the rehab nurse, “I drink because it’s the only way I can deal with my bad marriage and my worse job”

Rationalization

Preventing unacceptable or undesirable thoughts or behaviors from being expressed by exaggerating opposite thoughts or types of behaviors.

Reaction Formation

“A student attended nursing school to please her parents, but she hates nursing. During career day, she speaks to prospective students about the excellence of nursing as a career”

Reaction Formation

Responding to stress by retreating to an earlier level of development and the comfort measures associated with that level of functioning.

Regression

“When a 2 yr old is hospitalized with tonsillitis, he will drink only from a bottle, although his mother states he has been drinking from a cup for 6 months”

Regression

INVOLUNTARILY blocking unpleasant feelings and experiences from one’s own awareness

Repression

A trauma victim is unable to remember anything about the traumatic event

Repression

Rechanneling of drives or impulses that are personally or socially unacceptable into activities that are constructive.

Sublimation

“A mother whose son was killed by a drunk driver channels her anger and energy into being the president of the local chapter of Mothers against Drink Drivers”

Sublimation

the VOLUNTARY blocking of unpleasant feelings and experiences from one’s own awareness.

Suppression

“I don’t want to think about that now. I’ll think about that tomorrow.”

Suppression

Symbolically negating or canceling out an experience that one finds intolerable

Undoing

“A man is nervous about his new job and yells at wife. On his way home, he stops and buys her some flowers.”

Undoing