Ego Defense Mechanisms

Altruism

Dealing with anxiety by reaching out to others

Adaptive use for altruism

A mother who lost a son to a drunk driver starts Mothers Against Drunk Driving

Sublimation

Dealing with unacceptable feelings or impulses by unconsciously substituting acceptable and constructive forms of expression

Adaptive use for sublimation

A person who just had an argument with his girlfriend foes for a five mile ru

Suppression

Voluntarily blocking unpleasant thoughts and feelings from consciousness

Adaptive use for suppression

A worker who just saw the twin towers get hit by airplanes on 911 goes back to their desk and focuses on some important work they need to get done that morning

Maladaptive use for suppression

When Rhett Butler says “Frankly, my dear I dont give damn” and walks out on Scarlett O’Hara for good, she says “tomorrow is another day”

Splitting

Demonstrating an inability to reconcile negative and positive attributes of self or others into a cohesive image

Maladaptive use for splitting

When a woman’s boyfriend who was very nice to her at first starts to treat her badly, she still thinks he’s a great guy

Projection

Attributing ones unacceptable thoughts and feelings onto another person who does not have them M

Maladaptive use for projection

A husband angrily says to his wife, “You’re so stubborn!” when he is the one who is stubborn

Reaction formation

Unacceptable feelings or behaviors are controlled or kept out of awareness by overcompensating or demonstrating the opposite behavior of what is felt

Adaptive use for reaction formation

An employee who despises his boss goes to his boss’s annual Halloween Party and acts like he really likes his boss

Maladaptive use for reaction formation

A man who is having an affair greets his wife at the end of a workday saying “Honey, Im home!”

Undoing

Performing an act to make up for prior unacceptable thoughts or behavior (most commonly seen in children)

Adaptive use for undoing

AN adolescent cleans his room after mouthing off at his parents at dinner

Maladaptive use for undoing

An abusive husband says to his wife, “Im so sorry. I love you. I promise ill never do it again” after giver her a black eye when angry and arguing loudly

Rationalization

Creating reasonable and acceptable explanations for unacceptable feelings or behavior

Adaptive use for rationalization

A teenage girl says to herself “someone must have just told a good joke” when a group of her peers start laughing as she walks by

Maladaptive use for rationalization

A woman who feels guilty after eating a whole box of Girl Scout cookies says, “I had to eat the cookies because nobody else would”

Dissociation

A disruption in consciousness memory, identity, or perception of the environment that results in compartmentalizing uncomfortable or unpleasant thoughts, feeling, or experiences

Adaptive use for dissociation

A student who is studying in the library for a test because his roommates are having a party blocks out unexpected construction noise

Maladaptive use for dissociation

A person who just experienced significant stressor wanders off from home and forgets their identity

Repression

Unconsciously putting unacceptable ideas, thoughts, and emotions out of conscious awareness

Adaptive use for repression

A person who was molested as a child has no recollection of it

Maladaptive us for repression

A guy who has been wanting to break up with his girlfriend for a while forgets he told her they would go out Saturday night

Displacement

Shifting feelings related to an object, person, or situation to another less threatening object, person or situation

Adaptive use of displacement

A student who is angry about their grade on a paper goes to a batting cage and takes their anger out at the balls

Maladaptive use for displacement

A woman who just got in a argument with her boyfriend yells at her mother over the phone

Denial

Pretending the truth is not reality to manage unpleasant, anxiety-causing thoughts or feelings

Adaptive use for denial

A patient whose breast cancer caused an open would on her chest says “its just a few cells”

Maladaptive use for denial

A person who just got their third DUI emphatically says, “I dont have a drinking problem!”