2024 Author: Harry Day | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 15:43
We are starting a series of publications devoted to such an extensive topic as the defense mechanisms of the psyche. In this overview article, we will talk about the concept of defense mechanisms, their typology and functions. In future publications, we will dwell in detail on specific defenses, describing in more detail their purpose and representation in the mental life of a person.
Each person, finding himself in certain life circumstances, reacts to them with his own unique set of reactions: emotional, behavioral, physiological, cognitive (intellectual). Someone is strenuously looking for a "scapegoat" or, conversely, "sprinkles ashes on his head," all the blame on himself. Someone begins to actively act (at work, at home, in the country, in personal / social life) and during this time they can forget. Some people often get colds or suffer from high blood pressure, while others generally deny that something is wrong in life.
Starting from infancy and throughout life, we absolutely unconsciously protect ourselves from negative emotional experiences, external perceptions, internal painful reflections and impulses, trying to maintain internal balance, the so-called homeostasis. Strategies that were once chosen and used by a person are often unconsciously throughout life, and are "protective mechanisms of the psyche" or "psychological defenses."
History of the concept
The terms "psychological defense", "defense mechanisms" were introduced by Z. Freud, and then modified and supplemented by representatives of different generations of researchers and psychotherapists of various psychological confessions.
Vivid illustrations of the description of the psychological defense mechanisms of the psyche before their scientific justification have been repeatedly reflected in philosophical works and fiction, starting from antiquity. So, for example, the Monkey in the famous fable of Krylov did not recognize himself in the mirror, but saw in it a terribly grimacing "face", which reminded her of familiar gossips. The writer skillfully depicted the protective mechanism of the projection. In life, a person whose psyche actively uses such a SM may stubbornly refuse to recognize in himself certain character traits that are unacceptable to him and, at the same time, actively see and condemn them in those around him.
Functions of protective mechanisms
Psychoanalysts metaphorically compare the mental structure of a person with an iceberg. Only a small part of it is above the water, and the bulk of the ice is hidden in the depths of the ocean. So feelings, sensations, thoughts and actions that we are aware of (this part of the mental structure is called consciousness or Ego) occupy only 1-5% of the total volume of the psyche. All other processes proceed unconsciously, in the depths of the unconscious (Id).
The defense mechanisms of the psyche are formed and fixed just in the unconscious, that is, bypassing consciousness. Consequently, it is not possible to simply "turn off" your reactions by an effort of will without special processing.
For any person to feel the fullness of life and himself in it, it is necessary from childhood to form certain psychological skills and develop mental structures. Such processes are laid down and developed in a child when interacting with loved ones from an early age and occur unconsciously. For example, it is very important for a child, and subsequently for an adult, to learn to cope with various kinds of experiences, to be able to calm oneself down without resorting to destructive methods. Build self-esteem and find ways to maintain a positive sense of self. If something outside or inside a person threatens his mental balance, mental safety, self-image, then the psyche begins to defend itself. It creates various protective mechanisms that drive out unpleasant, disturbing, disturbing experiences from the sphere of consciousness (Ego). For example, a child who has undergone emotional or physical abuse (abuse), in order to cope with the situation, will unconsciously choose certain psychological mechanisms to protect his psyche. He can deny what is happening: "If I do not admit it, then it did not happen!" (ZM - negation). Another option is to displace your memories and experiences from consciousness: "If I forget, then this did not happen!" (ЗМ - displacement). Or the child will try to mentally disconnect from the traumatic situation, remaining only physically: "It did not happen to me!" (ZM - dissociation). The mechanism, once formed and supported by other similar events, in adulthood will turn on in any stressful situation, bypassing consciousness.
That is, the main function of defense mechanisms is to protect our Ego from unpleasant experiences, thoughts, memories, - in general, any contents of consciousness associated with conflict (between unconscious desire and the requirements of reality or morality) and trauma (excessive impact on the psyche, which turned out to be impossible really survive sometime).
Factors influencing the unconscious "choice" and the use of a specific defense mechanism by the psyche
Nancy McWilliams, a renowned psychoanalyst, believes that each person's choice of a particular defense mechanism in the fight against difficulties is due to the interaction of several factors, namely:
• Congenital temperament.
• The nature of childhood stress.
• Defenses modeled by parents or other significant figures.
• Positive reinforcement from adults (favorable approval) when using a particular defense mechanism by the child.
For example, a boy with a mobile type of nervous processes (conventionally, choleric), who was curious and active from childhood, was constantly pulled back by his little emotional parents for his overly expressive reactions to any new stimuli. He was scolded for his sincere and childishly direct behavior - both for tears and for loud laughter. The kid got used to not showing his emotions over time, and later not to notice them at all (removed from consciousness). Growing up, he became more and more "frostbitten" (and for his parents - balanced and calm) in various situations. To become a "convenient" son for his parents and be accepted by them, the child has formed a protective mechanism of repression - suppression. As Z. Freud wrote, "the essence of the mechanism of repression is that something is simply removed from consciousness and kept at a distance." The child's psyche has consolidated this psychological defense and continued to use it in adulthood. However, innate characteristics do not disappear anywhere, creating a fair amount of tension in the psyche. To keep him in the unconscious, considerable energy resources were spent, therefore, as an adult, this young man often complained that he quickly gets tired or feels empty. And he had to relieve the stress growing from unarmed emotions with such a "simple" defense mechanism as "reaction" - he liked to drive at a breakneck speed through the city at night risking his life or "clog the air" with endless processing in the office in the evenings and on weekends.
Types of defense mechanisms of the psyche
There is no single classification of defense mechanisms recognized by all psychological schools; the number and names may vary. If we rely on the psychodynamic direction in psychology (psychoanalysis), which is basic in relation to this issue, then most authors recognize from 8 to 23 defense mechanisms.
They are divided into two groups: primary (primitive) and secondary (higher) defense mechanisms.
PRIMARY (primitive) ZM
Primary defense mechanisms are formed at an early age. They act totally, capturing feelings, sensations, experiences, thoughts and actions at once. The work of these mechanisms occurs when a person interacts with the world around him. For example, ZM projection excludes unpleasant information about himself from a person's consciousness, projecting it onto another person. Or ZM idealization displaces unpleasant information about a significant person from consciousness, seeing in him only positive features. With such a splitting of perception, idealization is inevitably followed by depreciation, when the same person suddenly “turns out to be” the owner of a huge number of repulsive vices and shortcomings. The main distinguishing feature of these SMs is that they are called upon to change the external reality in human perception or to retain only its “convenient” part, which, of course, complicates orientation and adaptation in it, therefore such mechanisms are called primitive or lower ones.
SECONDARY (mature) ZM
Secondary (higher) defense mechanisms differ from the primary ones in that their work takes place inside the psyche between its structures, which include consciousness (Ego), unconscious (Id), and super-consciousness (Super-Ego / conscience). Most often, these mechanisms transform one thing: either feelings, or sensations, or thoughts, or behavior, that is, the internal contents of the psyche, contributing to adaptation to reality as a whole. An example is the ZM rationalization. So, for example, Lisa in the famous fable of Aesop tried to explain to herself why she did not want these ripe grapes. It is better to declare him immature than to admit (even to yourself) that you are incapable of getting him. In a similar way, a person comes up with various explanations of what he, in fact, can do, but does not want, giving "objective" arguments in favor of the impossibility of performing an action (no means, no time, no strength, etc.). A person still needs to somehow overcome disappointments and the mechanism of rationalization allows this: "Well, okay, but it was a good experience!" or "I could not buy the car I dreamed of, in any case its maintenance would have cost me a pretty penny!"
In psychology, unfortunately, there is no single view of the phenomenon of such a phenomenon as "psychological defense". Some researchers consider psychological defense to be an unambiguously unproductive means of resolving an internal or external conflict. Others propose to make a distinction between pathological psychological defense and normal, which is constantly present in our daily life and is a component of productive adaptation in the world around us.
In the next article we will talk directly about the lower defense mechanisms, dwelling on each in detail.
Recommended:
Lower Defense Mechanisms Of The Psyche. Part # 3
PRIMITIVE INSULATION Primitive isolation is the lowest defense mechanism of the psyche, which manifests itself in an automatic reaction of the psyche switching to another state. The different types of isolation can be thought of as a continuum from very primitive to very mature forms of defenses that can manifest in virtually anyone in response to current reality.
Projection, Introjection, Projective Identification. Lower Defense Mechanisms Of The Psyche, Part 2
Who has what hurts, he talks about that. PROJECTION \ INTROJECTION According to psychoanalysts, projection and introjection are considered one of the most primitive defense mechanisms. The origins of the formation of projection and introjection go back to early infancy, when the child still cannot separate what is happening inside and what is outside.
LOWEST PROTECTIVE MECHANISMS OF PSYCHE
In this post, we will dwell on three primitive defenses, such as: split , idealization and depreciation . Split It is believed that this mechanism is formed in infancy, when the child still cannot understand that the people caring for him have both good and bad qualities for him.
Lower Defense Mechanisms Of The Psyche. Almighty Control And Somatization. Part 4
Omnipotent control (mystical thinking) It manifests itself in a person's unconscious conviction that he is able to control everything or somehow (even against his will or unconsciously) influence everything that happens around him (sometimes not even with himself).
PROTECTIVE WAYS TO AVOID SHAME
Shame is a powerful affect that threatens a person's self-esteem. The feeling of shame can become unbearable at a conscious level, because the psyche chooses psychological defenses that can dull it. A widely used protection against shame is rage .
