2024 Author: Harry Day | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 15:43
Actually, the defense mechanism was discovered by Sigmund Freud, the founder of psychoanalysis. He perceived defenses as "resistance" - that which prevents him from "repairing" the patient. And for a long time this attitude towards defenses was dominant among psychoanalysts. Over time, psychotherapists have discovered that the more they struggle with the client's defenses, the more desperately the client defends itself, or even quits therapy altogether. But defenses have another function - they protect the human psyche or his image of himself from something that can destroy them, and reduce the level of anxiety to tolerable. The psyche uses defenses not because it is "bad", but because it does not have the resources to experience certain events.
Cognitive-behavioral therapists operate with the concept of "cognitive distortions", psychoanalysts conditionally divide defenses into higher and lower ones, and Gestalt therapists place defenses in a certain sequence on the contact cycle curve and even say that it is more correct to call them methods of organizing contact. Let's talk about them:
The first one is merger … In merging there is no separation into "I" and "not-I", there is "we", without which it is impossible to get an orgasm, fall in love, experience the full range of sensations from sunsets, books, films (when you read a book and feel like a hero who is going through adventures), feel like a part of the family, society. The negative aspect of merging is that it is impossible to distinguish what exactly I want and, in general, what I am. And if I have needs, then, being in a merger, it is very difficult to understand what I want and how to achieve it.
The next mechanism is introjection … This is a process during which concepts, standards of behavior, morality, values are accepted by a person without critical examination, without assimilation. In principle, education and training are impossible without introjection. A small person recognizes this world from the explanations of his parents - you can't stick your fingers into the socket, you can't fight, you need to say "thank you". The student receives information from a textbook or from a teacher.
Introjection becomes a trouble when there are many rules, they are not realized or are no longer relevant. Then a person feels that he seems to be doing everything right, but "there is no happiness." Or it turns out that what he wants and needs is under a strong ban.
After introjection, on the curve of the contact cycle, projection … This is a process in which he ascribes some properties and feelings of a person himself to other people. Feelings of admiration and love are based on projection, it is one of the foundations of empathy. Thanks to projection, we can understand what is happening with other people.
The negative effect of projection is that a person does not recognize his feelings and deprives himself of the possibility of awareness and change. And often everything bad is projected onto others (they are evil, stupid, cruel, and I am all white and beautiful)
The next mechanism is retroflection … This is when a feeling or action directed at another, I direct to myself. Retroflection is a socially necessary mechanism on which inner discipline is based. It allows you to stop satisfying a need if it is inappropriate. If retroflection becomes a “beloved” defense, then the person becomes withdrawn and may not even be aware of his feelings or needs. Excessive retroflection leads to psychosomatic symptoms.
Proflexion - when a person does to another what he would like to receive for himself. It is the basis of caring for each other and a way to "ask without asking." But there is a risk of not being heard. And this is its disadvantage. And also in the fact that a person gives what he needs himself, not noticing his needs.
And the last one goes egotism … This is an unconscious habit of trying to over-control yourself and the world around you. A certain amount of control is beneficial; it is the foundation of awareness and discipline. But if it becomes too strong, then the person cannot fully relax.
In conclusion, I will say that it is impossible to get rid of psychological defenses, since they are the basis of the functioning of our psyche, but you can learn to recognize them (that is, know how I react in certain situations and why), correct (for example, the same introjects can be completely changed or abandon them, and if you notice proflexion or deflection, you can find out what I want and think about what other ways there are to get what I want).
Correct "settings" of psychological defenses can make life much more interesting and enjoyable.
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