Coping Mechanism involves any effort to decrease the stress response.

It can be constructive or destructive, task oriented, or defense oriented, regulating the response to protect oneself. If destructive coping mechanism is happened, it often cause a mental health disorder because the person avoids the problem or stress that causes the disorder. And neurotic or psychotic behaviors can result when coping mechanism become destructive. Defense mechanism is coping mechanism of the ego that attempts to protect the person from feelings of inadequacy and worthlessness. Practically a Nurse should have a knowledge of Coping Mechanism or Defense Mechanism in caring of psychiatry client whether in primary psychiatry health care of secondary psychiatry health care. Knowing of Coping or Defense Mechanism also will be a key point in preparing of NCLEX or CGFNS test. Some question in NCLEX - CGFNS will ask coping - defense mechanism as a comprehensive client care. Here are types of defense mechanism : COMPENSATION Putting fort extra effort to achieve in areas where one has a real or imagined dificiency. CONVERSION It is a expression of emotional conflicts or stress through physical symptoms DENIAL Keep anxiety-producing realities out of conscious awareness DIPLACEMENT Transfers an emotion from the original to a different idea. Feeling toward one person are directed to another who is less threatening DISSOCIATION The blocking off of an anxiety event or period of time from the conscious mind FANTASY Escapes stress by focusing on unreal mental images in which his or her wishes are fulfilled FIXATION Never advancing to the next level of emotional development and organization.

IDENTIFICATION Pattern himself or herself after another person INSULATION Withdrawing into passivity and becoming inaccessible so as to avoid further threating situation INTELLECTUALIZATION Deals with problem or stress on an intellectual basis to avoid discomfort of emotions INTROJECTION The person incorporates the traits or values of another into self ISOLATION The person block feeling associated with an unpleasant experience or stress PROJECTION The person displaces own undesirable actions or feeling to another person RATIONALIZATION Attempt to make unacceptable feeling, emotion or behavior by justifying the behavior REACTION FORMATION The person act in a way that is the opposite of her or his actual feelings REGRESSION Returning to an earlier developmental stage to express an impulse to deal with reality REPRESSION Unconsciously inhibits an idea or desire SUBLIMATION Replacement of an unacceptable need, attitude, or emotion with one more socially acceptable SUBSTITUTION The replacement of a valued unacceptable object with an object that is more acceptable to the ego SUPRESSION

Consciously inhibits or forgetting of unacceptable or painful thoughts or idea or desire SYMBOLIZATION Consciously using an idea or object to represent another actual event or object UNDOING or RESTITUTION Attempts to engage behavior that is considered to be opposite of a previous unacceptable thought or feeling Coping Mechanism Coping mechanisms involve efforts to decrease the stress response Theses are task oriented reactions, which are classified because of consciousefforts utilized by the concerned individual to allay his anxiety Done consciously Example are as follows: T Turning to a comforting person (significant others) R Relying on self-disciple (self-control) I Intense expression of feelings (crying to release tension) U Using symbolic substitutes M Making use of friends to talk it out P Privately thinking it through Defense Mechanism Protective coping mechanism of the ego, largely unconscious Attempts to protect the individual from feelings of inadequacy and worthlessness andto prevent awareness of anxiety Protect against anxiety caused by undesirable, unacceptable and usuallyunconscious feelings Similar to coping mechanisms but they are traditionally defined as beingunconscious, intrapsychic processes Both defense mechanisms and coping mechanisms serve the same protectivepurpose for clients. Defense mechanism will provide the nurse with clues about a clients feelings,motives and behaviors You're Reading a Free Preview Pages 2 to 8 are not shown in this preview. Read the Full Version DEFENSE MECHANISM