1

Defense Mechanisms

Types
Compensation
Conversion
Denial
Displacement
Dissociation

.Fantasy
Fixation
Isolation
Introjection

Definitions
An attempt to overcome a real
or imagined shortcoming
Emotional problems are
converted to physical
symptoms
Failure to acknowledge an
intolerable thought, feeling,
experience or reality
The redirection of feelings to a
less threatening object
Detachment of certain
activities from normal
consciousness which then
function alone
Conscious distortion of
unconscious feelings or wishes
Arrest of maturation at certain
stages of development
Cutting or blunting of an
unacceptable aspect of a total
experience
Symbolic assimilation or taking
into oneself a loved/ hated
object

Identification

Conscious patterning of ones

self from another person

Intellectualization

Over use of intellectual

concepts by an individual to
avoid expression of feelings
Attributing to others ones
conscious wishes/ fear

Projection

Reaction- formation

Expression of feeling that is

the direct opposite of ones
real feeling

Rationalization

Justifying ones actions which

are based on other motives

Regression

Returning to an earlier level of

development in the face of
stress

Repression

Unconscious forgetting

Suppression

Conscious forgetting, a
deliberate process of thoughtblocking

Substitution

Replacing the desired

unattainable goal with one
that is attainable
The rechanneling of

Sublimation

Examples
An undersized young man
trains well in shooting
A young child who witnessed a
crime became blind
A psychiatric client tells the
nurse: I have no problem; I
dont need to talk with you.
A man gets angry at his boss
and when he gets home, he
yells at his wife
Somnambulism (sleep
walking), fugue state
(wandering with amnesia)
Kris daydreams of becoming
the Miss Universe
A 7 year old child is
continuously attached to a
nursing bottle
Jane talks about her spouses
death with an apathetic
expression
Mary Joy who idolized a movie
star, who committed suicide,
also committed suicide when
she reached her idols age
An adolescent manifests his/
her behaviour similar to his/
her idolized person over time
although he/ she is unaware
that his/her behaviour is
similar to his/ her idol
A politician uses deepmeaning adjectives while
describing a horrible situation
A secretary who is very
envious of a co-worker says,
All the girls in the office are
jealous of my position.
Mrs. Cruz is extremely good
when dealing with Mr. Gomez,
a co- faculty, whom she
intensely dislikes
Ron, who was unable to make
it to the board examination
says, Actually I didnt take my
review seriously.
An 8 year old child begins to
suck his/ her thumb and wet
the bed shortly after the birth
of a sibling
A woman no longer
remembers that she was
raped
During the oath taking of
nurse, Jay says, lets not talk
about it, when asked about
his rating
A rejected boy friend rushes
into marriage on the rebound
A young man who frequently

unacceptable instinctual drive

with one that is acceptable
Symbolization

Less threatening object is used

to represent another

Undoing

An attempt to erase an act,

thought, feeling or desire

picks a fight with his

neighbour trains to become
the worlds greatest boxer
Gabby sends his girlfriend a
dozen of red roses to prove his
love
After a fight, a man brings his
wife out for a candle- light
dinner

Gapuz, R. Mosbys Essential Concepts for the Philippine Nurse Licensure Exam. Elsevier
(Singapore) Pte Ltd, 2010. pp.467- 8