The 8 most common defense mechanisms of people

The outside world is challenging, there's no doubt about it, and it's not enough just to be well prepared to walk with freedom for this, but we must keep our own internal good protected, so that it is not affected by the negative influences we receive from it.

This strength is achieved by acquiring great confidence and self-esteem, which allow us to generate practical solutions to the problems that arise along the way.

However, there are times when obstacles can overwhelm us and cause us such shocking discomfort that our acquired confidence diminishes, resulting in us hiding behind an impenetrable wall so we never have to deal with them again. those distressing problems ever again, known as 'coping mechanisms'.However, this can lead us to acquire maladaptive and non-functional behavior in any sphere of our lives, if we let these mechanisms rule us completely.

Are defense mechanisms really that dangerous or can they benefit us in certain situations? If you want the answer, we invite you to read this article where we will talk about the most common defense mechanisms of people.

What are defense mechanisms?

This is a concept raised by Sigmund Freud, dealing with the natural and unconscious form that our mind acquires to protect us from the threats that exist on the outside, especially those that generate great anxiety. In order to avoid going through these situations and subjecting the body to a psychological collapse, preserving emotional tranquility within us in a known and safe environment, such as the 'comfort zone'.

However, when these defense mechanisms become a protective shield to a confinement bubble, we can find ourselves involved in social dysfunction because we do not allow ourselves to experience new things for fear of what will come next. will happen, facing difficult situations involving strong feelings or as a safe to hide inappropriate behaviors waiting for their moment to explode.

This is why it is extremely important to recognize the defense mechanisms we use on a daily basis, to know how we are handling it or leaving it that controls us Am I being helpful and taking care of myself? Or are they the perfect excuses for not acting as I have to or as I am doing now?

The dark side of these defense mechanisms

Freud claimed that mechanisms were just a way to completely distort reality unconsciously, so people never they were really sincere before this or worse still that they could not have the opportunity to know themselves.Living, thus, in an eternal lie that protected them from the anxieties that were generated abroad and although this does not sound entirely bad, it is a great impediment to grow personally and professionally and complicate relationships and interactions.

This results in us always living with a void, with that constant feeling that something is missing and that we cannot be happy or satisfied with our lives. Because we have had an incorrect idea of ​​our needs, desires and aspirations all along.

Most common defense mechanisms in people

Freud postulated eight defense mechanisms, which have their particular characteristics, but he also warned that it is very rare that we only use one because they vary depending on the circumstance experienced. We will find out below what these defense mechanisms are

one. Denial

One of the most common defense mechanisms on some occasions is (as its name indicates) denying the existence of an event that has occurred or some external factor that causes us a certain threat (even if we are not aware of it). In general, this denial comes from a traumatic experience that left behind negative emotional consequences, either in us or in very close third parties and that we want to avoid experiencing at all costs.

A clear example of this is when you keep everything the same in the room of someone who has died, completely denying the fact that they are dead or in the case of infidelity, you can ignore that it exists and continue with the routine as a couple.

2. Repression

It is another of the most common defense mechanisms and is closely linked to denial, in this it is about unconsciously suppressing something from our memory , causing a kind of mental blackout or spontaneous forgetfulness, about something that causes us significant discomfort.In this sense, this 'forgetting' can be about different representations, such as a stressful memory, a traumatic event, a person who hurt us or a current reality that is very difficult to face and we prefer to ignore.

This is the defense mechanism, it is perhaps the most used by all of us and the most difficult to counteract, since it becomes part of our normality, in addition, if it protects us from a threat to our psychological stability why remove it? Well… think about this: how can you get rid of the threat if you don't face it?

3. Regression

In this unconscious strategy the person has the desire to return to a previous time in his life that he considers safe for himself, a stage where she perceives that everything was easier and there were no anxieties that put her in constant stress or frustration. Thus acquiring behaviors, behaviors and characteristics of his from that time, which in most cases tends to be from a period of childhood.

This can cause the person to act in a childish way, generate tendencies of dependency towards a person and manifest tantrums or whims as needs that their environment must satisfy.

4. Rationalization

This is also one of the defense mechanisms most used by people, since it is about finding justifications for the behaviors and attitudes that one has , so that they are perceived as something rational, acceptable and perfectly normal. In the same way it happens with thoughts, ideas, obsessions, hobbies or behaviors that always seem to be bothering us, but that there must be a valid reason for them to arise and for us to carry them out.

An example that we can appreciate very well in this case is when a negative consequence occurs (a dismissal, a love breakup, an academic failure) we tend to blame others, before accepting that there was a failure on our part, since this generates less anxiety.

5. Reactive formation

In this defense, we fervently insist on demonstrating the opposite attitude towards something that causes us discomfort It is in some way a more intense and obligatory repression towards an impulse that continues to appear inside us and that we want to carry out unconsciously, but that out of fear, morality or insecurity we prefer to change for the opposite impulse.

In this case, we can give the example of those people who fear their sexual instincts and show great chastity (a behavior they perceive as more socially acceptable) or a person who is envious of the success of another, behave as their best ally to continue growing.

6. Projection

One of the most classic defenses and also most used in people who feel rejection towards behaviors, attitudes or impulses within themselves that they are not capable of consciously perceiving, but who stop getting rid of them They attribute them to someone else.In this way, whatever bothers them they can justify it in that it is a negative attitude of others and not theirs

A good example in these cases is the constant criticism of a person's lifestyle, which we really wish we had for ourselves, or the classic reason for getting along with someone for no apparent reason 'I don't I hate him, he hates me'.

7. Displacement

In this, the intention is focused on changing desires towards an object that is inaccessible to us or represents some kind of discomfort for us, towards another object to which we can access in order to satisfy that desire. Although changing an object for another that is not threatening does not completely reduce the tension generated by the main object, it is this when it releases all the frustration.

A very visible example in this case is when we feel frustrated at work by a boss who constantly pressures us and we cannot vent our anger against him, for fear of the reprisals it would generate, but instead Yes, we can do it with our family, friends, partner or children, since they do not represent any type of threat.

8. Sublimation

In this defense the opposite case occurs, since in sublimation one seeks to completely alter the impulses generated by an object, instead of replacing them with something that we can allow Channeling these unconscious and primitive impulses for socially acceptable behaviors. The problem is that this is a change that is made consciously and requires a permanent effort, so there is no satisfaction, but instead, it only manages to generate more tension.

An example is that, instead of releasing accumulated tensions, such as anger, love, rage, sexual desire, sadness, etc. they are sublimated in human creativity, like paintings, literature, poetry or sculptures. Freud firmly believed that many artistic works were actually charged with sublimated impulses.

Have you recognized the defense mechanism you use the most?