The 8 most common defense mechanisms of people

The outside world is quite a challenge, there is no question about it, and it is not enough just to be well prepared to walk freely through it, but we must maintain protected our own internal good, so that it is not affected by negative influences that we receive from this.

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 occasions where obstacles can overwhelm us and cause us such a shocking discomfort that it diminishes our acquired confidence, bringing as As a result, we hide behind an impenetrable wall so that we never have to deal with those distressing problems again, known as' mechanisms of defending'. However, this can lead us to acquire a maladaptive and poorly functional behavior in any sphere of our life, 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 that he raised Sigmund Freud, in the case of the natural and unconscious way that our mind acquires to protect us from the threats that exist outside, especially those that generate great anxiety. In order to avoid going through these situations and subjecting the body to a psychological collapse, preserving the emotional tranquility within us in a known and safe environment, such as the 'zone of comfort'.

However, when these defense mechanisms become a protective shield to a bubble of confinement, we can see ourselves involved in social dysfunction because we do not allow ourselves to experience new things for fear of what will happen, face difficult situations that involve strong feelings or like a safe to hide inappropriate behaviors biding their time to explode.

For this reason, it is very important to recognize the defense mechanisms that we use on a daily basis., to know how we are managing it or letting it control us. Am I being helpful and taking care of myself? Or are they the perfect excuses for not acting the way I have to or the way I'm doing now?

The dark side of these defense mechanisms

Freud claimed that the mechanisms were only a way to completely distort reality in an unconscious way, so people were never really sincere about it or worse that they couldn't get a chance to know themselves. Living, thus, in an eternal lie that protected them from the anxieties that were generated abroad and although this did not sounds completely wrong, it is a great impediment to growing personally, professionally and complicates relationships and interactions.

This results in that we are always living with a void, with that constant feeling that something is missing and that we cannot be satisfied or satisfied with our life. Because we have had the wrong idea of ​​our needs, wants and aspirations all the time.

Most common defense mechanisms in people

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

1. Denial

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

A clear example of this is when it preserves everything the same in the room of someone who has died, completely denying the fact that it is or in the case of an infidelity, you can ignore that it exists and continue with the usual couple routine.

2. Repression

It is another of the most common defense mechanisms and is quite linked to denial, in this it is about unconsciously suppressing something from our memory, causing a kind of mental gap 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 is prefer to ignore.

This is the defense mechanism is perhaps the most used by all of us and the most difficult to counteract, since it is returns part of our normality, furthermore, if it protects us from a threat to our psychological stability, why delete 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 go back to a previous time in her 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 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 dependency tendencies towards a person and manifest tantrums or whims as needs that her 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, manias or behaviors that always seem to be bothering us, but that there must be a valid reason for them to come forward and for us to take them to cape.

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

5. Reactive training

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

In this case, we can give the example of those people who fear their sexual instincts and show extreme chastity (a behavior that they perceive as more socially acceptable) or a person who is envious of the success of another, behaves as her 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 able to consciously perceive, but that seem to get rid of them, they attribute them to another person. In this way, whatever bothers them they can justify it in that it is a negative attitude from others and not theirs.

A good example in these cases is the constant criticism of a person's lifestyle, which in reality we wish we had for ourselves or the classic reason to get along with someone without an apparent sense ‘I don’t hate him, he hates'.

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 that we can access in order to satisfy that desire. Although exchanging an object for another that is not threatening, it does not completely reduce the tension generated by the main object, by discharging all the frustration is that.

A very visible example in this case is when we feel frustrated at work because of a boss that constantly pressures us and we cannot vent our anger against him, for fear of the reprisals he would generate, but instead 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 is presented, since sublimation seeks to completely alter the impulses generated by an object, instead of replacing them with something that we can afford. Channeling these unconscious and primitive impulses for socially acceptable behaviors. The problem is that this is a change that is made consciously and requires effort permanent, so there is no satisfaction, but instead, it is only possible 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, such as paintings, literature, poetry or sculpture. Freud firmly believed that many of the artistic works were actually charged with sublimated impulses.

Have you recognized the defense mechanism that you use the most?