What Are Defense Mechanisms And 21 Types

Defense mechanisms are psychological strategies or unconscious actions people use to protect themselves from overwhelming emotions or anxiety. They’re a normal part of everyday life; almost everyone slips into some form of self-deception at some point.

What Are Defense Mechanisms?

It refers to unconscious tactics used by individuals to protect themselves from troubling thoughts or feelings. “Defence mechanisms are mental operations that are involuntary and unconscious and contribute to reduce internal and external stresses,” explains a 2005 study ¹ . In other words, defense mechanisms are practices that people use to separate themselves from unpleasant events, actions, or thoughts.

These psychological strategies help people create distance between themselves and uncomfortable emotions like shame, fear, guilt and in some cases, anger too. These defense mechanisms aren’t harmful on their own, rather they can help an individual cope with difficult experiences.

However, when they are overdone and depended on for too long, they start to cause more harm than good. The truth is, these mechanisms are a natural, common part of how our minds develop.

That’s why it’s so important to recognize which defense mechanisms you, or even the people around you might be using. It can make your future conversations and interactions much smoother.

Understanding Defense Mechanisms

According to a 2016 study, “Defense mechanisms are mental operations that disguise or otherwise modify the content of the mind and/or the perception of reality.” Such psychological techniques aim to protect us from negative and difficult emotions, ideas and motives.

The study explains that the working of these mechanisms is generally unconscious or unknown to the individual as it functions effectively only if the individual is ‘unaware of the deception’.

However, given the distortions involved, the development of defense mechanisms may conflict with the existence of the individual’s view of internal or external reality.

Research ² reveals that Sigmund Freud, the father of psychoanalysis, began the discussion of such mental mechanisms in the nineteenth century. This discussion was conducted in regards to the subconscious defenses of the id, ego, and superego. These initial mechanisms were further analyzed and better defined by British psychoanalyst Anna Freud, who was also the daughter of Sigmund Freud, in the twentieth century.

She generated 10 major defense mechanisms, which, however, has increased in the later years by other psychoanalysts. Anna Freud describes the phenomenon ³ as “unconscious resources used by the ego” to ultimately decrease internal stress.” A person may tend to utilize these mechanisms to cope with and manage internal conflicts, particularly among “the superego and id ⁴ .”

Types Of Defense Mechanisms

Recognizing these defense mechanisms early in life can actually help predict the potential development of personality disorders later on. That’s why early observation of such patterns holds significant clinical importance.

Depending on the situation and how often these mechanisms are used, they can either be helpful and adaptive, or become maladaptive or unhealthy over time.

Researchers categorize defense mechanisms into fundamental and higher-level types, as mentioned below.

A. Fundamental Defense Mechanisms

Some of the most common fundamental defense mechanisms are the following:

1. Acting Out

This involves the development of harmful behaviors that serve as a distraction, redirecting attention and energy away from other stressors. This type of defense mechanism is often linked to conditions like antisocial personality disorder, conduct disorder, or oppositional defiant disorder.

2. Avoidance

This refers to when a person avoids certain thoughts, feelings, people, places, or situations that make them uncomfortable. It’s a way of keeping emotional distress at bay. This defense mechanism is often seen in people suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

For example, someone might avoid the site of a traumatic car accident, or even stop driving altogether. They do this to escape the anxiety linked to the experience.

3. Conversion

This involves the development of physical symptoms that cannot be explained by any physical injury or underlying medical conditions. It is normally linked to functional neurological symptom disorder, also known as conversion disorder.

4. Denial

This refers to a situation where person refuses to acknowledge their reality, and instead turn to internal justifications or even distorted reasoning, just to avoid facing the uncomfortable truth.

For example, this defense mechanism may be seen in someone who continues to buy expensive things, even though they in huge debt.

5. Identification

It is the condition where a person develops a behavioral pattern by observing others. For example, a child unknowingly develops the behavior of his/her parents. Identification is also known as introjection.

6. Projection

Attributing one’s own maladaptive inner impulses to someone else. For example, someone who commits an episode of infidelity in their marriage may then accuse their partner of infidelity or may become more suspicious of their partner.

7. Regression

It is a situation where an individual adapts to earlier levels of psychosocial development. For example, a frightful event may compel an individual to regress to bed-wetting, even after he/she has outgrown the behavior a long time back.

8. Repression

Repression is a defense mechanism in which unwanted thoughts, feelings, or impulses are subconsciously blocked from awareness. Researchers explain that this may occur in individuals who have no memory of a traumatic event, even though they were fully conscious and aware when it happened.

9. Schizoid Fantasy

This involves creating a sense of internal security through imagination as a way to escape difficult or distressing situations. It is commonly seen in children but may also occur in individuals with schizoid personality disorder.

10. Splitting

It is a type of defense mechanism where a person fails to adjust both positive and negative qualities into a whole understanding, in regards to a person or situation, resulting in all-or-none thinking. Splitting is usually linked with a borderline personality disorder.

B. Higher-level Defense Mechanisms

Common higher level defense mechanisms typically include the following:

1. Anticipation

This defense mechanism is defined as the act of channeling one’s energy into addressing potential problems before they arise. It is commonly seen in individuals preparing for situations like exams or job interviews, where they rehearse and practice responses to even the most challenging questions.

2. Compensation

In this type of mechanism, individuals concentrate on one area of life by removing the focus from other areas, to distract away from the inadequacy or fear of inadequacy. It is generally present in students who receive poor marks in their subjects as they devote more time and effort to extracurricular clubs and activities.

3. Displacement

This type of defense mechanism is characterized by the feature whereby an individual’s ’emotional burden or emotional reaction’ is transferred from one entity to another. For example, a person who had a stressful day at work tends to lash out against his/her family at home.

4. Humor

Humor is often used to fight negative emotions associated with a situation, and is considered to be one of the healthiest defense mechanisms.

5. Intellectualization

It involves the development of excessive thought patterns or over-analysis, which creates emotional distance and detachment from one’s true feelings.

6. Isolation of Affect

This occurs when a person tries to completely avoid experiencing negative emotions associated with a certain situation, person or thought. It is often seen in individuals who recount significant life events in a purely factual, emotionless manner.

7. Rationalization

The response of one’s behavior through attempts at a rational explanation. This defense mechanism may be present in someone who steals money but feels justified in doing so because they needed the money more than the person from whom they stole.

8. Reaction Formation

It is the act of substituting one’s initial impulse in regards to a situation or idea with the counter impulse. This defense mechanism is found in an individual who teases or insults a romantic interest whom he/she likes. Conversely, it is also present in someone who is extremely kind to someone whom they dislike.

9. Sexualization

It is the act of linking sexual aspects to one’s experience in regards to people, places, objects, or ideas. Sexualization can also refer to the evolution of one’s sexual identity in general. Additionally, sexualization can refer to the development of special obsessions or sexual references to conventionally non-sexual entities.

10. Sublimation

Channeling one’s anxiety or emotions into activities that are seen as more acceptable or constructive by societal or cultural standards. This defense mechanism is often observed in people who redirect their aggression or intense energy into activities like playing sports.

Read More About Anxiety Here

11. Suppression

This involves a deliberate effort to block unwanted thoughts or impulses from entering one’s awareness. Unlike repression, which occurs subconsciously, this process is intentional and conscious.

It may be observed in individuals who experience intrusive thoughts about a distressing event but actively push those thoughts out of their minds.

Unhealthy Defense Mechanisms Treatment

Although these mechanisms often function as a form of self-deception to mask emotional responses, they typically occur at an unconscious level. In other words, individuals are often unaware of how their ego is reacting.

However, it is still possible to change these patterns. Unhealthy defense mechanisms can be replaced with more adaptive, sustainable ones.

Below are some techniques to help manage and modify unhealthy defense mechanisms.

1. Find Responsibility

With the help of friends and family, one can identify the unhealthy mechanisms. By bringing attention to the mistaken beliefs, the close ones can help the patient to recognize the moment when he/she unconsciously makes an unhealthy choice.

It is then that the patient can decide in his/her conscious state what he/she really wants to do.

2. Learn Coping Tactics

Attending therapy sessions with mental health experts, such as a psychotherapist, psychologist, or psychoanalyst, may help one to identify the defense mechanisms he/she often utilizes. Such experts can help the person learn about active responses, to make choices on a more mindful level.

A study ⁵ states that ‘recognition and interpersonal communication’ in regards to any such mechanisms used by the patient is used amongst the psychiatrist, psychologist, social worker, and family. This can further help to determine the patient’s way of using these mechanisms, thus enhancing patient-centered care.

3. Therapy

Psychodynamic therapy can include the patient in their own care, by gaining a better knowledge of their own patterns of psychological defense mechanisms.

”Some meta-analysis studies have shown psychodynamic therapy to have equal efficacy compared to cognitive behavioral therapy and pharmacotherapy in the treatment of mild to moderate mood disorders” says the study.

It is important to understand that therapeutic treatments based on self-awareness and communication will dodge the potential difficulties of pharmacotherapy, such as side effects and drug-to-drug interactions.

Additionally, some patients are more likely to try these therapies compared to pharmacotherapy.

Defense Mechanisms Can Be Helpful In Moderation

Defense mechanisms are healthy and natural and most of the time, they are used without any long-term complications or issues. However, some people may face emotional challenges if they proceed to use these mechanisms without managing the underlying threat or anxiety.

However, proper treatment can help one to take care of these issues from a mindful rather than an unconscious one.

It must be noted some of these mechanisms are viewed as more “mature.” In other words, they are sustainable, and in the long term, such mechanisms may not harm one’s emotional or mental health.

Two such “mature” mechanisms are sublimation and intellectualization. However, not every defense mechanism is harmless and may give rise to lingering problems if used persistently.

In fact, they may prevent one from dealing with emotional issues or anxieties, thereby contributing to some mental health issues.

Thus, if a person feels depressed or sad, unable to get out of bed, or avoiding the usual daily activities, he/she must consult a mental health professional. These are also signs of depression, and therapy can help.

Defense Mechanisms At A Glance

Defense mechanisms are mental operations that are involuntary and unconscious and contribute to reducing internal and external stresses.
Defense mechanisms disguise or otherwise modify the content of the mind and/or the perception of reality.
If such mechanisms are identified at an early age, it may help predict the development of personality disorders in the future.
Defense mechanisms are healthy and natural and most of the time, they are used without any long-term complications or issues.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. What are the most common defense mechanisms?

The most common defense mechanisms are repression, projection, denial, rationalization, displacement, reaction formation and regression.

2. What is the healthiest defense mechanism?

Humor and problem-solving are considered to be the healthiest defense mechanisms.

3. What is the most mature defense mechanism?

The most mature defense mechanisms are accepting reality no matter how hard it may seem. Another mature defense mechanism is being yourself no matter what.

Defense Mechanisms

Table of Contents

What Are Defense Mechanisms?

Understanding Defense Mechanisms