1.
REVIEWOF DEFENSE MECHANISMS
BY- ABHISHEK PRAJAPATI
(M.SC- Nursing)
MENTAL HEALTH NURSING

2.
DEFENSE MECHANISMS
• The term defense mechanism word first used
by Sigmund Freud in his paper “the neuro-
psychoses defense” (1894)
• In his psychoanalytical theory Freud explained
a defense mechanism is a tactic developed by
ego to protect against anxiety
• The meaning of defense mechanism is the act
or technique of coping mechanism that reduce
anxiety generated by threat from unacceptable
or negative impulses.

3.
• Defense mechanism are methods of attempting to
protect self and cope with basic drives or
emotionally painful thoughts, feelings or events.
• The purpose of defense mechanisms is to reduce
or eliminate anxiety.
Relevance to Nursing – The nurse must recognize
and understand maladaptive defense mechanism
that patients use. The nurse has to carefully point
out these mechanism and work with patients to
encourage such behavior and discourage adaptive
ones.

4.
COMPENSATION
SUBLIMATION
DENIAL
DISPLACEMENT
REACTION
FORMATION DISSOCIATION
REGRESSION
UNDOING
INTELLECTUALIZATION
REPRESSION RATIONALIZATION
PROJECTION
CONVERSION

5.
1. REPRESSION – This was the first defense mechanism that
Freud discovered & most important one
- Unconscious and involuntary forgetting of painful ideas,
events and conflicts.
- EXAMPLE - Forgetting a loved one’s birthdates after a
fight
2. DENIAL – Unconscious refusal to admit an unacceptable
ideas, behaviour. Not accept reality
- EXAMPLE – smoker may refuse to admit themselves that
smoking is bad for health

6.
3. DISPLACEMENT – To transfers an impulses or idea from
threatening object to less threatening object.
- EXAMPLE - A husband comes home after a bad day at work and
yells at his wife
4. REACTION FORMATION – Replacing unacceptable ideas,
feelings with their exact opposites.
- It’s a reversal formation
- EXAMPLE – A jealous boy who hates his elder brother may show
him exaggerated respect and affection towards him.

7.
5. RATIONALIZATION – It is a process in which an individual
justifies his failures and social unacceptable behaviour by giving
socially approved reasons
- EXAMPLE – A student who fails in examination may complain that
the hostel atmosphere is not favorable and has resulted in his failure
6. SUBLIMATION–Consciously or unconsciously channeling
instinctual drives in to acceptable activities.
EXAMPLE – Aggressiveness might be transformed into
competitiveness in business or sports.

8.
5. RATIONALIZATION – It is a process in which an individual
justifies his failures and social unacceptable behaviour by giving
socially approved reasons
- EXAMPLE – A student who fails in examination may complain that
the hostel atmosphere is not favorable and has resulted in his failure
6. SUBLIMATION–Consciously or unconsciously channeling
instinctual drives in to acceptable activities.
EXAMPLE – Aggressiveness might be transformed into
competitiveness in business or sports.

9.
7. COMPENSATION – Consciously covering up for a weakness by
over emphasizing or making up a desirable trait.
- EXAMPLE – A student who fails in examination may compensate by
becoming the college champion in athletics.
- When a person say’s I may not know how to cook but I can sure do
the dishes.
8. PROJECTION– Unconsciously or consciously blaming someone
else for one’s difficulties.
A person who blames another for his own mistakes is using the
projection mechanism.
EXAMPLE – A surgeon whose patient does not respond as he
anticipated, may tend to blame the theater nurse who helped that
surgeon at the time of operation.

10.
9. INTELLECTUALIZATION – Separation of the emotions of a
painful event or situation from the facts involved; acknowledging the
facts but not the emotions.
- EXAMPLE – A person shows no emotional expression when
discussing serious car accident.
10. UNDOING– Consciously doing something to counteract or make up
for a transgression or wrong doing.
EXAMPLE – Giving a treat to a child who is being punished for a
wrong doing.

11.
11. REGRESSION – Unconscious return to an earlier and more
comfortable development level.
- EXAMPLE – An adult throws a temper tantrum when he does not get
his own way.
12. DISSOCIATION– The unconscious separation of painful feelings
and emotions from an unacceptable idea situation or object.
EXAMPLE – Amnesia that prevent recalls of previous day auto
accident/adult remembers nothing of childhood sexual abuse.

12.
13. CONVERSION – The unconscious expression of intra-
psychic conflict symbolically through physical symptoms.
- EXAMPLE – A students awakens with a migraine
headache the morning of a final examination and feels too
ill to take the test.