ANSWER

Functions of Defense Mechanisms

A defense mechanism is a behavior that individuals use to seclude themselves from unpleasant circumstances, behaviors, or thoughts. These psychological strategies may help individuals distance themselves from threats or undesirable emotions such as embarrassment or guilt. According to Babl et al. (2019), defense mechanisms emerge from psychoanalytic theory, a psychological perspective of personality that perceives personality as the interaction between three components: the id, the ego, and the superego. First suggested by Sigmund Freud, this hypothesis has evolved and disputes that characters such as defense mechanisms are not under an individual’s conscious control. In actuality, most individuals conduct them without realizing the strategy they are employing (Voorhis & Sansbury, 2016). Defense mechanisms are a normal, fundamental part of mental development. This paper aims to evaluate three defense mechanisms, their functions and elaborate on how they are used in everyday life. Different forms of defense mechanisms have been identified. However, some are more frequently used than others. These include denial, repression, and projection.

Denial

Denial is one of the most well-known defense mechanisms. It emerges when an individual refuses to accept truths or realities. Individuals use denial as a defense mechanism to prevent external experiences or incidents from their minds not to have to deal with the emotional impact (Voorhis & Sansbury, 2016). In other terms, people use denial form of defense mechanism to avoid painful feelings or events (Babl et al., 2019). This defense mechanism is one of the most widely known. The phrase “they are in denial” is commonly understood to indicate an individual is avoiding reality despite what may be obvious to individuals around them.

Repression

According to Voorhis and Sansbury (2016), offensive thoughts, distressing memories, fallacious assumptions often perturbs an individual. On most occasions, instead of confronting these concerns, an individual may unintentionally decide to hide them in the hopes of forgetting about them completely. Nevertheless, this does not indicate that the memories vanish completely. They may influence habits and prospective relations. Individuals may not apprehend the impact this defense mechanism is having (Babl et al., 2019). People often use repression defense mechanisms to forget their painful memories.

Regression

Individuals who feel vulnerable or uneasy may unintentionally “evade” to an earlier growth stage. Regression defense mechanisms are most common in young children. If they encounter trauma or loss, they may abruptly behave as if they’re younger again. They may even start wetting the bed or sucking their thumb (Voorhis & Sansbury, 2016). Adults can also regress. On most occasions, adults trying to cope with behaviors or circumstances may revert to sleeping with a treasured stuffed animal, overindulge in foods they consider soothing, or start chain-smoking or chewing on pens and pencils (Babl et al., 2019). They may also shun normal activities because they seem devastating.

Conclusion

Defense mechanisms are described as behaviors people use to forget painful memories and secret themselves from other people. People may use defense mechanisms such as repression, regression, and denial to escape traumatic experiences.