Freud's defense mechanisms are a kind of brain reaction to external stimuli that occur unconsciously. By distorting reality and falsifying its perception, they help reduce the threat of stress.
Definition of a concept
Protective mechanisms - this is one of the most important concepts of psychoanalysis, which is a way of self-defense (namely, protecting your "I"), regulating the negative impulses that come from the human mind. This occurs under the influence of social rules and norms, which, one way or another, put pressure on the individual. The protective mechanism is designed to protect a person from possible experiences and anxieties that are caused by the mismatch of social views and personal views of a person. This term was first voiced in 1894 by the famous psychologist Sigmund Freud.
Types of protective mechanisms
Due to individual characteristics, people react differently to stimuli, stress and internal impulses. In this regard, the following types of protective mechanisms can be distinguished:
- crowding out;
- projection;
- substitution;
- rationalization;
- reactive education;
- regression;
- sublimation;
- negation.
The main properties of protective mechanisms
A number of features have protective mechanisms according to Freud. Examples from real life should be read in order to clarify the nature of this phenomenon. So, protective mechanisms have the following properties:
- they are a kind of self-deception, as they appear on an unconscious level;
- distort the perception of reality, which can be even more dangerous for a person than a real threat;
- represent the emotional side of the reaction to surrounding events;
- may arise on the basis of fear that negative impulses will pass into the category of conscious.
crowding out
When considering defense mechanisms according to Freud, it is first of all worth noting crowding out. This is a kind of basis by which more complex mechanisms can subsequently be formed. The crowding out is a “forgetting” or “removal” from the consciousness of those feelings and thoughts that cause psychological discomfort. In this case, events that preceded the injury may disappear from the memory.
It should be noted that crowding out is not absolute. There is always a risk that memories of unpleasant events will burst out, and therefore you have to spend a huge amount of energy to suppress them. This can adversely affect a person’s personal development. In this case, even if the displacement mechanism has worked, the irritant may again appear in a dream or slip through in reservations.
Freud's defense mechanisms are reflected in real life. For example, a decent spouse, by virtue of his moral principles, does not allow the possibility of treason to his wife. He in every possible way supplants such thoughts and fantasies. Nevertheless, it is possible that in a dream he takes part in the joys with an outside woman.
Projection
In stressful situations, defense mechanisms almost always work. According to Freud, the projection is in second place. Its meaning is that the individual tries to transfer his thoughts, feelings and life circumstances to other people. Thus, he removes all blame and responsibility for his own failures and troubles.
An example is a student or student who is not prepared for the exam. He tries to justify his poor assessment with a biased attitude from the teacher. If we talk about athletes, then in their defeat, they often blame the poor quality of sports equipment, the playing field or dishonest refereeing.
Substitution
Considering examples of psychological defenses, one cannot ignore substitution. Its mechanism is to redirect attention from the threatening to another object. The most striking example of the action of this mechanism is a child punished by parents for prank. Unable to answer them, he takes out his anger on his younger brother or sister, kicking him or breaking toys.
The substitution reaction is inherent not only in children, but also in many adults. For example, employees are often attacked and criticized by management. Fear of losing their job stops them from responding to superiors. However, when they come home, they can take out aggression on their family members.
It is worth noting that some individuals very peculiarly implement the mechanism of substitution. Being weak in nature, they cannot take out their aggression on a stranger, and therefore begin to suppress themselves. As a result, a person suppresses himself emotionally, doing self-criticism and self-flagellation.
Rationalization
Psychological protection as a way to overcome stress can manifest itself in the form of rationalization. This is a deliberate distortion of reality in order to maintain a high level of self-esteem. There is a complex system of argumentation, which is designed to justify irrational behavior. One of the most striking examples of such a mechanism can be found in Aesop's fables. He describes a fox that cannot reach a branch with grapes. To justify her failure, she claims that the fruits are still unripe.
Similar examples can be found in everyday life. So, for example, a woman does not always reciprocate the attention and courtship of a man. Not wanting to accept this fact, a man can convince himself of her unattractiveness or spread defamatory rumors. Another situation is related to student life. So, for example, if an applicant failed to enter a certain faculty, he begins to convince himself and others that this profession is not at all interesting to him.
Reactive education
Freud's deep psychology also identifies such a mechanism as reactive education. It is implemented on two levels:
- suppression of a negative or unacceptable impulse occurs;
- at the subconscious level motives of the opposite content are formed.
Most often, such mechanisms take place in public life. So, pronounced sexual attraction is considered extremely indecent in society. Thus, a woman with a similar feature tries to suppress her in every way. To earn a positive image in society, she can even act as an ardent fighter for morality. The same applies to men who sharply oppose homosexual relationships, while they themselves secretly have similar inclinations.
Regression
Regression is another defense mechanism. Psychology describes it as a return to children's behaviors in order to protect themselves from shocks and stress. This is due to the fact that it is this age that is the most comfortable and safe from the point of view of world perception. So, crying can be considered the most elementary form of regression.
Sublimation
Freud's psychological defense mechanisms also include sublimation. This mechanism allows a person to change their impulses and views so that they can be expressed in a form that is acceptable in society. In psychology, sublimation is considered as the most healthy and proper defense mechanism. This is due to the fact that a person is not restrained in the manifestation of his impulses, but only changes the form of their presentation.
Freud, given the specifics of his theory, tended to pay special attention to the sublimation of sexual desire. It is with this phenomenon that he links the incredible rise in culture and science that occurred in Western Europe. If you design this mechanism for modern reality, you can cite an example of adolescents who can sublimate their unfulfilled sexual needs into sports achievements.
Despite the fact that many hide it, quite often you can meet people with sadistic inclinations. So, individuals with such deviation may well become successful surgeons. Also, such fantasies can be sublimated to the writing of detective novels.
Negation
Freud’s defense mechanisms include an element such as denial. It lies in the fact that a person categorically refuses to recognize the fact of an incident of a negative event. The most striking example is the child’s reaction to the death of a beloved pet. He refuses to acknowledge this loss, believing that the animal is still somewhere nearby. A similar example can be given in connection with the loss of a loved one. Failure to accept the obvious can develop into a religious belief that a relative now lives in heaven or that his spirit is still present in the house.
Often, the mechanism of denial is triggered when it comes to health. So, feeling the symptoms of a particular disease, a person can simply ignore them, suggesting to himself that this cannot happen to him. A similar reaction can be observed on an already confirmed diagnosis.
Psychology Books to Read
Sooner or later, any person begins to be interested in certain mechanisms of consciousness and subconsciousness. The best way to get to know the work of a psychologist like Sigmund Freud. Books whose human psychology is best represented are:
- "Leading into psychoanalysis" is one of the most famous books, moreover, this work is considered the most significant in all Freud's activities. Here are the main provisions that have had a decisive influence on the further development of not only psychology and medicine, but also fiction.
- “The Interpretation of Dreams" is a monumental work that has become one of the brightest in the 20th century. Here is the result of Freud's investigation of the unconscious part of consciousness, which controls the human instincts, but is difficult to study. Here we consider the symbolism of dreams, which helps to understand the problems, desires and fears of the individual.
- The Psychopathology of Everyday Life is Freud’s second monumental study. The book is relevant to this day, and therefore is the key in the study of psychology. The main attention is paid to unconscious motives, which not only can act as stimuli, but also often cause psychological disorders.
- "I and It" is a kind of collection of psychologist's works, which can be considered the culmination of his work. Here, not only the basic provisions of psychoanalysis are described , but also their sources and justifications are presented.
- Totem and Taboo is a work in which Freud, relying on his own research and theories, tries to uncover the problems of genesis. Thus, the author addresses the problem of culture, religion, morality, law and other aspects of society.
- "Psychology of the masses and analysis of the human" I "- is a work in which Freud carried out fundamental work on the study of crowd behavior. The need for the masses in leadership is also explained.
- Essays on the Psychology of Sexuality is a collection in which the psychologist raises the most sensitive topics. From here you can learn about the nature and causes of intimate deviations, a tendency to perversions, as well as sadism, homosexuality, etc.
It is worth noting that this is not all books on psychology that are worth reading. It is also important to study the work of other specialists who had a slightly different view of things than Freud.
conclusions
Freud's defense mechanisms are a kind of unconscious reaction that works in a stressful situation or in the face of a threat. Regardless of which type of barrier is triggered, in any case, we are talking about significant energy costs, which overwhelmingly affects the ego. In addition, the more effective this or that mechanism is, the more energy costs it requires, and the more it distorts objective reality.
Given the unconscious nature of defensive reactions, not every person can control them. Nevertheless, having noticed the effectiveness of one or another barrier, an individual may already consciously resort to it in a stressful situation. It is not worth relying too much on such a technique, because it can become a very fertile ground for the emergence of psychological problems.