Examples of protective mechanisms of the psyche. Mechanisms of psychological defense and individual personality characteristics

Ecology of life. Psychological protection acts against a person’s will when something threatens his mental balance, his mental safety, and self-image. Let us consider in more detail the protective mechanisms of our psyche.

Psychological protection acts against a person’s will when something threatens his mental balance, his mental safety, and his ideas about himself.
Let's take a closer look at the defense mechanisms of our psyche.

1. Repression.

The repression mechanism was the first to be discovered. With the help of repression, unacceptable experiences, circumstances or information that are traumatic for a person are removed from consciousness and retained in the unconscious. Many cases of forgetting are associated with repression, allowing one not to remember something that could shake the idea of ​​oneself.

An example of the action of the repression mechanism can be presented as follows: if I feel a feeling of shame for an act I committed in relation to another person, but this experience quickly “evaporates” from my memory, then I begin to evaluate myself without taking into account this unworthy act. But another person who was hurt by my behavior will remember well that I “already forgot.” And my self-esteem without taking into account the opinion of others about me will be incomplete. Therefore, it is advisable to recognize and analyze disturbing, not very clear experiences in order to adjust your self-esteem based on them.

2. Rationalization.

When a rash step leads to unpleasant consequences, a person seeks to justify his action. This is not done intentionally, but subconsciously, to maintain self-esteem at the proper level. For example, if one person without any visible reasons was rude to another and he was called to account for this, then he tries to find the reasons for his incontinence, so that his behavior looks like it is completely normal and the only acceptable in this situation. Such self-defense without sufficient grounds opposes an objective assessment of one’s behavior. And such behavior in psychology is called rationalization of motive.
Rationalization is a mechanism psychological protection, similar to the sweet shell of a bitter medicine. Explanations and descriptions “envelop” the traumatic fact in such a way that it begins to be perceived as insignificant or as evidence of strengths personality, valuable and fair.
The rationalization mechanism is well described in A. Krylov’s famous fable “The Fox and the Grapes.” The mechanism for devaluing an inaccessible but strongly desired object or phenomenon is described there very accurately, but if rationalization becomes the rule for a person, then the contradictions between self-esteem and real behavior will increase, which will inevitably lead to serious conflicts. Therefore, any event to which you have a direct or indirect connection must be assessed without rationalizing motives, so that your participation in the event is not diminished or exaggerated. This may be painful for self-esteem, but useful for self-knowledge.

3. Projection.

This protective mechanism of the psyche ensures that a person maintains a satisfying idea of ​​himself, of his psychological integrity by attributing his own feelings, desires, and ideas to others that are unacceptable for one reason or another.
Every person has positive and negative character traits. If we know about our qualities and accept them in ourselves, then we will be loyal to other people who have similar traits. For example, if a person admits that he can be short-tempered at times, he will forgive the same short temper in another. What prevents a person from getting to know himself is the fact that, having some “negative” qualities, personality traits that he does not like in himself, he is not ready to fully accept them. Then in his mind these qualities are projected onto other people and he turns his anger and rejection towards them. Such a deceptive feeling allows you to maintain self-respect, and therefore is not rejected.

4. Substitution.

This is an action directed at an object, not actually provoked by it and not intended for it, but caused by another, inaccessible object. When a person is very excited, for example due to an unpleasant conversation with a colleague, but he himself cannot express all his feelings towards him, he often “blots off steam” on another, unsuspecting person. An explosion of mood, strong excitement associated with failure, resentment or some other trouble sharply narrows a person’s consciousness, that is, makes him stupider than he really is.

In such a state, few people are able to evaluate their actions and regulate behavior taking into account the requirements of self-respect.

5. Denial.

It is aimed at not accepting as reality events that disturb the consciousness. Denial can be reflected in an escape into fantasy, into an imaginary world where all our desires come true, where we are smart, strong, beautiful and lucky. Some remain alone in the dream world, others fantasize out loud, publicly talking about their “famous” acquaintances, etc. At the same time, the main goal of using such “positive self-presentation” is to increase a person’s value in the eyes of others.

6. Reactive formation.

If a boy causes a girl a lot of trouble (pulls her pigtails, distracts her from her lessons, etc.), then most likely he is not indifferent to her. Why does the boy behave this way?

The child begins to be disturbed by the feeling of sympathy - a feeling the essence of which he does not yet understand. But he himself feels that this is “something bad”, for which he will not be praised. This is where behavior that is completely contrary to the feeling, an opposite reaction, arises. In the same way, a student who constantly disrupts classes (yells at them, distracts other students) actually wants to attract attention, which he clearly lacks.
This doesn't just happen to children. This type of psychological defense is also present in adults, who also sometimes demonstrate the opposite reactions.

The isolation mechanism is the separation of the anxiety-producing part of the situation from the rest of the soul. There is a kind of division of reality, in which traumatic events almost do not cause an emotional reaction. For example, a child feels good in the family, but he is severely punished for “bad” behavior. As a result, the child “isolates” events that humiliate his self-esteem, continues to have a positive attitude towards his parents: he can behave “good” in front of them, but demonstrates prohibited behavior in front of toys: he hits and destroys them.

All of the above psychological defenses do not contribute to a person’s personal development. Only one psychological defense can be called successful. This is sublimation.

7. Sublimation.

This is a psychological defense, which consists in directing energy of a sexually aggressive nature to other goals: creativity, science, art, intellectual development, sports, professional activity, collecting. This defense is considered constructive because it has positive results and gives the person a feeling of satisfaction. published

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Psychological protection– these are unconscious processes occurring in the psyche, aimed at minimizing the impact of negative experiences. Defense tools are the basis of resistance processes. Psychological defense as a concept was first voiced by Freud, who initially meant, first of all, repression (active, motivated elimination of something from consciousness).

The functions of psychological defenses are to reduce the confrontation that occurs within the individual, relieve tension caused by the confrontation of impulses of the unconscious and the accepted requirements of the environment, arising as a result of social interaction. By minimizing such conflict, safety mechanisms regulate human behavior, increasing its adaptive capacity.

What is psychological protection?

The human psyche is characterized by the ability to protect itself from negative surrounding or internal influences.

Psychological protection of the individual is present in every human subject, but varies in degree of intensity.

Psychological protection guards the mental health of people, protects their “I” from the effects of stressful influences, increased anxiety, negative, destructive thoughts, and from confrontations leading to poor health.

Psychological defense as a concept was born in 1894 thanks to the famous psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud, who came to the conclusion that a subject can show two different responses to unpleasant situations. He can either detain them in a conscious state, or distort such circumstances in order to reduce their scope or deviate them in a different direction.

All protective mechanisms are characterized by two features connecting them. First of all, they are unconscious. activates protection spontaneously, without understanding what it is doing. Secondly, the main task of protective tools is to distort reality as much as possible or completely deny it, so that the subject stops perceiving it as alarming or unsafe. It should be emphasized that human individuals often use several protection mechanisms simultaneously in order to protect themselves from unpleasant, threatening events. However, such a distortion cannot be considered intentional or an exaggeration.

At the same time, despite the fact that all available protective acts are aimed at protecting the human psyche, preventing him from falling into depression, and helping him endure stress, they often cause harm. The human subject cannot exist constantly in a state of renunciation or blaming others for his own troubles, replacing reality with a distorted picture that has fallen out of reality.

Psychological defense, in addition, can hinder human development. It can become an obstacle to the path of success.

The negative consequences of the phenomenon under consideration occur with the stable repetition of a certain defense mechanism in similar situations of life, however, individual events, although similar to those that initially provoked the activation of the defense, do not need cover-up, since the subject himself can consciously find a solution to the problem that has arisen.

Also, defense mechanisms turn into a destructive force when a person uses several of them at the same time. A subject who frequently resorts to defense mechanisms is doomed to be a failure.

Psychological protection of the individual is not an innate skill. It is acquired as the baby goes through it. The main source of the formation of internal defense mechanisms and examples of their use are parents, who “infect” their own children with their example of using protection.

Mechanisms of psychological defense of the individual

A special system of personality regulation aimed at protecting against negative, traumatic, unpleasant experiences caused by contradictions, anxiety and a state of discomfort is called psychological protection, the functional purpose of which is to minimize intrapersonal confrontation, relieve tension, and relieve anxiety. By weakening internal contradictions, psychological hidden “safeties” regulate the behavioral reactions of the individual, increasing its adaptive ability and balancing the psyche.

Freud had previously outlined the theories of the conscious, unconscious and the concept of the subconscious, where he emphasized that defensive internal mechanisms are an integral part of the unconscious. He argued that the human subject is often confronted with unpleasant stimuli that are threatening and can generate stress or lead to a breakdown. Without internal “safeties,” the ego of the individual will undergo disintegration, which will make it impossible to make decisions in everyday life. Psychological protection acts as shock absorbers. It helps individuals cope with negativity and pain.

Modern psychological science identifies 10 internal defense mechanisms, which are classified according to the degree of maturity into defensive (for example, isolation, rationalization, intellectualization) and projective (denial, repression). The first ones are more mature. They allow negative or traumatic information to enter their consciousness, but interpret it for themselves in a “painless” way. The second ones are more primitive, since traumatic information is not allowed into consciousness.

Today, psychological “safeties” are considered reactions that an individual resorts to unconsciously in order to protect his own internal mental components, the “Ego,” from anxiety, confrontation, sensation, guilt, and feelings.

The fundamental mechanisms of psychological defense are differentiated by such parameters as the level of conflict processing within, the reception of reality distortion, the level of the amount of energy spent on maintaining a certain mechanism, the level of the individual and the type of probable mental disorder that appears as a result of addiction to a certain defense mechanism.

Freud, using his own three-component model of the structure of the psyche, suggested that individual mechanisms arise in childhood.

Psychological protection, examples of it are found all the time in life. Often, in order not to vent anger on the boss, a person pours out streams of negative information on employees, since they are less significant objects for him.

It often happens that the safety mechanisms begin to work incorrectly. The reason for this failure lies in the individual’s desire for peace. Hence, when the desire for psychological comfort begins to prevail over the desire to comprehend the world, minimizing the risk of going beyond the boundaries of the familiar, well-functioning defense mechanisms cease to function adequately, which leads to.

Protective defense mechanisms constitute the security complex of the personality, but at the same time they can lead to its disintegration. Each individual has his own favorite variation of protection.

Psychological defense is an example of this, the desire to find a reasonable explanation for even the most ridiculous behavior. This is how the tendency towards rationalization manifests itself.

However, there is a fine line that runs between adequate use of the preferred mechanism and a violation of the equivalent balance in their functioning. Troubles arise for individuals when the chosen “fuse” is absolutely inappropriate for the situation.

Types of psychological protection

Among the scientifically recognized and frequently encountered internal “shields,” there are about 50 types of psychological defense. Below are the main defense techniques used.

First of all, we can highlight sublimation, the concept of which was defined by Freud. He considered it a process of transformation of libido into sublime aspiration and socially necessary activity. According to Freud's concept, this is the main effective defense mechanism during personality maturation. The preference for sublimation as the main strategy speaks of mental maturation and personality formation.

There are 2 key variations of sublimation: primary and secondary. With the first, the original task towards which the personality is directed is preserved, which is expressed relatively directly, for example, infertile parents decide to adopt. In the second case, individuals abandon the initial task and choose another task, which can be achieved in more time. high level mental activity, as a result of which sublimation is indirect.

An individual who has failed to adapt using the primary form of the defense mechanism can switch to the secondary form.

The next frequently used technique is, which is found in the involuntary movement of unacceptable impulses or thoughts into the unconscious. Simply put, repression is motivated forgetting. When the function of this mechanism is insufficient to reduce anxiety, other defense techniques are used that help the repressed information appear in a distorted light.

Regression is an unconscious “descent” into an early stage of adaptation, allowing the satisfaction of desires. It can be symbolic, partial or complete. Many problems of an emotional nature have regressive characteristics. In its normal manifestation, regression can be detected in game processes, during illnesses (for example, a sick individual requires more attention and increased care).

Projection is a mechanism for assigning to another individual or object desires, feelings, thoughts that the subject consciously rejects. Individual variations of projection are easily detected in everyday life. Most human subjects are completely uncritical of personal shortcomings, but easily notice them in those around them. People tend to blame the surrounding society for their sorrows. At the same time, projection can be harmful, since it often causes an erroneous interpretation of reality. This mechanism mainly works in vulnerable individuals and immature individuals.

The opposite of the technique described above is introjection or inclusion of oneself. It plays an important role in early personal maturation, since parental values ​​are learned on its basis. The mechanism is updated due to the loss of a close relative. With the help of introjection, the differences between one's own person and the object of love are eliminated. Sometimes or towards someone, negative impulses are transformed into devaluation of oneself and self-criticism, due to the introjection of such a subject.

Rationalization is a mechanism that justifies the behavioral response of individuals, their thoughts, feelings, which are actually unacceptable. This technique is considered the most common psychological defense mechanism.

Human behavior is determined by many factors. When an individual explains behavioral reactions in the most acceptable way for his own personality, then rationalization occurs. An unconscious rationalization technique should not be confused with a conscious lie or deliberate deception. Rationalization helps maintain self-esteem, avoid responsibility and feelings of guilt. In every rationalization there is some amount of truth, but there is more self-deception in it. This makes her unsafe.

Intellectualization involves the exaggerated use of intellectual potential in order to eliminate emotional experiences. This technique is characterized by a close relationship with rationalization. It replaces the direct experience of feelings with thinking about them.

Compensation is an unconscious attempt to overcome real or imagined defects. The mechanism under consideration is considered universal, because acquiring status is the most important need of almost every individual. Compensation can be socially acceptable (for example, a blind person becomes a famous musician) and unacceptable (for example, compensation for disability is transformed into conflict and aggression). There is also a distinction between direct compensation (in an obviously unwinnable area the individual strives for success) and indirect compensation (the tendency to establish one’s own personality in another area).

Reactive formation is a mechanism that replaces unacceptable impulses for awareness with exorbitant, opposing tendencies. This technique is characterized by a two-stage approach. In the first turn, the unacceptable desire is repressed, after which its antithesis increases. For example, overprotection may hide feelings of rejection.

The mechanism of denial is the rejection of thoughts, feelings, impulses, needs or reality that are unacceptable at the level of consciousness. The individual behaves as if he does not exist problematic situation. The primitive way of denial is inherent in children. Adults more often use the described method in situations of serious crisis.

Displacement is the redirection of emotional responses from one item to an acceptable substitute. For example, instead of the employer, subjects take out aggressive feelings on the family.

Methods and techniques of psychological defense

Many eminent psychologists claim that the ability to protect yourself from negative emotional reactions of envious people and ill-wishers, the ability to maintain spiritual harmony in all sorts of unpleasant circumstances and not respond to annoying, offensive attacks, is characteristic feature a mature personality, an emotionally developed and intellectually formed individual. This is a guarantee of health and the main difference between a successful individual. This is precisely the positive side of the function of psychological defenses. Therefore, subjects who experience pressure from society and take on negative psychological attacks from spiteful critics need to learn adequate methods of protecting themselves from negative influences.

First of all, you need to realize that an irritated and emotionally depressed individual cannot restrain emotional impulses and adequately respond to criticism.

Methods of psychological defense that help cope with aggressive manifestations are given below.

One of the techniques that promotes repulsion negative emotions is the “wind of change”. You need to remember all the words and intonations that cause the most painful intonation, understand what can be guaranteed to knock the waters off, unbalance or plunge you into depression. It is recommended to remember and vividly imagine the circumstances when an ill-wisher tries to make you angry using certain words, intonation or facial expressions. You should also say inside yourself the words that hurt you the most. You can visualize the facial expressions of your opponent uttering offensive words.

This state of powerless anger or, on the contrary, loss, must be felt inside, sorted out by individual sensations. Need to realize own feelings and changes occurring in the body (for example, the heartbeat may become faster, anxiety may appear, the legs may become “numb”) and remember them. Then you should imagine yourself standing on strong wind, which blows away all the negativity, hurtful words and attacks of an ill-wisher, as well as reciprocal negative emotions.

It is recommended to do the described exercise several times in a quiet room. It will help you subsequently be much calmer about aggressive attacks. When faced with a situation in which someone is trying to insult or humiliate, you should imagine yourself as being in the wind. Then the words of the spiteful critic will sink into oblivion without reaching their goal.

The next method of psychological defense is called an “absurd situation.” Here a person is advised not to wait for aggression, an outburst of offensive words, or ridicule. We need to adopt the well-known phraseology “making a mountain out of a molehill.” In other words, it is necessary to bring any problem to the point of absurdity using exaggeration. If you feel ridicule or insult from your opponent, you should exaggerate this situation in such a way that the words that follow only generate laughter and frivolity. This method of psychological defense can easily disarm your interlocutor and permanently discourage him from offending other people.

You can also imagine your opponents as three-year-old babies. This will help you learn to treat their attacks less painfully. You need to imagine yourself as a teacher, and your opponents as a kindergarten child who runs, jumps, and screams. He is indignant and capricious. Is it possible to be seriously angry with a three-year-old, stupid little girl?!

The next method is called “ocean”. The expanses of water, which occupy a huge part of the land, constantly absorb the seething flows of rivers, but this cannot disturb their majestic steadfastness and calm. Likewise, a person can take an example from the ocean, remaining confident and calm, even when streams of abuse pour out.

A psychological defense technique called “aquarium” involves imagining yourself behind the thick edges of an aquarium when you sense the environment’s attempts to unbalance you. Pouring a sea of ​​negativity onto the opponent and endlessly pouring hurtful words, you need to look from behind the thick walls of the aquarium, imagining his face distorted with anger, but not feeling the words, because they are absorbed by the water. Consequently, negative attacks will not achieve their goal, the person will remain balanced, which will further disperse the opponent and force him to lose balance.

Psychological protection works on an unconscious or subconscious level, and, often, a person cannot control his mental defense mechanisms, if he knows nothing about them. (Life style index - test)

Psychological protection and the destructive effect of protective mechanisms of the human psyche

In addition to the protective function psychological protection of a person It can also have a destructive effect on the individual; it can prevent the individual from growing and developing and achieving success in life.

This happens when something is repeated frequently. mental defense mechanism in similar life situations, but some situations, although similar to the one that initially caused protection, still do not need it, because a person is able to consciously solve this problem.

Also, psychological defense becomes destructive for the individual in cases where a person uses several defenses at the same time.

A person who often uses defense mechanisms (let me remind you: this happens unconsciously) is doomed to the status of a “loser” in his life.

Psychological protection of the individual not innate, they are acquired during the socialization of the child, and the main source of development of certain defenses, as well as their use in life (for their intended purpose or destructively) are the parents or their substitutes. In short, children's use of psychological defenses depends on how and what kind of defenses parents use.

Psychological defenses have the closest connection with character accentuations, and the more pronounced the accentuation is, the more pronounced the protective mechanisms of the human psyche are.

Knowing the accentuation of character, his individual psychophysiological characteristics (personality theory), a person will be able to learn to manage his psychological defenses and character accentuations, (Character psychocorrection program) to achieve success in life, i.e. move from “losers” to “winners”. (Personality Theory 2)

Mechanisms of human psychological defense

These are such protective mechanisms of the psyche as: Repression, suppression, sublimation, intellectualization, rationalization, denial, projection, replacement, identification with the aggressor, regression, compensation and overcompensation, reactive formation, reverse feeling and their components.

MECHANISMS OF PSYCHOLOGICAL PROTECTION AND INDIVIDUAL PERSONAL FEATURES:

This, in turn, can lead to self-rejection. Denial implies an infantile replacement of acceptance by others with attention on their part, and any negative aspects of this attention are blocked at the stage of perception, and positive ones are allowed into the system. As a result, the individual gets the opportunity to painlessly express feelings of acceptance of the world and himself, but for this he must constantly attract the attention of others in ways accessible to him.

Features of protective behavior are normal: egocentrism, suggestibility and self-hypnosis, sociability, the desire to be in the center of attention, optimism, ease, friendliness, the ability to inspire trust, confident demeanor, thirst for recognition, arrogance, boasting, self-pity, courtesy, willingness to serve, affected demeanor, pathos, easy tolerance of criticism and lack of self-criticism.

Other characteristics include pronounced artistic and artistic abilities, rich imagination, and a penchant for practical jokes.

Preferred work in the arts and service industries.

Possible deviations of behavior: deceit, a tendency to simulate, thoughtlessness of actions, underdevelopment of the ethical complex, a tendency to fraud, exhibitionism, demonstrative attempts at suicide and self-harm.

Diagnostic concept: hysteria.

Possible psychosomatic diseases (according to F. Alexander): conversion-hysterical reactions, paralysis, hyperkinesis, dysfunction of analyzers, endocrine disorders.

Type of group role (according to G. Kellerman): “role of the romantic.”

MECHANISM OF PSYCHOLOGICAL DEFENSE _ SUPPRESSION - develops to restrain the emotion of fear, the manifestations of which are unacceptable for positive self-perception and threaten to become directly dependent on the aggressor. Fear is blocked by forgetting the real stimulus, as well as all objects, facts and circumstances associated with it.

The suppression cluster includes mechanisms close to it: ISOLATION and INTROJECTION. Isolation is divided by some authors into DISTANCE, DEREALIZATION and DEPERSANOLIZATION, which can be expressed by the formulas: “it was somewhere far away and a long time ago, as if not in reality, as if not with me”.

In other sources, the same terms are used to refer to pathological disorders of perception.

Features of protective behavior are normal: careful avoidance of situations that can become problematic and cause fear (for example, flying on an airplane, public performance etc.), inability to defend one’s position in a dispute, conciliation, humility, timidity, forgetfulness, fear of new acquaintances, pronounced tendencies towards avoidance and submission are subject to rationalization, and anxiety is overcompensated in the form of unnaturally calm, slow behavior, deliberate equanimity and etc.

Accentuation of character: anxiety (according to K. Leonhard), conformity (according to P.B. Gannushkin).

Possible behavioral deviations: hypochondria, irrational conformism, sometimes extreme conservatism.

Possible psychosomatic diseases (according to E. Bern): fainting, heartburn, loss of appetite, duodenal ulcer.

Diagnostic concept: passive diagnosis (according to R. Plutchik).

Type of group role: “role of the innocent.”

The defense mechanism, REGRESSION, develops in early childhood to contain feelings of self-doubt and fear of failure associated with taking initiative. Regression involves a return in an exquisite situation to more ontogenetically immature patterns of behavior and satisfaction.

Regressive behavior, as a rule, is encouraged by adults who have an attitude toward emotional symbiosis and infantilization of the child.

The regression cluster also includes the MOTOR ACTIVITY mechanism, which involves involuntary irrelevant actions to relieve tension.

Features of defensive behavior are normal: weak character, lack of deep interests, susceptibility to the influence of others, suggestibility, inability to complete a task, easy mood swings, tearfulness, in an emergency situation increased drowsiness and excessive appetite, manipulation of small objects, involuntary actions (rubbing hands, twisting buttons, etc.), specific “childish” facial expressions and speech, a tendency towards mysticism and superstitions, heightened nostalgia, intolerance of loneliness, the need for stimulation, control, encouragement, consolation, the search for new experiences, the ability to easily establish superficial contacts, impulsiveness .

Accentuation of character (according to P.B. Gannushkin): instability.

Possible behavioral deviations: infantilism, parasitism, conformism in antisocial groups, alcohol and drug use.

Diagnostic concept: unstable psychopathy.

Possible psychosomatic diseases: no data available.

Group role type:"role of the child"

Defense mechanism of the psyche - COMPENSATION- ontogenetically the latest and cognitively complex protective mechanism that develops and is used, as a rule, consciously. Designed to contain feelings of sadness, grief over a real or perceived loss, bereavement, lack, lack, inferiority.

Compensation involves an attempt to correct or find a replacement for this inferiority.

The compensation cluster includes the following mechanisms: OVERCOMPENSATION, IDENTIFICATION, and FANTASY, which can be understood as compensation at an ideal level.

Features of protective behavior are normal: behavior conditioned by an attitude of serious and methodical work on oneself, finding and correcting one’s shortcomings, overcoming difficulties, achieving high results in activities, serious sports, collecting, striving for originality, penchant for memories, literary creativity.

Character accentuation: distimacy.

Possible deviations: aggressiveness, drug addiction, alcoholism, sexual deviations, promiscuity, kleptomania, vagrancy, insolence, arrogance, ambition.

Diagnostic concept: depression.

Possible psychosomatic diseases: anorexia nervosa, sleep disturbance, headaches, atherosclerosis.

Type of group role: “uniting role.”

Psychological defense - PROJECTION- develops relatively early in ontogenesis to restrain the feeling of rejection of oneself and others as a result of emotional rejection on their part. Projection involves attributing various negative qualities to others as a rational basis for their rejection and self-acceptance against this background.

Features of defensive behavior are normal: pride, pride, selfishness, rancor, vindictiveness, resentment, vulnerability, heightened sense of injustice, arrogance, ambition, suspicion, jealousy, hostility, stubbornness, intractability, intolerance to objections, tendency to incriminate others, search for flaws, isolation, pessimism, increased sensitivity to criticism and remarks, demanding of oneself and others, the desire to achieve high performance in any type of activity.

Possible behavioral deviations: behavior determined by overvalued or delusional ideas of jealousy, injustice, persecution, invention, personal inferiority or grandiosity. On this basis, manifestations of hostility are possible, leading to violent acts and murders. Less common are the sadistic-masochistic complex and the hypochondriacal symptom complex, the latter based on mistrust of medicine and doctors.

Diagnostic concept: paranoia.

Possible psychosomatic diseases: hypertension, arthritis, migraine, diabetes, hyperthyroidism.

Type of group role: “verifier role.”

mental protection - REPLACEMENT- develops to restrain the emotion of anger towards a stronger, older or more significant subject acting as a frustrator, in order to avoid retaliatory aggression or rejection. The individual relieves tension by directing anger and aggression towards a weaker animate or inanimate object or towards himself.

Therefore, substitution has both active and passive forms and can be used by individuals regardless of their type of conflict response and social adaptation.

Features of defensive behavior are normal: impulsiveness, irritability, demanding of others, rudeness, short temper, protest reactions in response to criticism, uncharacteristic feelings of guilt, passion for “combat” sports (boxing, wrestling, hockey, etc.), preference for movies with scenes of violence (action films, horror films, etc.), commitment to any activity associated with risk, a pronounced tendency to dominate is sometimes combined with sentimentality, a tendency to engage in physical labor.

Possible behavioral deviations: aggressiveness, uncontrollability, tendency to destructive and violent actions, cruelty, immorality, vagrancy, promiscuity, prostitution, often chronic alcoholism, self-harm and suicide.

Diagnostic concept: epileptoidism (according to P.B. Gannushkin), excitable psychopathy (according to N.M. Zharikov), aggressive diagnosis (according to R. Plutchik).

Possible psychosomatic diseases: hypertension, arthritis, migraine, diabetes, hyperthyroidism, stomach ulcer (according to E. Bern).

Group role type: “scapegoat-seeking role.”

Psychological defense mechanism - INTELLECTUALIZATION- develops early adolescence to hold back emotions of expectation or anticipation for fear of experiencing disappointment. The formation of this mechanism is usually correlated with frustrations associated with failures in competition with peers.

Involves arbitrary schematization and interpretation of events to develop a sense of subjective control over any situation. This cluster includes the following mechanisms: CANCELLATION, SUBLIMATION and RATIONALIZATION.

The latter is divided into actual, anticipatory, for oneself and for others, post-hypnotic and projective rationalization and has the following methods: discrediting the goal, discrediting the victim, exaggerating the role of circumstances, asserting harm for the good, overestimating what is available and self-discrediting.

Features of protective behavior are normal: diligence, responsibility, conscientiousness, self-control, tendency to analysis and introspection, thoroughness, awareness of obligations, love of order, uncharacteristicness bad habits, foresight, discipline, individualism.

Accentuation of character: psychasthenia (according to P.B. Gannushkin), pedantic character.

Possible behavioral deviations: inability to make a decision, substitution of “reasoning” for activity, self-deception and self-justification, pronounced detachment, cynicism, behavior caused by various phobias, ritual and other obsessive actions.

Diagnostic concept: obsession.

Possible psychosomatic diseases: painful sensations in the heart area, autonomic disorders, esophageal spasms, polyuria, sexual disorders.

Type of group role: “role of a philosophizer.”

REACTIVE FORMATION - a protective mechanism of the psyche, the development of which is associated with the final assimilation by the individual of “highest social values.”

Reactive formation develops to inhibit the joy of owning a certain object (for example, own body) and the possibility of using it in certain ways (for example, for sex and aggression).

The mechanism involves developing and emphasizing in behavior the exact opposite attitude.

Features of protective behavior are normal: rejection of everything related to the functioning of the body and gender relations is expressed in various forms and with varying intensity, avoidance of public baths, restrooms, locker rooms, etc., sharp negative attitude to “indecent” conversations, jokes, films of an erotic nature (as well as with scenes of violence), erotic literature, strong feelings about violations of “personal space”, accidental contact with other people (for example, in public transport), an emphasized desire to conform generally accepted standards behavior, relevance, concern for “decent” appearance, politeness, courtesy, respectability, selflessness, sociability, as a rule, high spirits.

Other features: condemnation of flirting and exhibitionism, abstinence, sometimes vegetarianism, moralizing, the desire to be an example for others.

Character accentuations: sensitivity, exaltation.

Possible deviations of behavior: pronounced inflated self-esteem, hypocrisy, hypocrisy, extreme puritanism.

Diagnostic concept: mania.

Possible psychosomatic diseases (according to F. Alexander): bronchial asthma, peptic ulcer, ulcerative colitis.

This concludes the description of the protective mechanisms of the human psyche.

I wish everyone mental health!

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Frequently asked questions to a psychologist

Defense Mechanisms psychics are psychological strategies used unconsciously by a person to protect himself from anxiety arising from intolerable thoughts and feelings. A person also inevitably resorts to defense mechanisms in an attempt to get rid of feelings of fear or guilt. Defense mechanisms, as a rule, are not amenable to conscious control; they are completely natural and normal. However, if they are used too often, a person develops neurosis, which can look like anxiety, phobias, obsessive states or histrionic (hysterical) disorder.

The term “psychological defense mechanism” was introduced by Sigmund Freud, who identified and described the main defense mechanisms. His daughter Anna added ten more mechanisms to this list. This list was then expanded by other psychoanalysts.

Let's consider the main protective mechanisms:

Identification with the aggressor

If a person is afraid of someone, he can overcome this fear by becoming like the one who appears to him as an aggressor.

One of bright examples of this mechanism is the so-called Stockholm syndrome, through which victims identify with their persecutors. Thus, Patricia Hearst, who was kidnapped in 1974 by an American left-wing terrorist group and suffered physical, psychological and sexual violence, joined a group of bandits and voluntarily committed a robbery with them. Patricia was acquitted at trial because she was a victim suffering from Stockholm syndrome.

crowding out

The first defense mechanism described by Freud. It is the involuntary repression of unwanted memories, thoughts and feelings into the unconscious. Thus, there is protection from intolerable feelings of anxiety, guilt or shame. This strategy is not successful in the long term, since feelings repressed into the unconscious will still provoke anxiety.

Projection

Represents the attribution of one's thoughts, feelings and motives to other people. Typically, socially disapproved thoughts and behaviors, such as aggressive or sexual fantasies, are projected onto others. A person can hate someone, but consider hatred an unacceptable feeling. To deal with the guilt of hating, he may convince himself that the one he hates also hates him. The common phrase “Everyone does it” to justify one’s unpleasant actions is another example of projection.

Removal

Displacement is the redirection of an impulse (usually aggression) to a defenseless target that serves as a symbolic replacement (this can be a person or an object). For example, a person feels uncomfortable having sexual desire directed at another person and directs this desire to an object (fetishism). A person who is being bullied by his superiors may come home and hit his dog or his family member.

Sublimation

Sublimation is similar to displacement, but in the case of sublimation, emotions are redirected into a constructive rather than destructive direction, for example, into creativity.

The creations of many great musicians and artists are examples of sublimation. Sport is another one good way channel your emotions (such as aggression) into constructive activity. According to Freud, sublimation is the basis of civilized life, and science and art represent sublimated sexuality.

Negation

At a conscious level, a person rejects events, thoughts and feelings that he cannot accept. This mechanism is very primitive and dangerous, since denial of reality cannot last forever. Denial can act on its own or in combination with other defense mechanisms, which tend to be weaker and support denial.

An example of denial: a smoker who refuses to admit that smoking is harmful to his health. At the same time, he can resort to rationalization, convincing himself that the polluted environment causes him more harm than his own action– smoking.

Regression

Represents a return to one of the previous stages psychological development under the influence of stress. When a person is scared or offended, he often begins to behave like a child.

Child caught in stressful situation For example, once in the hospital, he may start sucking his thumb or wetting the bed again. Teenagers start laughing stupidly when interacting with people of the opposite sex.

Rationalization

Rationalization is a cognitive distortion of facts to make an event or impulse seem less threatening. A person often resorts to this strategy, both consciously and unconsciously, when trying to come up with excuses for himself.

For many people, excuses and justifications are so natural and unconscious that they are not aware of when and why they use them. In other words, they are willing to believe their own lies.

Jet formation

Consists of a person's attempt to behave in a way that is the opposite of what he really thinks or feels. As a rule, a person does not understand his true motives. With reactive formation, conscious feelings are directly opposite to unconscious ones: love - hatred, shame - disgust, the need to look and behave decently - sexuality. This psychological defense mechanism is usually accompanied by ostentatious actions and compulsive behavior. An example of reactive formation is latent homosexuality, when a man openly condemns homosexuals, but in fact defends himself from his own unconscious feelings towards men. Severe homophobic behavior is designed to convince others and oneself of one’s heterosexuality. Other examples: a caring daughter who tries to please her mother in everything, but in fact has negative feelings towards her due to an unhappy childhood; a stingy person trying to prove his generosity, etc.

Adapted from: Freud, A. (1937). The Ego and the mechanisms of defense, London: Hogarth Press and Institute of Psycho-Analysis.

Freud, S. (1894). The neuro-psychoses of defense. SE, 3: 41-61.

Freud, S. (1896). Further remarks on the neuro-psychoses of defense. SE, 3: 157-185.

Freud, S. (1933). New introductory lectures on psychoanalysis. London: Hogarth Press and Institute of Psycho-Analysis. pp. xi + 240.

Translation: Eliseeva Margarita Igorevna

Editor: Simonov Vyacheslav Mikhailovich

Key words: psyche, psychology, defense mechanisms, psychological defense mechanisms

Hello dear readers.

Today we will talk again about a psychological topic. It will be devoted to the protective mechanisms of the psyche, the founder of which is Freud, and will be of interest to those who want to improve their psychological competence or simply remember the basics of psychology.

First of all, it is worth saying that it is normal and correct to have defensive reactions.

Protection helps to cope with resistance, relieve tension, anxiety, it regulates behavior and balances the psyche.
A defense mechanism is a weapon of your Ego, which should extinguish the conflict between “you can” and “you can’t.” Between a small child, with his demands and demands, and an adult, accomplished person, with all the accompanying requirements, norms and restrictions.
Defense mechanisms most often arise due to stress. But it also often happens that the stress has passed, but the defense mechanism remains. And this is no longer the norm. In this case, the mechanism no longer protects, but prevents the person from living and developing. (That is, the question is how long and how correctly a person uses this or that defense).
Also, defense mechanisms can be pathological. For example, when mental illness.
It is very important to note that all defense mechanisms are subconscious. It will not be possible to use the defense mechanism intentionally. This will already be called by another word))

There is no clear classification of defense mechanisms. Here we will consider the main, one might say the most popular, used in psychological counseling.

Psychological defenses are conventionally divided into 2 levels. The first level is more primitive defenses, first-order defenses. The second level includes secondary protective mechanisms, which are more difficult to diagnose and operate.

First, let's look at some first-level protections.

A defense mechanism familiar to a person with early childhood, This primitive insulation. A person withdraws from interaction with reality when there is too much stress, a strong excited state, when it is necessary to retire in order to regain peace of mind and balance. From the outside it looks like thoughtfulness, daydreaming, detachment.
The advantage of such protection is that a person does not distort reality, he simply moves away from it into his fantasy world, as into another reality, less problematic and restless. Example: a student “counting crows” in class.
The downside is the desire to hide from solving some issues or communication by staying in own world.
A person can achieve a state of primitive isolation by changing his psychological state, for example with alcohol.
Some researchers have come to the conclusion that this protection mechanism is expressed in hypersensitive people.
Another first level defense mechanism is projection. A very common type in which a person attributes to another those qualities that he does not accept in himself. The mechanism seems simple, but applying it to yourself is very difficult.
Every person has positive and negative sides his personality. Accepting the positive is easy and pleasant, but agreeing with your shortcomings is difficult. If a person agrees with his shortcomings, then he is more loyal to the same qualities in others.
A person rejects his negative sides, because... he feels that this preserves his self-respect. He eradicates his shortcomings in others under the guise of protection.
In the end, it simply reduces anxiety, reduces danger, which is what a defense mechanism requires.

Negation– easy to understand protection. The name speaks for itself. If any information, thoughts, events, actions are not acceptable, are painful, problematic, pose a threat to either psychological or physical condition, then they are denied. They simply don't exist. The person does not even try to realize them. Convenient, isn't it?))
The disadvantage of this defense is that in the real world the situation remains and has not disappeared anywhere.
For example, a person can deny the death of a loved one for a long time, but sooner or later this fact I have to admit.
Denial involves a person's refusal to adapt or rebuild. And in a situation where a person removes the defense of denial, it is important to simply support him.

Mechanism repression already belong to the second-order group. It is somewhat similar to the mechanism of denial. The difference is that with denial a person does not even try to realize things that are unpleasant for him, but with repression this is assumed. The result of repression is an indifferent attitude towards the situation.

A distinction is made between complete and partial repression. With complete repression, a person completely forgets his experiences, because... they were too traumatic. For example, psychotrauma. But, despite this, traumatic events continue to influence a person’s life, destiny, health, and influence his actions and behavior.

With partial repression, a person tries not to think about his experiences, but cannot completely forget, and under certain circumstances they pop up in the form of violent emotions.

Regression. This mechanism returns a person to an earlier and more primitive way of responding. People call this “falling into childhood.”
This is an escape to safety, because... Most often, many people associate childhood with safety. This is the position weak person demanding pity, indulgences, unable to cope with something due to his “small age.”
Regression can be expressed in the denial of someone else's point of view, despite the reasons and arguments. At the moment of regression, childhood habits may return: biting nails, sucking fingers, picking your nose, stuttering, etc. A person may dress inappropriately for his age, want his favorite childhood treat, or simply get sick.
Regression always occurs as an unconscious reaction, and this is its main feature. (In other cases it's just a simulation). And most often, regression is associated with some achievements.
For example, professional achievements. The man got new position, but has become fussy, irritated, inattentive, excitable, bites his nails, sleeps at home in flannel pajamas with a soft toy)) - signs of regression.
Regression is very common in the sexual sphere. For example, masturbation. A person leading an adult sexual life resolves the issue in a more primitive childish way. For him, this is easier than establishing contact with a partner.
Finally regression can be compared to 2 or 3 a one-year-old child, who proclaims his independence from his mother, strives to comprehend the world and repeats his “I am myself!”, but when faced with difficulties (fear, pain...) he runs to hide behind his mother’s skirt.
In general, regression as a defense mechanism is quite common and is a relatively simple defense mechanism. Can be adjusted. But it is more effective to work with the problem that caused this defensive reaction, i.e. with stress.

The following protection mechanism is rationalization. A person unconsciously tries to justify and explain his wrong or even absurd behavior. The true state of affairs is so painful that it is enveloped in a sweet shell of excuses, where a person remains “white and fluffy” in his own eyes. An example of rationalization is Krylov’s fable “The Fox and the Grapes.”
Rationalization can be conscious or unconscious. The true reason may be deeply hidden from the person himself, like the core of an onion.
Working on this mechanism involves removing one layer after another. Each subsequent layer may be more painful than the previous one. Painful for self-esteem, but useful for self-knowledge.

Another second order mechanism is inversion or reactive conversion. A person replaces thoughts, feelings, and actions with diametrically opposed ones. Everything has two poles. If one pole poses a threat or danger, then the person is transferred to another, more convenient one. In this case, the dangerous pole ceases to be recognized.
For example, a boy is in love with a girl. If he reveals his feelings, he may be ridiculed, insulted, misunderstood, scolded, etc. (From love to hate one step). He performs an inversion of his feelings and understands love as hatred or irritation. He begins to pull the girl’s pigtails, call her names, push her, and other “endearments.”
In inversion, a person may want one thing and talk about another, or experience indifference to who (or what) represents great importance.
If something is a hyper-value for a person, then at the other end there is necessarily an opposite value, no less significant, but more problematic.
If a person constantly and very clearly emphasizes that he has no competitors, then rest assured, he has them everywhere.
To remove this mechanism, you need to change your needs and reduce the importance of one pole. Then the separation will happen naturally.

Resistance. The closer to the problem, the brighter the person’s resistance. Resistance can be a sign that the problem is urgent and painful, as well as that the person is not ready to solve it. Sharp and strong pressure is not always justified. It is unknown how the human psyche may react to such intervention. The task of a consultant or psychologist, in this case, is not to put pressure, but to highlight the problem so that the person does not feel dangerous or threatened, because he does not yet know how to live in a new way.

Sublimation. Perhaps the most common and acceptable method. It can even be very successful if implemented correctly. It involves the transformation of forbidden desires into other activities that are allowed in society (perhaps approved and encouraged by it).

If something cannot be done, then a person does what is possible.

A very common example of the sublimation of personal problems can be found in creativity and art. Poems written by an unhappy lover, canvases with stunning images, music that gives goosebumps... All this can be praised by people, a person can gain fame, honor, respect, but... But sublimation is not a solution to the problem, so a person can remain unhappy all his life, remaining a genius for everyone.

The solution is working on the real problem.

In astropsychology, the concept of sublimation is often mentioned. This is one of possible solutions for problematic planets whose functions suffer and make any area of ​​a person’s life extremely limited.

From an astropsychological point of view, we can say that most of the defense mechanisms are expressed in the chart by the opposition of the planets to each other. Resistance can be represented by a square. Sublimation can be represented as the successful resolution of tense planets into trine.