What are ego defenses?
Normal responses to anxiety and to serve to reduce anxiety
When do ego defenses become problematic?
If over used and become a way to avoid reality or interfere with ADL or health needs (refusing to take meds)
How do ego defenses operate?
Consciously or unconsciously
Are ego defenses the same thing as coping mechanisms?
No
Dealing with anxiety by reaching out to others
Altruism
Dealing with unacceptable feelings/impulses by unconsciously substituting acceptable forms of expression
Sublimation
Voluntarily denying unpleasant though and feelings
Suppression
Putting unacceptable ideas, shouts, and emotions of of conscious unawareness
RePRESSion
Shifting feelings r/t an object, person, or situation to another less threatening, object, person, or situation
Displacement
Overcompensating or demonstrating the opposite behavior of what is felt
Reaction formation
Performing an act to make up for prior behavior
Undoing
Creating reasonable and acceptable explanations for unacceptable behavior
Rationalization
Temporarily blocking memories and perceptions from consciousness
Dissociation
Demonstrating an inability to reconcile negative and positive attributes of self or others
Splitting
Blaming others for unacceptable thoughts and feelings
Projection
Pretending the trust is not reality to manage anxiety
Denial
Demonstration behavior from an earlier developmental level
ReGRESSion
Young adult blames his substance abuse on his parents’ refusal to buy him a new car
Projection
Nurse who lost a family member to a fire is a volunteer firefighter
Altruism
Client tells nurse that she is the only one who cares about her, yet the following day, the same client refuses to talk to the nurse
Splitting
An adolescent witnesses a shooting and is unable to recall any details of the event
Dissociation
Person who has feelings of anger and hostility toward his work supervisor sublimes those feeling by workout out vigorously at the gym during his lunch period
Sublimation
A person who has lost his job states he will worry about paying his bills next week
Suppression
Young adult explains he had to drive home from a party after drinking ETOH bc he had to feed his dog
Rationalization
Person who has a fear of the dentist’s drill continually “forgets” his dental appointments
RePRESSion
School age child begins wetting the bed and sucking his thumb after learning that his parents are separating
ReGRESSion
Parent who is informed that his son was killed in combat tells everyone he is coming home for the holidays
Denial
Angry at the boss–goes home and kicks the dog
Displacement
A person who dislikes her sister’s daughter offers to babysit so that her sister can go out of town
Reaction formation
An adolescent competes his chores without being prompted after having an argument with his parents
Undoing