The traditional (Freudian view) is that a defense mechanism is a weapon employed by the Ego (reality principle) to protect from anxiety, conflict, shame, depression, and other types of painful experiences. The psycho-dynamic counselor treats defenses with respect, acknowledging that most of them were developed in early childhood. Below I have listed Eight defenses mechanisms utilized by Bobbee Bee and his friends: 1.Denial
Denial is refusing to face up to something about either themselves or what is happening in their lives. It is an “unconscious” defense mechanism which refuses to acknowledge thoughts, emotions, needs or wishes that can cause anxiety.
For example, the President Clinton-Monica Lewinsky scandal: "I didn't have sexually relationship with that woman!“Hear no evil, See NO evil, Speak NO Evil”
2.Displacement
Displacement is another defense which involves the redirecting of feelings and impulses from the original source to another object, person or situation.
An example, is when a person feels angry with their boss but is unable to express it, on arriving home their angry is displaced on their spouse. This is a classic case of Domestic Violence!
3.Fixation
Like (regression), fixation is a defence which relates to the earlier developmental stages.
The term is used to explain when an individual gets stuck at a certain stage or fixed in their outlook, demonstrating failure to progress from one stage of development to the next.
For instance, 'a mother/father fixation is used to describe when an adult is highly reliant on nurturing, approval, or guidance from the parental figure (mom's boy; daddy's girl.)
This fixation can also appear in the transitional period between adolescents and adulthood which causes 'role confusion' because the individual has failed to resolve certain issues during that period of development. For instance, many child stars in Hollywood have a difficult process moving from child actor to adult film star.
4. Repression Repression is at the root of many other defenses as a means of blocking an unpleasant experience from memory; “pent up thoughts”.
The psycho-dynamic understanding of the term is when anxiety-laden thoughts, feelings & experience have been totally forgotten, hidden away in the deep recesses of the unconscious mind.
This usually occurs when a child has been sexually abused.
On a cultural and historical level, however, the forgotten truth of slavery has "collectively" damaged the psyche of the African-American community.
5. Regression:
Regression is another defense that refers to a person who resorts to action that has provided security in the past.
In psychoanalytical theories the implication is that anxiety or stress cause the individual to retreat from reality into an infantile state or pattern behavior. For example, an 11-year old begins to suck their thumb or using baby language.
In light, regression can be seen as a type of distracting device or a refusal to go forward at the point in time until unresolved material held within the psyche is satisfactorily addressed. Some have labeled this the "Peter Pan Syndrome."
6. Rationalization:
Rationalization ,in the psychoanalytic theory, as a defense mechanism rationalization conceals the real motivation for the individual thoughts, feelings, or actions.
This is the defense of attributing to other feelings or aspects of self which can not be directly owned. Projection takes the onus of responsibility from the one who projects by placing (often negative) attention on the other person where unconscious urges can be safely identified.
8. Idealization
Idealization is a form of denial in which an object of attention (parent, partner, sibling) is presented as “all good” to the therapist, making ambivalent feelings toward the other.
So instead of declaring feelings of jealousy and hatred towards the sister who excels at everything she does, the client says how clever and marvelous she is and how well the two have always got along; rather that stating their father was cruel, bullying, megalomaniac, the dutiful daughter says that he was kind, considerate father whom she adored when the client talks about the person in exaggeratedly glowing terms, this may be a signal that opposite emotions lurk beneath the acceptable one.
The "ALL BAD" representation of illicit emotions of hatred and fear towards the other person is too dangerous to acknowledge and has therefore been replaced, and repressed.
The greatest example "Idealization" is the creation of DEATH ROW Records by the "notorious" Suge Knight.
Rationalization ,in the psychoanalytic theory, as a defense mechanism rationalization conceals the real motivation for the individual thoughts, feelings, or actions.
Irrational, obscure, and confusing material is “rationalized” made sense of, by the client, as a defense against the therapist probing, disapproval, or interpretation.
For instance, President Bush and his cabinet tried to justify attacking IRAQ by claiming that they had “weapons of Mass Destruction”
7.Projection
7.Projection
An example of projection is when one person accuses another of being, angry, unhappy or bad tempered, when it is the speaker who is secretly feeling the emotion.
The anxiety-provoking feelings are externalized by dissociation from the self and by reallocation to another person.
The late great Barry White simplifies this seemingly complex theory by singing "Practice What You Preach".
Many Preachers (especially in the Catholic church) as well as politicians have utilized this defense mechanism (Jimmy Swaggart, Jim Baker (PTL), former governor of New Jersey James E. McGreevey, Ted Haggard)
Many Preachers (especially in the Catholic church) as well as politicians have utilized this defense mechanism (Jimmy Swaggart, Jim Baker (PTL), former governor of New Jersey James E. McGreevey, Ted Haggard)
8. Idealization Idealization is a form of denial in which an object of attention (parent, partner, sibling) is presented as “all good” to the therapist, making ambivalent feelings toward the other.
So instead of declaring feelings of jealousy and hatred towards the sister who excels at everything she does, the client says how clever and marvelous she is and how well the two have always got along; rather that stating their father was cruel, bullying, megalomaniac, the dutiful daughter says that he was kind, considerate father whom she adored when the client talks about the person in exaggeratedly glowing terms, this may be a signal that opposite emotions lurk beneath the acceptable one.
The "ALL BAD" representation of illicit emotions of hatred and fear towards the other person is too dangerous to acknowledge and has therefore been replaced, and repressed.
The greatest example "Idealization" is the creation of DEATH ROW Records by the "notorious" Suge Knight.
Information obtained from Aileen Milne a trained counselor who runs her own private practice with additional details by Eric Graham
For information about our cartoon character as well as our books and presentations contact: Eric D. Graham PO Box 172 Magnolia, NC 28453
For information about our cartoon character as well as our books and presentations contact: Eric D. Graham PO Box 172 Magnolia, NC 28453
