Freud's Defense Mechanisms Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Freud's Defense Mechanisms - Essay Example Freud believed that Ego reacts to the threat of the impulses of Id break in two ways: by blocking the revelation of impulses in conscientious behavior and by their distortion to such an extent that their initial intensity decreases or deviates. The major defense mechanisms are: denial, displacement, intellectualization, projection, rationalization, reaction formation, regression, repression, suppression, sublimation. All the defense mechanisms have two common characteristics: 1) they act at the unconscious level and so serve as the means of self-deception, and 2) they distort, deny or falsify one’s perception of the reality to make anxiety less threatening for an individual. As a rule, people seldom use only one defense mechanism, usually applying a combination of different mechanisms for the solution of the conflict and reduction of anxiety. Denial, displacement and repression are the three defense mechanisms representing special interest due to their ability to strongly dist ort the reality. In case of denial, an individual argues that the stimulus, provoking his anxiety, doesn’t exist. For instance, a father may deny the painful fact that his daughter is raped and murdered. He would behave as if nothing has happened (which protects him from the devastating grief ad depression). A wife may deny her husband’s unfaithfulness. Or imagine a child denying the death of his favorite cat and persistently continuing to believe that the cat is alive. Denial of reality takes place when people insist: â€Å"This cannot happen to me†, notwithstanding the evidences of the counter. This often occurs when people are informed that they have some mortal disease. According to Freud, denial is mostly common with small children and people of older age with low intellect. On the other hand, mature people with normally developed intellect may resort to it as well when they have traumatic experience. A wonderful example of denial is represented in a short story