Mental defense
Psychic defense is the way in which the psyche limits fear, tension or internal conflict, often without the person's full awareness.
Definition
Defense mechanisms help protect self-image and reduce emotional overload, but they can also perpetuate avoidance of the truth about the situation. They may take the form of denial, rationalization, projection, repression or sublimation. Their importance depends on the intensity, frequency and whether they help us adapt or cut us off from reality.
Key ideas
Missing key ideas.
Practice and life
When you defend your position forcefully, write down: what I'm trying not to feel, what I'm not trying to see, and what would be a more honest response.
Common misunderstanding
It is a mistake to treat every defense as a pathology. It is also a mistake to justify harmful behavior by saying it was unconscious.
Questions for self-reflection
No questions for self-reflection.
Sources
No sources.