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Defense Mechanisim's
Psychological distortions or "tricks" designed to keep us stable.
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Repression | To not allow ourselves to remain aware of painful material; to push it out of our consciousness |
| Denial | Refusal to admit that anything bad has happened |
| Displacement | To vent out feelings elsewhere or on someone else not about the problem |
| Reaction Formation | To express the opposite of what one really feels |
| Intellectualization | To talk coolly and "rationally" about a tragedy as if it were simply an event that we observed; to take out all emotion |
| Identification with the Aggressor | To take on a person's characteristics after being mistreated |
| Regression | To "move backward" during extreme frustration of having to bad an adult and take responsibility; to behave like a child |
| Rationalization | To explain something was done so no responsibility is taken |
| Projection | To mentally give someone else your feelings and thoughts |
| Sublimation | To channel ones own emotional energy into a constructive or creative activity; a healthy coping skill |