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Lesson 7

Defense Mechanism

The father of psychoanalysis
named Sigmund Freud is the one who
developed the ego defense mechanism
in which he believes that these defense
mechanisms are the methods used by

a person to protect themselves and
cope with painful thoughts, events or
feelings.
People use most of these said
mechanisms unconsciously, like for
instance, a patient who was diagnosed
with a severe illness like cancer would most probably try to convince herself
that the doctor made a mistake. In this case, the person is using DENIAL

as a defense mechanism. One of the most common defense mechanisms
is conversion. A good example of this is, if a student will have an exam or
an interview, prior to that, the student will feel like she’s having diarrhea, a
stomach upset or diaphoresis. The feeling of nervousness is being converted to
a physical symptom. Other common defense mechanisms are compensation,
reaction formation, displacement, rationalization, undoing, substitution, and
identification.

Comprehension

1. What are defense mechanisms?

2. Who created the ego defense mechanisms?

Questions

1. Do you often use defense mechanisms?

2. What are the common defense mechanisms that you use?

3. Have you been in a situation that you have used them unconsciously?

4. Can you give examples of using defense mechanisms?

Vocabulary & Expressions

cope - to adapt or to deal with a situation
mechanism - methods, process or procedures done
unconsciously - unaware of doing something
Diaphoresis - excessive sweating

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