Sigmund Freud and Defense Mechanism Essays - 1302 Words

Sigmund Freud began studying human defense mechanisms in the late 1800s. His work became a solid foundation for the continued study into this topic for the last century, especially in regards to the work of his daughter, Anna Freud. Anna Freud believed that identifying a patient’s way of defending himself against his undesirable instincts would help psychotherapist discover the root of â€Å"unwelcome affects† (A. Freud, 1936, p. 32 via Sollod, Wilson and Monte, 2009, p. 199). Although there are a multitude of defense mechanisms to consider in psychoanalytic psychology, the five chosen for discussion include repression, denial, projection, displacement, and sublimation. The Harm in Use of Defense Mechanisms Indiscriminately The use of any one†¦show more content†¦This means that the individual experiencing repression is no longer aware at all of whatever experience or memory is being repressed. The individual is not consciously aware of its occurrence; it is the mind’s way of completely blocking out an experience in order to avoid anxiety. An example of repression is an individual who suffers from acrophobia who cannot remember when he became afraid of heights is experiencing repression of the memory of the anxiety-provoking occurrence with heights. Although repression is an extremely common defense mechanism, it is also a potentially extremely harmful defense as well. An article published in 2010 discusses a possible link between the indiscriminate use of the repressive defense mechanism in schizophrenic patients (Scholes Martin, 2010). The same article addresses that repressors tend to â€Å"overestimate their own level of physiological resilience† (Scholes Martin, 2010, p. 406). That tendency could potentially lead to issues in that the individual does not take necessary precautions to ensure their own good health and well being due to the belief that they are at less risk than they actually are. Denial Along with repression, denial is found to be another one of the most commonly used defense mechanisms in human behavior. Denial involves the â€Å"blocking of external events from entry into awareness† by â€Å"negating† possibly anxiousShow MoreRelatedSigmund Freud s Defense Mechanisms1803 Words   |  8 PagesSigmund Freud: Defense Mechanisms   Sigmund Freud was a psychoanalytic theorist and practitioner who strongly emphasized   the unconscious processes and biological drives that guide our behavior.   He asserted that instincts are the propelling forces of our personality, and that they originate in the id (the unconscious part of our personality that works on the pleasure principle, and is a reservoir of our instincts and libido). 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It is without question that Sigmund Freud is a well-known name, and that he can be considered the father of what is known as psychoanalysis, seeing as how heRead MoreAnalysis Of Holden Uses Defense Mechanisms1157 Words   |  5 PagesConsequently, Holden uses defense mechanisms, â€Å"as a means of preventing anxiety that would result from conscious awareness of disturbing impulses, wishes, or ideas arising from the id,† (Nevid 471). Nevid explains that according to Freudian theory, defense mechanisms reside in the unconscious part of the human brain because if people were conscious of every single problem, people wouldn’t be able to function. Therefore, Holden is subconsciously utilizing defense mechanisms in order to shield himself