Defence (or protective) mechanisms
1 - Reaction Formation
When you respond in the opposite manner to what you truly think or feel e.g. saying “yes” when you want to say “no”.
2 - Repression
Hiding information about yourself from yourself.
3 - Identification
Incorporate attributes of others into yourself to bolster your own self-esteem, creating “imaginary alliances” with others.
4 - Introjection
Swallowing data whole without differentiating between what is true and what isn’t, what is yours and what isn’t; live by “should” rather than “could”.
5 - Isolation
Compartmentalising your life into parts; escaping into your mind and cutting yourself off from actual feelings.
6 - Projection
Compartmentalising your life into parts; escaping into your mind and cutting yourself off from actual feelings.
7 - Rationalisation
Explaining unacceptable thoughts, feelings and behaviours in a way which avoids true intention and effects of behaviour (a kind of disguise).
8 - Denial / Avoidance
Negating something which makes you feel anxious by pretending it doesn’t exist (keep it at arm’s length).
9 - Narcotisation
Numbing self to something which feels too large, complex, hard or uncomfortable to handle so occupy self with polite talk and “nice things”.
