This document defines and provides examples of common defense mechanisms. Defense mechanisms are ways people behave to protect themselves from anxiety and include repression, denial, regression, projection, splitting, isolation of affect, displacement, reaction formation, rationalization, altruism, sublimation, humor, suppression, and undoing. Each defense mechanism is briefly defined and an example is provided for some but not all mechanisms.

1. D E F E N S E
M E C H A N I
S M

2. What is defense
mechanism ?
 Ways to behave or ways to
protect ourselves or “defend”
ourselves from anxieties.

3. Common defense
mechanism 1 . R e p r e s s i o n
2 . D e n i a l
3 . R e g r e s s i o n
4 . P r o j e c t i o n
5 . S p l i t t i n g
6 . I s o l a t i o n o f e ff e c t
7 . D i s p l a c e m e n t
8 . R e a c t i o n F o r m a t i o n
9 . R a t i o n a l i z a t i o n
1 0 . A l t r u i s m
1 1 . S u b l i m a t i o n
1 2 . H u m o r
1 3 . S u p p r e s s i o n
1 4 . U n d o i n g

4. Repression
 Burying a painful feeling or
thought from your awareness
though it may result in symbolic
form.
Example:

5. Denial
 Not accepting reality because
it’s too painful.
Example:

6. Regression
 Reverting to an older, less
mature way of handling
stresses and feelings.
Example:

7. Projection
 Attributing your own
unacceptable thoughts or
feelings to someone or
something else.
Example:

8. Splitting
 Everything in the world is seen
as all good or all bad with
nothing in between.
Example:

9. Isolation of effect
 Attempting to avoid painful
thought or feeling by
objectifying and emotionally
detaching oneself from the
feeling.
Example:

10. Displacement
 Channeling a feeling or thought
from its actual source to
something or someone else.
Example:

11. Reaction Formation
 Adopting beliefs, attitudes, and
feelings contrary to what you
really believe.
Example:

12. Rationalization
 Justifying one’s behavior and
motivations by substituting “
good “ acceptable reasons for
the real motivations.
Example:

13. Altruism
 Handling your own pain by
helping others.
Example:

14. Sublimation
 Redirecting unacceptable,
instinctual drives into
personally and socially
acceptable channels.
Example:

15. Humor
 Focusing on funny aspects of a
painful situation.
Example:

16. Suppression
 The effort to hide and control
unacceptable thoughts or
feelings.
Example:

17. Undoing
 Trying to reverse or “undo” a
thought or feeling by performing
an action that signifies an
opposite feeling than your
original thought or feeling.
Example: