Stress diary guide: Defense mechanisms and how we are controlled by it. These are the strategies we use as barriers or unconscious motivations to resist change.

1. Stress Diary Journal Guides Guide 18 Defense Mechanisms
Guide 18:
Defense Mechanisms
Stress Diary Journal
Your Guide
What are D efense M echanisms?
Defense mechanisms protect us "I'm going to try to be nice to Intellectualization: A type of “Defense
from being consciously aware him." rationalization, only more
of a thought or feeling which we intellectualized. Mechanisms
cannot tolerate. The defense
only allows the unconscious
Reaction Formation: You turn
the feeling into its opposite.
"This situation reminds me of
how Nietzsche said that anger protect us
thought or feeling to be
expressed indirectly in a
"I think he's really great!" is ontological despair."
from being
disguised form. Projection: You think someone
else has your thought or
Undoing: You try to reverse or
undo your feeling by DOING
consciously
Example: Let's say you are
angry with a professor
feeling.
"That professor hates me."
something that indicates the
opposite feeling. It may be an
aware of a
because he is very critical of "That student hates the prof." "apology" for the feeling you thoughts or
you. find unacceptable within
Displacement: You redirect yourself. feeling which
Here's how the various your feelings to another target.. "I think I'll give that professor
defenses might hide and/or "I hate that secretary." an apple." we cannot
transform that anger:
Rationalization: You come up Isolation of affect: You "think" tolerate”
Denial: You completely reject with various explanations to the feeling but don't really feel
the thought or feeling. justify the situation (while it.
"I'm not angry with him!" denying your feelings). "I guess I'm angry with him,
"He's so critical because he's sort of."
Suppression: You are vaguely trying to help us do our best."
aware of the thought or feeling,
but try to hide it.
Regression: You revert to an old, usually immature behavior to ventilate your feeling.
"Let's shoot spitballs at people!"
Sublimation: You redirect the feeling into a socially productive activity.
"I'm going to write a poem about anger." “The unconscious
thought or feeling
is allowed to be
We all use these to a greater or lesser effect. Become and be aware of these and it will aid you expressed
in Restructuring your thought patterns. indirectly or in a
disguised form”
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