Ego Defenses

Front 1

Altruism

Back 1

emotional gratification via serving the needs of others, instinctual energies channeled, generous/self-sacrificing

Front 2

Sublimation

Back 2

inner drives altered and directed toward socially productive/creative activities; unacceptable aggressive impulses converted into enthusiasm for sports/advocacy

Front 3

Humor

Back 3

allows us to put personal shortcomings or stressful circumstances into a perspective that makes them more tolerable and more easily confronted or accepted

Front 4

Repression

Back 4

(most pervasive) anxiety producing thoughts feelings and memories are forgotten or never experienced. pushed or drawn into unconscious

Front 5

Suppression

Back 5

generally accessible via therapy. anxiety arousing mental content is pushed to preconscious. "i'll worry about that later when i can do something about it."

Front 6

Avoidance

Back 6

avoid feeling/sitch that is potentially disturbing. generally preconscious.

Front 7

Isolation

Back 7

separate parts of experience, esp. memories+feelings, so that interrelated matters seem not affected by one another. ex: general anger not associated with childhood abuse

Front 8

Intellectualization

Back 8

talking about potentially highly charged/disturbing issues without allowing the accompanying emotions to be fully experienced.

Front 9

Rationalization

Back 9

explaining unhappy events with "it's all for the best". explaining away/justifying behavior/actions one would otherwise not condone.

Front 10

Reaction Formation

Back 10

substitution of one unwanted emotion/attitude for another, generally opposite, feeling/response (closet queer being homophobic, being super sweet to mask intense anger)

Front 11

Turning Against Self

Back 11

occurs particularly in relation to unwelcome anger. self-critical instead of outwardly expressed anger.

Front 12

Identification with Aggressor

Back 12

victim takes similar aggressive qualities to allay fears of being destroyed. identifying with abuser by being hostile and aggressive.

Front 13

Projection

Back 13

unacknowledged thoughts and feelings are attributed to others. ex: Dad attracted to daughter calls her a whore. asking "are you thirsty?" of someone else when you are.

Front 14

Displacement

Back 14

feelings and thoughts that refer to one person are transferred to another. ex: kick the dog or yell at kid instead of real target of anger.

Front 15

Denial

Back 15

person refused to recognize existence of an anxiety provoking emotion, thought, internal conflict or event. ex: " he's not dead"

Front 16

Regression

Back 16

returning to earlier stage of development to avoid an anxiety producing situation. reverting ot childlike demanding or dependent behaviors.

Front 17

Splitting

Back 17

dividing self concept and image of others into all good or all bad. self and others alternately viewed as all powerful or as needing to be devalued. all or nothing.

Front 18

Primitive Idealization

Back 18

tendency to see others as totally good to protect positive attitudes from being spoiled by negative

Front 19

Devaluation

Back 19

pervasive inclination to attribute exaggerated bad qualities to self or others

Front 20

Projective Identification

Back 20

feelings of projection severely externalized by controlling/attacking the object of projection. ex: Dad castigating son for own queer impulses (military dad in American Beauty)