Lmsw Exam Prep Defense Mechanisms

Front 1

Defenses

Back 1

Our behaviors to protect us from pain.

Front 2

Displacement

Back 2

When a person has an unwanted or undesirable feeling towards someone, but puts the feeling onto a different person or thing that is less threatening to them. Anger is often a feeling that is displaced. For example, if someone is annoyed with their boss at work but doesn’t feel that they can tell them, they may come home and be angry with their child, who feels less threatening to them.

Front 3

Sublimation

Back 3

A mature type of defense mechanism in which we turn undesirable or socially unacceptable behaviors into socially acceptable behaviors or actions.

Front 4

Projection

Back 4

is the act of taking something of ourselves and placing it outside of us, onto others; sometimes we project positive and sometimes negative aspects of ourselves.

Front 5

Rationalization

Back 5

Making up a "logical" argument to avoid guilt.

Front 6

Intellectualization

Back 6

Involves removing the emotion from emotional experiences, and discussing painful events in detached, uncaring, sterile ways.

Front 7

Repression

Back 7

Involves putting painful thoughts and memories out of our minds and forgetting them.

Front 8

Suppression

Back 8

When you consciously forget something, or make the choice to avoid thinking about it.

Front 9

Fantasy

Back 9

Involves creating an inner world when the real world becomes too painful, difficult, or stressful. (Can be good or pathological).

Front 10

Denial

Back 10

The refusal to acknowledge what has, is, or will happen.

Front 11

Withdrawal

Back 11

It entails removing yourself from events, stimuli, interactions, etc… that could remind you of painful thoughts and feelings.

Front 12

Reaction-Formation

Back 12

When we have a reaction that is too painful or threatening to feel (such as intense hate for someone with power over us), we turn it into the opposite (intense liking for that person). That way, we aren't threatened by the feeling, or even the awareness of the feeling.

Front 13

Introjection

Back 13

Turning the outside in. Taking on personality and habits of others onto yourself to cope with more difficult issues. (ex: an army wife wears her husband's army jacket to cope with him dying in battle).

Front 14

Gestalt Therapy

Back 14

Think "here & now"...it emphasizes personal responsibility. Helps us to focus our awareness on our feelings (or lack of feelings) moment to moment...also think empty chair technique.

Front 15

Retroflection

Back 15

The internalization of actions (Gestalt)

Front 16

Confluence

Back 16

A fuzzy lack of contact in which there is not a clear distinction between where I leave off and you begin.

Front 17

Distortion

Back 17

Grossly reshaping external reality to suit inner needs.

Front 18

Acting Out

Back 18

the direct expression of an unconscious wish or impulse in action to avoid being conscious of the accompanying effect (ex. instead of saying "I'm angry at you" a person might throw a book at the person instead.

Front 19

Blocking

Back 19

An inhibition, usually temporary in nature, of effects especially, but possibly also thinking & impulses (close to repression)...

Front 20

Hypochondriasis

Back 20

Transformation of reproach toward others arising from bereavement, loneliness, or unacceptable aggressive impulses into self-reproach & complaints of pain, somatic illness etc.

Front 21

Introjection

Back 21

Loved or hated external objects are symbolically absorbed within oneself (opposite of projection)
**Identifying with the aggressor**

Front 22

Projection

Back 22

Attributing ones own unacknowledged feelings to others (ex. prejudice, suspiciousness).

Front 23

Somatization

Back 23

Defensive conversion of psychic derivatives into bodily symptoms; tendency to react with somatic rather than psychic symptoms

Front 24

Disaccociation

Back 24

A temporary but drastic modification of character or sense of personal identity to avoid emotional distress; includes fugue states & hysterical conversion reactions.

Front 25

Altruism

Back 25

The vicarious but constructive & gratifying service to others (good).

Front 26

Anticipation

Back 26

Realistic anticipation of or planning for future inner discomfort.

Front 27

Humor

Back 27

Overt expression of feelings without personal discomfort or immobilization and without unpleasant effect on others.