Defense Mechanism: Practice In Real Life Situations

I first use the term 'defense mechanism' to describe the 'wall' I kept building around me. Little did I know, it is a professional term used by the famous Sigmund Freud to describe human personality to cope with anxiety. The id, ego and super ego.

In a fashion of my writing, relating to another person's actions and emotions are very subjective. Therefore, those who are reading this may get a hint of their fellow friends or even themselves, or even better; myself. So, here is a 'note to self' about defense mechanism practice in real life situation - through my acquaintances' experiences and myself.

1. Denial - Many people used in their daily life. Personal favorite of mine. The most popular 'mechanism' of all. Deny or lie to yourself from your true feelings. Example: When my dearly beloved says she doesn't fancy Jeremy Piven after watching his travel show on the travel channel. I can see right through her, with a grin on her face and a giggle that follows when I asked if she fancies him. She denies wholeheartedly .

2. Repression - Common defense mechanism, where we keep the information out of conscious awareness though, the information/memories won't go away instead it influences our behaviors. Like, when a friend lost his dearly beloved in a tragic accident, thought he tries to suppress the anxiety of losing a loved one, it somehow effects his behavior and perception that people who cares for him, will 'go' the same way too. So, the harsh goodbyes comes with it.

3. Displacement - Put the anger or any emotions caused by something or someone to another person as a release. A girl broke up with her boyfriend, suddenly brings grim atmosphere to the people around her. When confronted by innocent friends, she blows!

4. Sublimation - We suffered a negative emotion but turning it into a positive thing. Like my fellow clicks, we suffers in the final examinations or reports or sucky superiors/jobs, that anxiety and frustration we channel by screaming our pipes out at the karaoke center when we can.

5. Projection - Well, thought that we hated that particular someone so much, maybe that person hate us as much too. Point taken, when a person hate this girl she barely knew that newly join her class, with a reputation for loving designer bags and being a designer whore, and a show-off - fact known from common friends. She beginning to dislikes her, with her disapproval look on her taste of bags she wore to class, she began to come up with a solution that that 'whore' might not like her anyway.

6. Intellectualization - Channel that negative news or emotion by getting feedback and further knowledge to overcome it. Like, when a love one suffered from a 'mysterious' illness that 3 or 4 professional doctors can't explain besides 'stress related', the daughter turn her thinking cap on, to search in the books on the possible diseases and it cures.

7. Rationalization - We do this a lot when we are searching for a solution to a life's problem. Lay the problem down and list down the pros and cons. Then, the questions goes, should I or shouldn't I go out today to the mall, and spend my money on that gorgeous skirt.

8. Regression - Become stupid. Thinking the only way to overcome that stressful problem by turning yourself into a prick/whore/ass. Example: Draw a hole at a teacher's eyes with a pen on your senior class year book page that someone's else responsible of doing because the teacher criticized you for not being a team player.

9. Reaction Formation - Doesn't necessarily dislikes or hate that person, maybe subjected to preferences of acquaintances, but channel that negative emotion the opposite way. In other words - become 'plastics'! Example: Have a gossip fest with your friends about that person but when facing the subject matter, all masks are on.

10. Affiliation - When stress and down, always turn to a shoulder to cry on. - Sharing time!

11. Humor - I feel sad sometimes for clowns, with that permanent smile on their faces, who will ever know their real true feelings. Huggies for clowns....err..not too close now.