Common Defense Mechanisms: Exploring The Ways We Cope With Negative Emotions

Have you ever wondered why someone might crack a joke during a tragic situation, tease the person they have a crush on, or take their frustration from a stressful workday out on their partner? 

These behaviors can all be examples of defense mechanisms. Popularized in the nineteenth century by Sigmund Freud, defense mechanisms are unconscious psychological strategies that people may use to protect themselves from distressing thoughts or feelings. Simply put, defense mechanisms can serve as a safeguard, protecting us from the discomfort of shame, fear, and other distressing emotions.

Learning more about defense mechanisms can help us to better understand our own behavior and the ways we cope with negative emotions. In this article, we explore negative emotions and common defense mechanisms, examine their impact, and discuss healthy emotional coping strategies.

The role of negative emotions

Negative emotions such as anger, sadness, fear, guilt, or frustration are emotions that are generally associated with a difficult, scary, stressful, or even traumatic situation.

From an evolutionary perspective, negative emotions can play a crucial role in our survival. These emotions can signal to us that something is amiss. They can help us identify danger and encourage action to protect ourselves or change our situation for the better. Fear, for example, prepares the body to flee from danger, while guilt can signal that our actions are not in alignment with our values.

While negative emotions are often functional in certain contexts, persistent or intense negative emotions can be very uncomfortable and can create internal stress. As a result, defense mechanisms can help individuals cope with this emotional distress. 

Basic concepts of defense mechanisms

Sigmund Freud pioneered the study of defense mechanisms as a part of his psychoanalytic theory in the nineteenth century. His daughter, Anna Freud, expanded on his work in the twentieth century, classifying these mechanisms and exploring their psychological development.

She originally detailed ten major defense mechanisms, and later psychoanalysts have added to this list.

Defense mechanisms can be classified into three major categories: immature, neurotic, and mature. Immature defenses include mechanisms such as denial and projection, while neurotic defenses include repression, displacement, and reaction formation. Mature defenses, which are the most constructive, include mechanisms such as humor and sublimation. Immature defenses are more commonly used when one's emotional development is halted, neurotic defenses can be employed to avoid anxiety, and mature defenses can help to transform negative emotions into positive actions or behavior. We’ll explore these further in the next section.

Common defense mechanisms and their application

Now that we have a better understanding of defense mechanisms more broadly, let's explore some of the commonly used defense mechanisms and how they are leveraged to manage negative emotions.

Denial

Denial involves refusing to accept reality or the truth. An example is someone ignoring the symptoms of a health issue because facing that reality feels uncomfortable or even unbearable. Denial can provide short-term relief from distressing information but can hinder addressing issues that require attention.

Repression

Repression is a subconscious process of pushing distressing thoughts or memories from conscious awareness. Examples include not remembering traumatic events or blocking unpleasant emotions. Repression can help protect people from overwhelming fear or distress, but it is typically not a long-term solution since the distressing thoughts or experiences remain in the subconscious.

Suppression

Suppression is a conscious process of blocking out thoughts. It involves intentionally pushing distressing thoughts or feelings out of one’s mind, as opposed to repression, which occurs subconsciously. An example of suppression could be someone who has uncomfortable memories of a traumatic event surface but chooses to block out these thoughts.  

Projection

Projecting involves attributing one's own unhelpful thoughts, feelings, or motives to someone else. An example is accusing a partner of cheating when, in fact, the person doing the accusing has been unfaithful. Projection may be used to try to avoid responsibility or personal guilt, but it can lead to misunderstandings and conflicts with others.

Displacement

Displacement involves shifting one’s emotional reactions from one source to another source. An example is taking out work frustrations on family members once you get home after a bad day. Displacement may be used when the actual source of distress is unchangeable or overwhelming, but it can lead to further conflict with those around us.

Rationalization

Through rationalization, we attempt to create logical reasons to explain our behavior, which may be irrational or unacceptable, when the actual reason feels uncomfortable. For example, someone who gets into a fight might try to justify their behavior by explaining that the other person provoked them. Rationalization may provide temporary relief from guilt or shame, but it can also lead to a lack of personal responsibility and accountability.

Sublimation

Sublimation is the transformation of negative emotions or impulses into productive behavior. When we channel frustration into art or anger into exercise, we are using sublimation. Sublimation is a mature defense mechanism that can be used to constructively address negative emotions without causing harm.

Humor

Many of us may use humor to try to reduce the intensity of painful emotions. For example, after experiencing a personal tragedy like the death of a loved one or a life-altering car accident, someone might make jokes to try to diffuse the pain and tension. 

Reaction formation

Reaction formation involves substituting opposite feelings or behavior for the ones we actually possess. An example is expressing anger at someone to hide an underlying feeling of attraction. While reaction formation can be helpful in managing difficult emotions, it can lead to confusion and conflict with others.

Compensation

Compensation is an attempt to make up for feelings of inadequacy or inferiority in one area with success in another. Examples of compensation could be when a person with poor academic performance pours all of their energy into excelling at sports, or when someone throws themselves into a new work project after experiencing a breakup. 

Regression

Regression is the return to an earlier stage of psychological development. An example is when an adult behaves in the same manner as a child when experiencing difficult emotions or situations. Regression may create feelings of safety in that moment, but it can also lead to further dependency and hinder growth.

In addition to the strategies in this list, psychoanalysts have identified many other defense mechanisms. As we become more aware of our own patterns of behavior, we can better understand how we might be using defense mechanisms to try to cope with life's challenges.

The impact of defense mechanisms and strategies for healthy emotional coping

While mature defense mechanisms can help us manage difficult emotions, unhealthy defense mechanisms can lead to further distress and relationship difficulties. So, it can be useful to recognize when we are using immature maneuvers and to try to adopt healthier strategies when facing challenging situations. 

Journaling, mindfulness, and self-reflection are tools that can enhance self-awareness and may help you to become more aware of your patterns and behaviors and how you may be using different mechanisms. But this can be a difficult process to do on your own, so if you would like help, you can seek the support of a therapist. A trained therapist can offer insight and guidance on recognizing defense mechanisms, and they can help individuals develop healthier ways of managing their emotions without relying on unhealthy coping strategies.

Digging into your own defense mechanisms and how they are impacting your life may feel very personal and vulnerable, especially if unhealthy coping strategies are causing friction or conflict. For some people, it may feel easier to discuss these topics in a space that is already safe and familiar. With online therapy, you can have therapy sessions wherever you have internet, including the comfort of your own home. 

Research has shown that online therapy can be valuable for learning to cope with difficult experiences and emotions. For instance, a 2021 research study found that an online mental health intervention was effective in reducing psychological distress, anxiety, and depression symptoms for participants during the COVID-19 pandemic.