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DEFENCE MECHANISM

A Coping Style to Everyday Life

Lt Cdr Habibur Rahman Khan

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INTRODUCTION

Protective response of the body against disease

Physiological

Unconscious mental process to protect from shame, anxiety, loss of self-esteem, conflict, or unacceptable feelings

Psychological

Bodily Defence Mechanism

Ego Defence Mechanism

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AIM

To apprise you about Defence Mechanism as coping style to everyday life

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SCOPE

Bodily Defence Mechanism

Psychological Defence Mechanism

Personality Structure

Frustration

Coping Strategies/styles

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Immunological Mechanism

Lymphocyte Cells

Reticuloendothelial System

Endocrine System

BODILY DEFENCE MECHANISM

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Sigmund Freud (1856-1939) : Psychoanalytic Theory

EGO DEFENCE MECHANISM

Ego defence mechanism is a constellation of related ideas by means of which the individual

Maintains

Enhances

Defends himself

Cont.

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Psychoanalytic Theory

Personality Structure (Id, Ego & Superego)

ID

EGO

SUPER EGO

PRIMITIVE AND UNCONSCIOUS

EXECUTIVE OF THE PERSONALITY OR MEDIATOR

IDEAL / LEARNED / MORAL

GOAL

EGO DEFENCE MECHANISM

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FRUSTRATION

Frustration refers to the state of the organism when the achievement of goal is blocked

External:

Physical Social

Internal:

Physiological Psychological

Thus, Ego gets involved mediating between the individual and frustration

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COPING STYLES

Rationalization

Where a person convinces him or herself that no wrong is done through rationalizing or making excuse

Cont.

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COPING STYLES

Projection

Placing blame for own difficulties on others

Cont.

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COPING STYLES

Compensation

Covering up weakness by emphasizing desirable trait

Cont.

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COPING STYLES

Displacement

Shifting aggressive impulses to a more acceptable or less threatening target

Cont.

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COPING STYLES

Reaction Formation

Behaviour that is completely the opposite of what one really wants or feels

Cont.

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COPING STYLES

Sublimation

Transformation of negative emotions or instincts into positive actions, behaviour or emotion

Cont.

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COPING STYLES

Isolation

Withdrawal from situation, passivity

Cont.

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COPING STYLES

Denial

Protects self from unpleasant reality by refusal to face it, often by escapist activities

Cont.

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COPING STYLES

Repression

Preventing painful thoughts from entering consciousness

Cont.

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COPING STYLES

Regression

Temporary reversion to an earlier stage of development

Cont.

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COPING STYLES

Intellectualization

A form of isolation; concentrating on the intellectual components of a situation so as to distance oneself from the associated anxiety-provoking situation

Cont.

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Healthy persons use different defences throughout life

Ego Defense Mechanism becomes pathological only when its persistent use leads to maladaptive behaviour

CONCLUSION

Unconscious psychological strategies help cope with reality

Protective response of the body against disease

Physiological

Psychological

?

Thank You