Defence Mechanism/Defense Mechanisms

Defense/Defence Mechanism

Defence mechanisms are psychological approaches adapted by human beings human response to coping with various situations of life and to retain one's self image. It is not only an individual's approach. There are defence mechanisms employed by groups and countries at a bigger level. All of us, meaning including normal people too use defence mechanisms to handle life at varying degrees. It becomes pathological only when it is taken to its extremes which affects the physical and mental health of the individual. Theory of Ego Defense Mechanisms was postulated by Sigmund Freud.

According to Freudian Psychoanalytic theory, we operate on the basis of pleasure principle, which seeks to immediate gratification of desires. However, it may not be possible to have all the desires gratified immediately which sometimes may have social implications. For example, one might be urged to have sexual relation with an attractive woman/stranger. However, ones ego tries to fight this urge for various reasons. In the process, the desire is pushed down without coming to the conscious level leading to repression which is one form of defense mechanism.

There are a number of defense mechanisms which can be classified as Level 1, Level 2, Level 3 and Level 4 ego defence mechanisms. However, there is no final consensus on the total number of defense mechanisms and their classification.