Read the following defense mechanisms and describe an occasion when you found yourself using these 4 defense mechanisms: sublimation, displacement, regression, and projection. Give me one example for each defense mechanism. (e.g., describe occasions when you saw someone else or yourself use these defense mechanisms).
Sublimation: is a defense mechanism that involves channeling negative and unacceptable impulses into behaviors that are positive and socially acceptable actions or behavior, possibly resulting in a long-term conversion of the initial impulses. Ex: An individual who has suppressed anger grows up to be a professional wrestler where it’s societal to fight.
Displacement: is a defense mechanism in which a person redirects a negative emotion from its original source to a less threatening recipient. Ex: If your boss screams at you, you don’t scream back but you may yell at your spouse later that night
Regression: is a defense mechanism leading to temporary or long-term reversion of the ego to an earlier stage of development rather than handling unacceptable impulses more adaptively. It’s a return to earlier stages of development and abandoned forms of gratification belonging to them. Ex: Due to the pressure of college, David starts biting his nails- a childhood habit.
Projection: the thoughts, motivations, desires, and feelings that can not be accepted as one’s own are dealt with by being placed in the outside world and attributed to someone else. Ex: A wife is attracted to a male co-worker but can’t admit her feelings, so when her husband talks about a female co-worker, she becomes jealous and accuses him of being attracted to the other woman.
