Defense Defense MechanismsMechanisms

Ask yourselfAsk yourself

What do you tend to do when you are What do you tend to do when you are anxious?anxious?

What do you tend to do when you are upset?What do you tend to do when you are upset? Are there family stories that capture your Are there family stories that capture your

basic temperament?basic temperament? What kind of observations or criticisms, or What kind of observations or criticisms, or

complaints do people tend to make about complaints do people tend to make about you?you?

How do you find yourself reacting to your How do you find yourself reacting to your therapist?therapist?

Defenses are developed to Defenses are developed to adapt and cope in the worldadapt and cope in the world Freud viewed them as ways of avoiding Freud viewed them as ways of avoiding

overwhelming or painful experiencesoverwhelming or painful experiences

Defenses are, at first, healthy & creative Defenses are, at first, healthy & creative adaptations and they often continue to work adaptations and they often continue to work adaptively thru the life. Their main function adaptively thru the life. Their main function is to defend against threat (pain, hits to self-is to defend against threat (pain, hits to self-esteem, anxiety, facilitating esteem, anxiety, facilitating attachment/separation) and the preferred attachment/separation) and the preferred defenses become an integral part of a defenses become an integral part of a person’s person’s Style of CopingStyle of Coping

Etiology of DefensesEtiology of Defenses Temperament and biologyTemperament and biology Nature of stressors suffered in childhoodNature of stressors suffered in childhood Defenses modeled by or deliberately taught Defenses modeled by or deliberately taught

to child by caregiversto child by caregivers The experienced consequence of something The experienced consequence of something

unpleasant or painful unpleasant or painful Most families have emotions that they can not Most families have emotions that they can not

tolerate, such as anger, vulnerability, humiliation, tolerate, such as anger, vulnerability, humiliation, etc. When the child displays this emotion and it etc. When the child displays this emotion and it can not be tolerated, a defense will need to can not be tolerated, a defense will need to “come to the rescue” shifting the emotion to one “come to the rescue” shifting the emotion to one that can be tolerated by the family.that can be tolerated by the family.

Primitive and Mature Primitive and Mature DefensesDefenses

Primitive Defenses Primitive Defenses Protect the ego from conflicts by Protect the ego from conflicts by

DISSOCIATIONSDISSOCIATIONS to keep apart to keep apart contradictory expressions between the contradictory expressions between the self and significant others.self and significant others.

Mature Defenses Mature Defenses Protect the ego from interpsychic conflicts Protect the ego from interpsychic conflicts

thru thru INTERNAL BOUNDARIESINTERNAL BOUNDARIES between between the Id, Ego and Superego (Frued), or the Id, Ego and Superego (Frued), or between the Observing and Experiencing between the Observing and Experiencing parts of the ego (Psychodynamic). parts of the ego (Psychodynamic).

Primitive and MaturePrimitive and Mature

All can be healthy at certain times. For All can be healthy at certain times. For example: Splitting is a primitive defense example: Splitting is a primitive defense mechanism, however it can be very useful mechanism, however it can be very useful to get away from an abusive situation. to get away from an abusive situation. How might it be helpful for survival?How might it be helpful for survival?

When any of them (or a few of them) When any of them (or a few of them) become fixed and THE WAY a person become fixed and THE WAY a person interacts with the world…we begin to interacts with the world…we begin to think about a personality disorderthink about a personality disorder

However…..However…..

Don’t forget about diversity Don’t forget about diversity and cultureand culture

I struggle with the fact that middle and upper class White I struggle with the fact that middle and upper class White systems define what is healthy (the neurotics) in Psychology. systems define what is healthy (the neurotics) in Psychology. Other cultures would strongly disagree.Other cultures would strongly disagree.

Someone who grows up in a survivalist society has to incorporate Someone who grows up in a survivalist society has to incorporate certain defenses to survive and these become strong components certain defenses to survive and these become strong components of ones self esteemof ones self esteem

Hyper vigilance Hyper vigilance Right/Wrong, good/badRight/Wrong, good/bad Isolation (no affect)Isolation (no affect) No vulnerabilityNo vulnerability Have to fully assess when a PD exists and when it does notHave to fully assess when a PD exists and when it does not

If we look at defenses as forms of survival skills, we are likely to If we look at defenses as forms of survival skills, we are likely to have more compassion for our clients and have more confidence have more compassion for our clients and have more confidence in their growthin their growth

Also looking at them as having only developed to a certain level Also looking at them as having only developed to a certain level can help in their growth, but this again means we are taking in can help in their growth, but this again means we are taking in the idea that Neurotic is healthiest. In a survivalistic society, the idea that Neurotic is healthiest. In a survivalistic society, Neurotics would lose the game of Natural Selection.Neurotics would lose the game of Natural Selection.

But Again…..But Again…..

Don’t be ethnocentricDon’t be ethnocentric These are western concepts. For example, when a woman in These are western concepts. For example, when a woman in

a Latino Culture is dependent on family and her husband…a Latino Culture is dependent on family and her husband…this does not make her a PD. To try and help her this does not make her a PD. To try and help her “individualize” may cause more harm and loss of support “individualize” may cause more harm and loss of support from the community and family. Can anyone give an from the community and family. Can anyone give an example?example?

Many Women in the western world of this generation grew Many Women in the western world of this generation grew up observing a male dominated parental unit (thru home, up observing a male dominated parental unit (thru home, media, etc), but were told in society to be Independent. The media, etc), but were told in society to be Independent. The Push/Pull they experience in relationships is about this Push/Pull they experience in relationships is about this cultural shift and mixed messages (much like a bicultural cultural shift and mixed messages (much like a bicultural identity). Thus they do not always have Borderline PD.identity). Thus they do not always have Borderline PD.

I’m curious if any of the men would like to address what the I’m curious if any of the men would like to address what the impact on their relationship styles has been in relation to impact on their relationship styles has been in relation to what they were told and what they saw from this transition what they were told and what they saw from this transition in our society.in our society.

With all of that in With all of that in mind….Let’s look at PDs mind….Let’s look at PDs and their main defensesand their main defenses

PsychoticPsychotic- - symbiosis, they are SCARED- symbiosis, they are SCARED- provide safety in Supportive therapyprovide safety in Supportive therapy

ParanoidParanoid ProjectionProjection

Splitting, Projective IdentificationSplitting, Projective Identification

SchizoidSchizoid Withdrawal (change autistic withdrawal into Withdrawal (change autistic withdrawal into

creative activity)creative activity) Isolation, Projection, IntrojectionIsolation, Projection, Introjection

Borderline Organization Borderline Organization (splitting)(splitting)

AntisocialAntisocial

Omnipotent controlOmnipotent control projective identification, subtle dissociative processes and acting projective identification, subtle dissociative processes and acting

out (Power)out (Power)

NarcissismNarcissism Primitive Idealization/DevaluationPrimitive Idealization/Devaluation

HistrionicHistrionic RepressionRepression

Sexualization, Regression, and acting out in a counter phobic way Sexualization, Regression, and acting out in a counter phobic way to their belief that the opposite sex has power and is dangerousto their belief that the opposite sex has power and is dangerous..

Neurotic (dealing with Neurotic (dealing with anxiety, guilt and shame)anxiety, guilt and shame)

AvoidantAvoidant Repression and DenialRepression and Denial

DependenDependentt Repression and DenialRepression and Denial

OCPDOCPD ObsessiveObsessive

Isolation (higher functioning use more rationalization, Isolation (higher functioning use more rationalization, moralization, compartmentalization, and intellectualization to moralization, compartmentalization, and intellectualization to separate affect from cognition) also displacement of anger separate affect from cognition) also displacement of anger and reaction formations. and reaction formations.

CompulsiveCompulsive UndoingUndoing