Phebe Cramer's Seven Pillars Of Defense Mechanism Theory

Today anxiety disorders are recognized as one of the most common mental health disorders. Anxiety has been around since human’s worried about being eaten by saber tooth tigers. “It’s important to note that at its core level, anxiety is a part of evolution. Anxiety is the activation of the fight or flight system the system your body uses to keep you safe from harm (Calm Clinic)”. Oddly, anxiety is a normal part of life; you may feel anxious when having to make a significant decision or taking a test, for most people these normal feelings usually fade, however for those who suffer from an anxiety disorder, these feels never subsides. They can cause such distress that it interferes with an individual’s ability to lead a normal healthy life.

Defense mechanisms is defined as being the ego’s protective method of reducing anxiety by unconsciously distorting reality. These are the six different defense mechanisms: Regression, repression, suppression, reaction formation, projection, rationalization, displacement, and denial. Out of these six defense mechanisms, I believe that I use denial, suppression, and rationalization the most to keep my unwanted thoughts and memories in my unconscious.

Defense mechanisms, in psychoanalysis, are any of a variety of unconscious personality reactions which the ego uses to protect the conscious mind from threatening feelings and perceptions. Defense mechanisms can be psychologically healthy or maladaptive, but tension reduction is the overall goal in both cases(About). Primary defense mechanisms include repression and denial, which serve to prevent unacceptable ideas or impulses from entering the conscience. Secondary defense mechanisms-generally appearing as an outgrowth of the primary defense mechanisms-include projection, reaction formation, displacement, sublimation, and isolation(AllPsych).

As I got older, the feelings of anxiety grew more intense until everything seemed to come crashing down all at once. Eventually, I decided that I had had enough of constantly feeling suffocated from my anxiety. I began to do lots of research and would do projects on anything and everything involving mental health. Remembering how awful I felt everyday, I decided that I would do everything I could to help others with their mental health. I would constantly check in with my friends to make sure that they were okay and that they were taking care of themselves. I became a more caring and sympathetic person from something that had total control over my life. I do not think I would be the person I am today if I had not dealt with those feelings of anxiety and

Anxiety is one of the banalest features in the human mind. People with severe anxiety can have strenuous difficulties in life. In the past, anxiety was deemed irrelevant, and it was assumed to be benign. In recent years, Researchers have concluded that anxiety can be detrimental to one’s health. Anxiety can range from mild to strong, but nonetheless, it can affect lives severely. Almost everybody in the world has at least some type of anxiety. Whether it is presenting in front of a crowd, going to social events, reliving a traumatic experience, or even going on a rollercoaster. Psychology doctor, Peg O-Conner declares in her article that anxiety is, in fact, part of human nature (Conner). Conner argues that becoming unable to prioritize matters,

Anybody can experience trauma, whether it’s a man, a woman, or even a child. In fact, over half of the population is expected to experience trauma at least once in their lifetimes. However, everyone will respond to trauma in their own, unique, way, making it difficult to properly equip people with the tools needed to heal from trauma in the event they experience it. Whereas the responses a person and his or her body will have in the event of heart attack have been narrowed down to a small list, and can easily be conveyed to the public through general guidelines or PSAs, the responses a person will have to trauma can range anywhere from shrugging it off to suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This is why the role of mental health professionals, such as therapists, is crucial in regards to helping sufferers of trauma. These professionals are specially trained to be capable of identifying and understanding the responses a person is having to a traumatic experience, as well as the optimal ways to go about the healing process. In Daniel Gilbert’s Stumbling on Happiness, specifically the chapter titled “Immune to Reality,” he analyzes what he calls the psychological immune system, a defence mechanism of the psyche which plays a prominent role in how a person will respond in the event of trauma. While Gilbert outlines the mechanisms that cause people to respond to trauma in the way that they do, Dana Becker, author of One Nation Under Stress, looks at the actual

“A growing body of research has explored the relationship between traumatic events and subsequent cognitions. For instance, survivors sometimes exhibit self-blaming thoughts and guilt about actions that they did or did not engage in during a traumatic incident” (Resick, Rabalais, Sobel, 2009). The impact of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) has left me at times on an emotional rollercoaster ride of distress. PTSD has caused me to have irrational thoughts and guilt of life itself. In the early stages of my diagnosis of PTSD, I felt ashamed of what happened to me. I pushed people away especially, the ones that I loved and who loved me. I found myself becoming secluded from the world around me and the people in my life. PTSD can bring on many transitions of disorders if left untreated. According to Dr. Mathew Tull, a PTSD specialist has stated that “PTSD and social anxiety disorder (SAD) commonly co-occur” (Tull, 2016). I emotionally withdrew and became extremely anxious to be around people for the fear they would not understand me or judge me. I would also fear to have a panic attack in a situation I could not control my emotions. “You may also experience fear of appearing anxious or acting in a way that will bring about embarrassment or humiliation. Moreover, your upcoming contact with a feared situation almost always causes anxiety, maybe even in the form of a panic attack “(Tull, 2016).

A troubled life full of traumatic events and indelible wounds at the hands of those who should love and protect us from the harshness of the world led me to develop a chronic post-traumatic stress disorder, which has somewhat denied me the chance of a normal life, at least in the personal sphere. After leaving the family home desperate for a safe shelter where to find relief, I fell from the frying pan into, by marrying brace a man who manipulated me psychologically up to destroy even what little semblance of self-esteem I had left. Unfortunately, around the middle of the first semester the anxiety attacks, caused by PTSD, have become gradually more frequent as to require psychological support—a support promptly offered by the Health Center

Are fear and anxiety overwhelming your days and terrorizing your nights? This book is for you. Fear and anxiety are linked chains of human emotions that continually erode our wellbeing. How can we vanquish these disruptive thoughts and feelings so that we can function effectively, live abundantly, dwell in stability and peace, and encounter the blessings of wellness? This book draws on both the professional and personal experience of a physician who has traveled that same fear-filled journey. He offers powerful and practical guidance from a medical, behavioral, and most important, a Christ-directed perspective to help you on the journey to a heart at

After watching “As Good As It Gets” and reading the article, it seems that anxiety can be perceived as both beneficial and detrimental. The article examines the six reasons for worry and their implications as seen by those who experience them. The movie is a heart-warming tale of a man with anxiety, among other things, that removes himself from others through worry and routine. When examining both, I found that both seem to play with the idea that worry and anxiety can be “utilized” by some clients and even subdued through sheer will. While working with individuals that have General Anxiety Disorder (GAD) and even having PTSD myself, I have been able to grasp a little experience when dealing with worry and anxiety.

Defense mechanism, in psychoanalysis, any of a variety of unconscious personality reactions which the ego uses to protect the conscious mind from threatening feelings and perceptions. Sigmund Freud first used defense as a psychoanalytic term (1894), but he did not break the notion into categories, viewing it as a singular phenomenon of repression. His daughter, Anna Freud, expanded on his theories in the 1930s, distinguishing some of the major defense mechanisms recognized today. Primary defense mechanisms include repression and denial, which serve to prevent unacceptable ideas or impulses from entering the conscience. Secondary defense mechanisms-generally appearing as an outgrowth of the primary defense mechanisms-include projection,

When an individual cuts their finger, there are several ways the body innate defense system can use to heal the cut. One response of the innate defense system to a cut finger is that the body will release leukocytosis-inducing factors, leukocytosis increases the number of white blood cells in bloodstream. Then the leukocytes migrate to injured area and cling to the capillary walls. After the leukocytes pass through the capillary walls this is called diapedesis. Then phagocytosis of pathogens and dead tissue occurs, in this stage pus may form. The area will be cleared of debris allowing the healing process to occur.

After a while, I was fed up with my anxiety. Having around twenty panic attacks a day puts a lot on the human body and the way it functions. I did not feeling human anymore. I talked

People don’t realize the sad truth that I’ve been holding on for and secretly suffering with most of my life. People seem to see me as a girl that is naturally bubbly, happy, and outgoing. This was a way for me to hide my real emotions in the time when my depression and anxiety were major factors impacting my self-esteem, just a couple of years ago. So, yes, I admit it -- I was a victim of depression and anxiety. My anxiety has been occurring ever since I was a toddler. My usual anxious behavior would be when I would easily get nervous, wouldn’t talk that well in order to be understood, would go through emotional meltdowns at times, and so forth. My depression however, seem to connect a lot with my anxiety because of my meltdowns and it would easily bring my self-esteem down. One interesting fact about my depression is that it got extreme when I was in middle school. Many events in that time of my life made me feel absolutely worthless inside.