Our psyche is designed in such a way that it tries to suppress negative emotions and forget about traumatic events, but both of these do not give us rest on an unconscious level.
We may not think about the bad, try to get rid of the memories, but the protective mechanism of the psyche stops our development - it’s better not to try to suppress negative emotions in ourselves, but to understand their cause.
If some experiences do not give you rest - that means there is a reason, do you think they will leave if you do not think about them? No matter how.
This selection will help you better understand your psyche - there are 10 types of psychological protection that you need to realize.
Psychotherapists are just doing this - helping their clients realize their protective mechanisms so that they are released and adequately respond to the environment.
10. Projection
The projection is that a person unconsciously tries to ascribe to other people his thoughts, feelings and desires.
For example, a woman may think that others are looking at her and talking about her shortcomings - the fact is that she gossips herself, for example, about the shortcomings of her friends with her friend, therefore, it seems to her that everyone is doing this.
This protection mechanism makes it possible to relieve oneself of responsibility for one's own character traits that seem unacceptable.
For example, a man constantly suspects his wife of treason, because he himself wants to change her.
9. Extrusion
Repression is getting rid of unpleasant facts from one’s consciousness. A man tries to forget what causes him discomfort.
For example, a person consciously understands that something bad happened - they betrayed him, for example, but he tries to find reasons because he does not want to believe that someone could betray him - such a good person.
In fact, no one thinks in this vein: "I want to commit treason", with the exception, of course, of some people. It is done because people think only of themselves.
8. Introjection
This is the ability of a person to appropriate other people's orders, thoughts, rules of life, etc.
Perhaps this is due to the fact that a person did not learn to think independently, and in the family he was always under the control of his parents, who always pushed them and said what is good and what is bad - without the right to choose.
It is not surprising that a person, growing up, will listen not to himself, but to those whom he considers to be authorities. A person takes everything on faith and does not try to make sense of what has been said or done.
7. Rationalization
We are told that all the problems are only in us and come from us, but the rationalists believe that it is not only them who are to blame for the problems, or not at all.
Rationalization is an attempt to find acceptable reasons for a failed situation. The purpose of such a protective mechanism is to maintain their high self-esteem and to convince themselves that the problem is not in it.
For example, a person who was not hired for a prestigious position will consider that it was not his fault.
For personal growth, of course, it is useful to take responsibility for what is happening on yourself.
A person who can’t get love from another can say to himself: “I don’t really need it, it wouldn’t work out for us anyway.”
6. Merger
People break up because they relate differently to the relationships and phenomena in them.
Merging is a defense mechanism in which there is only a total "we".
It is most clearly expressed in the infant and mother - the mother feels the needs of her newborn and always reacts to them, in this case the merger is quite healthy.
But when a woman and a man begin to live together, then they cease to develop separately - they have common views, habits, values, because none of them thought about what everyone wants separately.
Partners lose their personality, and soon the passion leaves the relationship. One of them may one day want to break out of such a relationship.
5. Regression
Regression is a condition when a person in a situation that is traumatic for him returns to his childhood forms of behavior. It can be tears, emotional breakdowns, moods, etc.
On an unconscious level, we all learned that such behavior guarantees us safety and support from others.
Regression is an opportunity to throw off the burden of responsibility and throw it on another person - for example, your partner.
It is not recommended to abuse regression - you will not have a successful life strategy, and it will be difficult to establish normal relations with other people.
4. Denial
Denial is an illusion, unwillingness to see the truth, a complete rejection of it. Thus, our psyche is trying to protect itself from injury.
A woman can love a man, and even the obvious facts that he only uses it, but he is married and never divorces his wife - she does not want to notice.
A woman believes that a man will one day divorce his wife and be with her, although all her friends insist that they use her. She can even break communication with those who do not support her in illusions.
3. Sublimation
Sublimation is the fact that we suppress the traumatic events in ourselves through creativity or sports.
Sublimation is not bad, we can say that such a mechanism is very productive - many directors, artists, writers are engaged in sublimation, and society receives brilliant works of art.
If you feel bad - try to draw, describe your condition, sing ... This is much more useful than self-flagellation or being depressed.
2. Reactive state
A reactive state is when our thoughts are reversed.
For example, you can change negative thoughts into positive or positive thoughts into negative ones as a defense. This is a transformation of hatred into love, attachment into contempt, etc.
Reactive education serves to eliminate the duality of our experience - we can offend someone to whom we feel gratitude, or, conversely, say a good word to someone to whom we hate.
A reactive state is a hypertrophied reaction to a subconscious inhibition. That is, the subconscious barrier and the thought conflicting with it participate in it.
1. Catharsis
We are all human beings, we all know what suffering is. In order to weaken the traumatic factor, we change our values.
In addition, we find those who suffer in order to drown out their own suffering at the expense of them.
People can go to work in shelters, to hospitals - to places where others suffer, to switch to them.
Thus, empathizing and helping others, we forget about our feelings and grief. Our mind is cleansed of negative thoughts.