Defense Mechanisms – quotations from Nancy

Transcript:Defense Mechanisms – quotations from Nancy:
Defense Mechanisms – quotations from Nancy McWilliams’ Understanding Personality Structure in the Clinical Process Updated: July 07, 2018 Primitive Withdrawal Wife’s complaint: “He just fiddles with the TV remote control and refuses to answer me.” A propensity to use chemicals to alter one’s consciousness can also be considered a kind of withdrawal. Falling asleep – babies fall asleep if they get stressed out but not too upset 2 Denial “Oh, no!” People who skip an annual medical or dental check up – the real reason? – fear of bad news “I do not have a drinking problem!!!” People stuck in an abusive relationship – “He really love me – just has a different way of showing it!” Manic episode (bad judgment): “I am okay – I am taking the retirement fund to Las Vegas – it’s a sure thing!” 3 Omnipotent control (omnipotence of thought) Forgetting one’s umbrella “causes” it to rain – that what you wish has anything to do with the weather Anyone who has had a feeling of impending luck and won a gamble: That what a person desires has any influence on what happens – unless one takes specific action (or non action) “Cleaning one’s plate” – eating one’s vegetables – has any effect on hungry children elsewhere in the world 4 Idealization and devaluation “My Dad can take your Dad,” said by a six year old Children admiring their parents or fans admiring a movie star – “wanting to be just like” someone Admiration for or hatred of certain politicians, demographic groups, racial or ethnic backgrounds, mentors or movie stars or sports celebrities 5 Projection and projective identification Getting messages from the TV telling the individual to hurt himself or someone else Taking an inner process or thought or feeling and unconsciously transferring it across the boundary of the self so that it comes at one from outside Projective identification: A person inaccurately accuses me of mistreating him – he continues to do so – creating a self-fulfilling prophecy, causing me to get angry (and want to mistreat him) 6 Introjection and projective identification Introjection: The son or daughter of an MD becomes an MD Children’s games in which one pretends to be a bird or superhero and fly – the object (bird, etc) has been introjected 7 Splitting of the ego Political scientists can attest to how attractive it is for any unhappy group