20 Defense Mechanisms: From Healthy To Unhealthy

We use psychological defense mechanisms all the time. Some of them are healthy, others can be destructive (and pathological). Here’s a tier list.

There is always something to defend yourself from [Image by author/Ideogram]

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Let’s get psychoanalytical.

Defense mechanisms are our basic go-to strategy whenever anything problematic happens.

We use them all the time.

Our psyche needs them in order to cope with challenges and reality in general.

“The mind is its own place, and in itself can make a heaven of hell, a hell of heaven.” — John Milton

Defense mechanisms help us maintain a sense of self-image in the face of ever-changing circumstances.

They’re about adapting to reality.

We always use defense mechanisms to deal with a threat — perceived or real. The more intense and raw the threat, the more raw is our defense.

Let’s look at the definition of “defense mechanism”:

In psychoanalytic theory, a defence mechanism is an unconscious psychological operation that functions to protect a person from anxiety-producing thoughts and feelings related to internal conflicts and…