Freud's Defence Mechanisms

Denial shields a person from threatening stimuli by blocking the conscious awareness of negative or threatening elements of their experience.

Repression is a psychological defense mechanism in which the mind unconsciously banishes or blocks unacceptable thoughts, painful memories, and difficult emotions from conscious awareness​.

In the case of displacement, the mind deals with unacceptable or threatening feelings (such as anger, fear, or shame toward someone) by shifting them onto a substitute target that feels safer or more permissible​.

Reaction formation is a psychological defense mechanism in which a person adopts behaviors, attitudes, or beliefs that are opposite to their true feelings or desires, often to cope with anxiety or internal conflicts.

Rationalization is a psychological defense mechanism in which a person justifies or explains an uncomfortable feeling or behavior with a seemingly logical reason, rather than acknowledging the true, often more distressing, reason behind it.

Introjection is a defense mechanism where a person unconsciously adopts the ideas, attitudes, or behaviors of another person or group, often an authority figure.

Suppression refers to a conscious effort to inhibit the outward expression of emotions. This can involve minimising facial expressions, controlling body language, or attempting to hide emotional cues.