Mine are intellectualization (thinking very logically, in “black and white” like my friends say), sublimation (weight lifting is cathartic for me, it releases my tensions and anxiety) and altruism (talking to people who need help, mostly when I post replies to people asking for help on this site, going to parties and driving people and taking care of the drunks, show them where to puke and give them water and put them on couches to pass out). I am just self-diagnosing, I havent asked my doctors. I think I will this week.
I used to reek of denial and splitting, which are pathological and not exactly “good” defense mechanisms. I was in denial of being ill and split everyone into friend or foe. My parents and drinking buddies were the only people who werent enemies to me. Which was messed up. They were the only people who I spent enough time with to trust and also provided me with self medication and support.
Here is a complete list, they fall into categories. Scroll down the page to the lists.
You self-admittedly have a big ego but you are very supportive here. So good for you. I just thought I would say that.
My defense is that I tell myself no one will give me a second look in public if I control myself. It’s an effort sometimes but worth it. I tell myself no one can tell I have schizophrenia which is true.
thats too hard for me to answer, i guess you would have to read all of my thoughts and memories in order to answer that and have the brains to put it all down in order, i believe i have probably suffered all of them but a lot of these so called defences seem more like symptoms than anything else,
what i can say is that i use humour as a defence mostly i think, and i think i project or try to project that humour on to others, yes i think humour is one of my main defences.
As you said I’m just coming out of denial but splitting has been prominent most of my life and still remains.
Repression is another one. This is linked to what I was or more what happened as I had some form of trauma at 15/16 that I’m not entirely aware of, I was but it soon got consumed by psychosis and as it got bad reactions at the time which just made things worse I repressed it. Now I just get flitters of memories, dreams and sometimes flashbacks but I can’t trust them just incase it was a creation of mind.
I’ve always had an inferiority complex and a desire to please everyone, which is one of the reasons I hide away I don’t want the burden or fear of being physically or emotionally attacked or being crippled by what they think of me.
That’s great you identified the mechanisms you employ, but I don’t think that’s considered altruism. Altruism is more when you sacrifice something of yours for the benefit of another. An example would be volunteering or buying a homeless person lunch. When I lived in Philly I used to help feed the homeless. One day we ran out of food when this man arrived and I bought him a sandwich. I don’t do anything now because I don’t have transportation and my anxiety is pretty bad. I also use intellectualization and also humor.
My old coping mechanisms were self destructive and hurtful so I threw those away.
Now it’s open communication with family, assessment of the situation, intellectualize, stay mindful and don’t get overwhelmed by “what might happen” or “what could have happened” Stay on meds, go to therapy and do the therapy work… as in, keep track of moods and reactions.
Track progress as well as set backs.
Most of all… let it pass. I have been trying to let go of perceived slights and misunderstandings and just let it pass. Don’t look for fights and anger. I use a lot of humor to keep my mood in check. When I’m feeling well, I try to find the funny.
