The Nature of Defense Mechanisms

The podcast episode explores the concept of defense mechanisms, which are unconscious psychological operations that individuals conduct to protect themselves from anxiety and stress. These defense mechanisms can manifest in various ways, such as displacement, repression, suppression, sublimation, projection, intellectualization, rationalization, regression, and reaction formation. The episode delves into different levels of defense mechanisms, ranging from pathological to mature, highlighting the potential negative impact when taken to extreme levels.