EDUCATION
Defense Mechanisms
Defense Mechanisms
EDUCATION" pages are full of thought-provoking information designed to appeal to all of your rational, thinking brain. These pages are primarily for learning, as opposed to some other types of Comfort.Guide pages which are written more for motivation and consolation. Let these teachings help guide you to the truth that you are noticed, loved and cared for, even though you might not always feel so!
THE FOLLOWING ARE COMMON DEFENSE AND SURVIVAL MECHANISMS IN RESPONSE TO THE POTENTIAL OR ACTUAL LOSS OF A SENSE OF SAFETY, WORTH, EFFECTIVENESS AND BELONGING.
DENIAL: Refusing to acknowledge, feel or even talk about painful circumstances that threaten our sense of safety, worth, effectiveness or belonging.
RATIONALIZATION: Assigning or attributing a false explanation or justification for our pain; this shields us from facing the reality of both potential and/or real loss, as well as realizing the necessity for change.
PROJECTION: Accusing others of doing or thinking what, in fact, we are doing or thinking; this shields us from the pain of taking personal responsibility for why we are experiencing loss. This can also occur when we mistakenly feel a false sense of guilt or shame.
REPRESSION: Preventing painful or dangerous thoughts from entering our consciousness; we construct a mental and emotional barrier.
DISPLACING: Expressing or acting out negative emotions and defensiveness on individuals who are less threatening in terms of the harm they can indeed, or might, do to us; this saves us from dealing with individuals who are the true cause of our negative emotions and fear.
PASSIVITY: Withdrawing from an appropriate physical, verbal or emotional response to a situation or relationship in order to protect ourselves from perceived hurt; we go blank emotionally.
MINIMIZATION: Refusing to realize the harm we can inflict on ourselves, as well as the harm that others have inflicted on us; refusing to realize how our previous choices, actions and interactions (as well as those of others) have led to loss. You may also minimize your own value, and need for self-care and comfort.
BLAMING: Attributing our behavior as a simple reaction to another’s behavior; it’s their fault.
INTELLECTUALIZATION: Removing the emotional aspects of painful situations from conscious awareness, and focusing only on the factual and logical narrative and explanation of the situation.
SPIRITUALIZATION: Believing our painful situation is a result of “God’s Will”; this can suppress our emotional processing of a painful situation.
It's hard to cry out to God, and to hear Him crying out to you, with these types of walls in place!
* Which one(s) of the above Defense Mechanisms do you experience to protect yourself?
* How has this pattern affected your life, and others, negatively?
* How would knowing Jesus loves you give you courage to ask for freedom and healing?
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PROMISES ..... short Scriptures to build you up and give you hope!
"The sun will no more be your light by day, nor will the brightness of the moon shine on you, for the Lord will be your everlasting light, and your days of sorrow will end..." (Isaiah 60, NIV)
_________________________________________________________________________________________
Click HERE to return to "Week 10 Outline".
Click HERE to go to the next page "Inheritance for Whom?"
THE FOLLOWING ARE COMMON DEFENSE AND SURVIVAL MECHANISMS IN RESPONSE TO THE POTENTIAL OR ACTUAL LOSS OF A SENSE OF SAFETY, WORTH, EFFECTIVENESS AND BELONGING.
DENIAL: Refusing to acknowledge, feel or even talk about painful circumstances that threaten our sense of safety, worth, effectiveness or belonging.
RATIONALIZATION: Assigning or attributing a false explanation or justification for our pain; this shields us from facing the reality of both potential and/or real loss, as well as realizing the necessity for change.
PROJECTION: Accusing others of doing or thinking what, in fact, we are doing or thinking; this shields us from the pain of taking personal responsibility for why we are experiencing loss. This can also occur when we mistakenly feel a false sense of guilt or shame.
REPRESSION: Preventing painful or dangerous thoughts from entering our consciousness; we construct a mental and emotional barrier.
DISPLACING: Expressing or acting out negative emotions and defensiveness on individuals who are less threatening in terms of the harm they can indeed, or might, do to us; this saves us from dealing with individuals who are the true cause of our negative emotions and fear.
PASSIVITY: Withdrawing from an appropriate physical, verbal or emotional response to a situation or relationship in order to protect ourselves from perceived hurt; we go blank emotionally.
MINIMIZATION: Refusing to realize the harm we can inflict on ourselves, as well as the harm that others have inflicted on us; refusing to realize how our previous choices, actions and interactions (as well as those of others) have led to loss. You may also minimize your own value, and need for self-care and comfort.
BLAMING: Attributing our behavior as a simple reaction to another’s behavior; it’s their fault.
INTELLECTUALIZATION: Removing the emotional aspects of painful situations from conscious awareness, and focusing only on the factual and logical narrative and explanation of the situation.
SPIRITUALIZATION: Believing our painful situation is a result of “God’s Will”; this can suppress our emotional processing of a painful situation.
It's hard to cry out to God, and to hear Him crying out to you, with these types of walls in place!
* Which one(s) of the above Defense Mechanisms do you experience to protect yourself?
* How has this pattern affected your life, and others, negatively?
* How would knowing Jesus loves you give you courage to ask for freedom and healing?
_________________________________________________________________________________________
PROMISES ..... short Scriptures to build you up and give you hope!
"The sun will no more be your light by day, nor will the brightness of the moon shine on you, for the Lord will be your everlasting light, and your days of sorrow will end..." (Isaiah 60, NIV)
_________________________________________________________________________________________
Click HERE to return to "Week 10 Outline".
Click HERE to go to the next page "Inheritance for Whom?"