101 Defenses : How the Mind Shields Itself

Defenses are mental operations that restore or maintain psychic equilibrium when people feel that they cannot manage emotions that stem from conflict; they remove components of unpleasant emotions from conscious awareness. For example, using sex, food, or hostility to relieve tension - that's a defense - catalogued here as entry number 68: Impulsivity. Screaming at someone can be a defense. Playing golf can be a defense. So can saving money. Or at least all of these activities may involve defenses. In this book, Blackman catalogs 101 defenses - the most ever compiled - with descriptions practical for use in everyday assessment and treatment of psychopathology. He explains how to detect and interpret a defense and offers supportive therapy techniques. The many practical tips interspersed throughout this text make it an excellent reference tool for students and experienced clinicians, while the user-friendly features allow all readers to experience how psychological defenses operate in everyday life. General concepts about defenses Defenses that arise in the oral, anal, and first genital phases of psychosexual development Latency, adolescent, and assorted defenses Defenses used in the diagnosis of psychopathology Interpretive techniques Differential diagnosis and treatment selection Supportive therapy techniques Defenses in the assessment of suicidal propensities Sheets also included in pamphlet: Quick definitions of 101 defenses in approximate order of their first appearance during development -- Defense constellations characteristic of neurosis -- Defense constellations characteristic of borderline and psychosis -- Psychoanalytic diagnostic developmental considerations Let's recap the definitions of defense and unpleasurable affect.