Grief and Defense Mechanisms

Sigmund Freud first proposed the concept of ‘defense mechanisms’ as an element of his influential theory of personality. For those of you who took Psych 101, think back to the Id, Ego, and Superego in which all elements, with the exception of the ego, reside in the unconscious. Since their introduction, the concept of defense mechanisms has been expanded quite a bit, and they are still used today to try to understand certain behavioral patterns. In this episode of the What’s Your Grief Podcast, we discuss how people sometimes use defense mechanisms to cope with grief.

0:00 - 4:30: Introductions

Ongoing and Upcoming eCourses

Upcoming events

4:30 - 29:00: Using Defense Mechanisms in Grief

Denial

Regression

Projection

Displacement

Intellectualization

Undoing

Humor

Sublimation

Altruism

Post: Using Defense Mechanisms in Grief

Post: 31 Psychological Defense Mechanisms via Psychologist World