Defense Mechanisms (unconscious)

Personality Development Assignment

                Everyone in this world have their own problems at hand. Whether its family problems, relationship issues or work area conflicts, we humans usually use one of the 10 mechanisms to prevent our problems and difficulties. At first, it may be a good thing to prevent bringing back the problems and put them aside, but at the longer run there might be a time where all those problems will explode and more problems might occur. Whenever something troubles me or a problem comes about, the two mostly used defense mechanisms would be Sublimation and Reaction formation.

                Normally when I have a conflict with someone, I use 'art' to help me push away my anger and frustration. Drawing is one of the most common thing I do when I get upset. It might even inspire me at that moment to come up with an art piece that my vivid imagination creates. But time after time, the frustration and anger that I once pushed away generally return to haunt my emotions. I often get really depressed when I think back to the problems and conflicts that I once faced and it really bothers me. Another way of distracting myself would be 'singing'. When an arguments occur and with all my emotions to the point of irritation about to outburst, singing my heart out usually helps calm my rage down.

                When I was younger, calm and quiet was the descriptions about me. My classmates didn’t even know I existed in class because I was very passive. When I started attending high school, I usually had a lot of arguments with my parents and it really made me miserable because who would want a bad relationship with their families? So, in order for me to get rid of those memories, I decided to become outgoing and just have a blast in life; thinking that way it might help me erase the bad times I had. Therefore when being with friends, I normally have a tendency to try sharing jokes or  being funny. From doing something that's not me, it became me. I got adopted to being loud and staying free, which it really made me a happier person in life. But I ask myself, "who am I really? Is this the real me?".

                One of the defense mechanisms to be chosen into use, would be Sublimation. That mechanism helps people calm down without having to throw a tantrum, instead it is replaced by something we can do or something we like to do so to ease down the situation. Also by replacing our anger into something physical or socially acceptable, it helps reduce our frustration and anxiety.