POLICIOS, SHARMAINE ANNE M.

BSN 3Y2 – 3A

Factors Influencing Mental Illness and Defense Mechanism

1. Reflect on the Factors  influencing mental illness that may apply to you and discuss your
ways of coping. (20 points)
 Starting schools, changing schools and the move to high school
 Entering school is a transitional period for both parents and the children.
 Away from home and without my parents, I am concerned about being in a completely
new environment with a different set of peers. 
 Moving from primary to secondary school is another major step, dealing with a new
environment and a new set of expectations. Experiencing a range of emotions is difficult
in my teenage years. Events like engaging in a new relationships, studying for exams,
starting a new job and figuring out your friendship group can be really challenging.
 During this period, the brain also goes through a critical period of development. It deals
with our emotions such as decision making, controlling impulses, anticipating
consequences of behaviour and the ability to take-in information and understand things
very well.
 mental health issues or conditions (anxiety)
 unable to participate in activities due to illness, mobility or transport issues (during this
pandemic crisis
 difficulties socialising and feeling like you don’t belong – being an introvert person
 being scolded by my parents
 being embarrassed in front of other people
 not getting the outcome that I want

WAYS OF COPING
 I practice relaxation techniques such as listening to music, reading books and mediating.
 I eat fruits and vegetables to be able to maintain a well balanced meals. I do not skip any
meals.
  I avoid drinking caffeine or alcohol because it can aggravate anxiety and can also trigger
panic attackcs,
 I sleep between 7 and 9 hours of sleep per night to get enough sleep and rest.
 I exercise once a week to maintain my health
 Taking deep breaths. Inhale and exhale slowly is also helpful to release stress
 Doing everything I can. Doing my best in every action that I will be making.
 Accepting the fact that I am not in control of the bad things that is happening to me. And
that everything happens for a reason.
 Being positive in life or avoid thinking negatively
 Getting involved like talking to a friend, attending social activities, catch – up with
family or relatives.
 Expressing my emotions such as irritability and anger at home
 Learn to socialize with others in order to adapt to the environment. Put aside my fears
and try things which are new for me to be able to get out of my comfort site.

2. Identify the defense mechanisms you used. Share your experiences and site examples to
better understand and familiarize your self with this topic. (20 points)

DISPLACEMENT
Have you ever endured a stressful day at work, then come home and taken out your frustration
on your loved ones? What about a time where you had an argument with your partner, then got
in your car and found your patience waning with every driver on the road? If the answer is yes,
you’re experiencing displacement – one of the typical defense mechanism examples in busy
adults.
With displacement, you’re transferring your emotions from the person or situation that is the
target of your frustration to someone or something else entirely. Subconsciously, you believe that
to confront the source of your feelings may be too dangerous or risky, so you shift the focus
toward a target or situation that is less intimidating or dangerous – for example, the hapless
driver in the next lane over.
While displacement may protect you from losing your job or burning a bridge, it will not help
you handle the emotions you are experiencing, and you will also end up hurting someone
completely innocent. This becomes an even bigger issue when you routinely use defense
mechanisms like displacement with your significant other as it violates the cardinal rules of
love and will eventually ruin your connection. It’s better to face the issue head-on with the
person you’re actually frustrated with.
For example,
 A person who feels that their boss has been unfair may also fear being fired if they
complain or express anger — and as a result, they may later shout at a family member.
 Getting angry at your child or spouse because you had a bad day at work. Neither of these
people is the target of your strong emotions, but reacting to them is likely less
problematic than reacting to your boss.
 A woman who is frustrated because her boss made her work late again comes home and
yells at her son for asking what’s for dinner.
 A man who is mad that he can’t seem to get ahead at work constantly criticizes his wife
for not making more money.
 An employer who is frustrated with his business’ losses blames his employees instead of
rethinking his business strategy. 
Displacement can have negative consequences for an individual and the people around them.
Experience:
In my high school days, my teacher embarrassed me in front of our class for something I didn't
even do. He accused me of cheating without personal confrontation and without hearing my side
or knowing what actually happened. I don't get an opportunity to speak or complain. At home, I
was very upset and I expressed my anger to my family.

INTELLECTUALIZATION
Intellectualization involves a person using reason and logic to avoid uncomfortable or anxiety-
provoking emotions.
Intellectualization can be a useful way of explaining and understanding negative events.
For example,
If person A is rude to person B, person B may think about the possible reasons for person A’s
behavior. They may rationalize that person A was having a stressful day.
However, intellectualization can cause people to downplay the importance of their own feelings
and focus instead on treating all difficult situations as problems that need to be solved. This can
stop a person from learning how to deal with their own difficult emotions.
Experience:
Whenever dad scolded me for a small reason, I told myself that he only had a bad day at work.

RATIONALIZATION
Rationalization is a common component of defense mechanisms psychology, since it’s an easy
defense to rely on. In the plainest terms, rationalization occurs when you try to explain your bad
behavior away. Imagine you have an irrationally angry reaction to a situation in front of an
esteemed colleague who hopefully respects you. To try to justify your behavior, you blame
someone else for provoking you. Even if that may be true, it is not the actual reason for your
outburst – it’s an excuse. Although rationalization is a common ego defense mechanism, in most
cases, this won’t actually help you pass the blame or justify your behavior. Instead, those around
you will view you as childish or egotistical if you’re unable to own your mistakes.
For example,
 A man forgets to take out the garbage even though his wife has reminded him four times.
Instead of apologizing, he rationalizes that she hasn’t loaded the dishwasher so it’s only
fair that he not take out the garbage.
 A woman stands up her friend for lunch and tells herself it’s okay because her friend is
always late for their morning yoga sessions.
 A student rationalizes cheating on a test by saying the test was too demanding anyway. 
 people who might be angry at co-workers for not completing work on time could be
ignoring the fact that they’re typically late, too.
Experience:
My mom asked me to fix my school fees papers as soon as I could. She reminded me of that
many times, but I still forget to do it. Instead of admitting how irresponsible I am. I explain that
I had a lot of school work to do so I did not have the chance to pay my tuition.
SUBLIMATION
Sublimation defense mechanisms occur when you transform your conflicted emotions, unmet
desires or unacceptable impulses into productive outlets. It’s the situation where you have a
stressful day at work, so you go on a long run to cool off. Or you have a fight with your partner,
so you turn to writing music. When used to handle a situation you cannot effectively do anything
about, sublimation is actually one of the positive defense mechanisms examples and can
actually help you achieve goals. But when used routinely to avoid addressing an issue that must
be resolved to move forward, it can have negative repercussions.
For example,
 A man has issues controlling his temper so he joins a rugby league so he can take out his
aggression in a socially acceptable manner.
 A woman is frustrated that her daughter has once again neglected to call on her birthday
and instead of calling her to voice her upset, she spends three hours scrubbing floors and
windows.
 Instead of working to improve his overall health and fitness, a man lacking self-
confidence pours all his energy into his career. 
 instead of lashing out at your employees, you choose to channel your frustration into
kickboxing or exercise. You could also funnel or redirect the feelings into music, art, or
sports.
Experience:
Whenever I have a bad day in school or my parents scold me, I spend the day doing my
schoolwork, playing games or listening to music.