Defense Mechanisms: Stress, Health, and Sleep
Theresa, who has recently been diagnosed with cancer, spends all of her time in the library becoming an expert in cancer research.
Intellectualization
Amy, who has had many extramarital affairs, begins to accuse her husband Dan of being unfaithful.
Projection
Brett, who is extremely hard to convince in arguments, complains that all of his friends are stubborn.
Projection
Diane, who keeps accusing Sam of being in love with her, probably has secret desires for Sam.
Projection
Mark never stops ranting about the dangers of pornography. He gives endless examples of smut he has seen in movies and on television, and spends a lot of time hanging around porno houses to get even more examples.
Reaction Formation
Todd, who is unsure about his own sexuality, frequently make homophobic and gay-bashing remarks.
Reaction Formation
At the first sign of any problems or trouble in his life, Bill immediately runs to his parents to bail him out.
Regression
Larry began wetting his pants again after the birth of his baby brother.
Regression
Two years after breaking off his relationship with Julie, Rick fails to even recognize her at a cocktail party.
Repression
Wendy was embarrassed because somehow she kept forgetting to keep her appointments with the dentist.
Repression
After an unsuccessful attempt at a sexual relationship, Pete began devoting most of his energies toward church activities.
Sublimation
Even as a child Lisa was always impulsive and engaged in risky behavior. Perhaps not surprisingly, she grew up to become a famous race car driver.
Sublimation
Judy, who has always been aggressive and fiercely competitive, becomes captain of her college soccer team.
Sublimation
Although verbally and physically abused by his cell guard, Shane actually admires his captor and even imitates him on occasion.
Identification
Brad's father acts like a big shot around town because Brad is the star quarterback of his high school football team.
Identification
Amanda broke off her relationship with Jack, but Jack still talks and acts as if they are still dating.
Denial
Despite overwhelming evidence and a murder conviction, Jay's mother refused to believe that her son could actually take the life of another human being.
Denial
After her new baby sister came home from the hospital, her parents discovered that Susie had dismembered her favorite doll.
Displacement
Chad always teases and annoys his kid brother Nathan after he himself is bullied and picked on by his older brother Sam.
Displacement
Roger, a major league pitcher, often "beans" (i.e., hits with a pitch) the next batter after someone has hit a home run against him.
Displacement