Defense Mechanisms'

Denial is one defense mechanism that I would say I use frequently. Denial is when a situation is just too much to handle to the point I would refuse to experience it. If there is something I don't want to do, no bribing will make me want to do it. For example, on Christmas Eve my family gets together and we celebrate and have dinner. This was the first Christmas for my baby cousin and somebody was supposed to be Santa. So they asked me first since I am the oldest kid in the family; I refused. The family tried bribing me with extra gifts from stockings and money and I just refused because I really didn't want to. In the end nobody dressed up because my baby cousin's mom (my aunt) is quite the scrooge but year round, not just for Christmas. Another story is I was asked to shovel snow on the recent snow that fell for money but I just wasn't in the mood. I knew there was a good amount of money involved but I didn't want to go out in the snow unless I was going to hang with friends or shovel my own house. If there is something I don't want to do, there is no convincing me I should do it.

Intellectualization is also something I use as a defense mechanism. This is when something that should be a big deal is not treated as if it were. I use this because it keeps me calm. If I see something as a big ideal, I like to keep the situation under control and not worry because if I do worry, I will probably end up making the situation worst. If the situation is tough, then you have to stay stronger to overcome the obstacle. So for example, I broke my teeth on the bottom of a pool and I did cry because I was in a lot of pain but I calmed myself down because if I didn't, I wouldn't have been able to have cleaned out of my mouth. Another situation was when in trouble for some "fight" I got into when I was in Middle School. My "friend" couldn't take me making fun of him anymore so he got really angry. I was only making fun of him because he was being very annoying so I couldn't help it but that doesn't make me right for my actions. So, he couldn't take it anymore, comes up from behind me, puts me in a headlock and throws me over a chair. As I fell over the chair, the teacher walked in and didn't yell at us but asked us what the hell was going on. So the kid that threw me started freaking out and loudly explaining himself whereas I stayed calm, cool, and collected. I didn't do much wrong but I knew I was going to get into trouble but there was nothing I could do about it. Once something has happened, it is in the past, and there is no changing it. This is why I don't like to take things as a big deal because it can make the situation worse even if the situation is a big deal.