Bipolar And Anxiety: A Psychological Analysis
As someone who has Bipolar and severe anxiety I have utilized many defense mechanisms just to get through daily life. When I was younger, ① denial (refusing to accept real events because they are unpleasant) was one that I used a lot. I used to deny that I was abused by my birth mother and step father because I just couldn’t bear to think that an adult would do that to a child. I would often ② rationalize (justify behaviors by substituting acceptable reasons for less acceptable real reasons) their behavior by saying that it was somehow my fault they did those things. I either wasn’t listening or I just bothered them when they were in a bad mood. They loved me and only did those things because I deserved them. Unfortunately, as I grew older
and moved in with my father and step mother, I would often ③ displace (transfer inappropriate urges or behaviors onto a more acceptable or less threatening target) my anger onto them. I would try to ④ repress (suppress painful memories and thoughts) but sometimes they would come out and I would direct my uncontrollable emotions at them. I was never physically violent, but I would become horrendously verbally violent because in the state of mind I was in at the time, I wanted them to hurt like I hurt even though they had done nothing wrong.
and moved in with my father and step mother, I would often ③ displace (transfer inappropriate urges or behaviors onto a more acceptable or less threatening target) my anger onto them. I would try to ④ repress (suppress painful memories and thoughts) but sometimes they would come out and I would direct my uncontrollable emotions at them. I was never physically violent, but I would become horrendously verbally violent because in the state of mind I was in at the time, I wanted them to hurt like I hurt even though they had done nothing wrong.