1. The structure of the mind and the distinct functions of Personality
The Freud's structural theory (Freud, 1923, 1926) dispenses with the concepts of a fixed id, ego and superego, and point out unconscious and conscious conflict among wishes:dependent,Controlling,Sexual,Aggressive,guilt,shame,emotions (especially anxiety and depressive affect), And defensive operations that shut off from consciousness some aspect of the others. Id, ego, and super-ego are the three parts of the " Psychic apparatus " of Freud 's structural model of Moreover, healthy functioning (adaptive) is also determined, to a great extent, by resolutions of conflict.
According to Freud’s theory that explain human functioning based on three level, Ego strengths include the capacities to control oral, sexual, and destructive impulses; to tolerate painful affects without falling apart; and to prevent the eruption into consciousness of bizarre symbolic fantasy. Synthetic functions, in contrast to autonomous functions, arise from the developmet of the ego and serve the purpose of managing conflictual processes. Defenses are an example of synthetic functions and serve the purpose of protecting the conscious mind from awareness of forbidden impulses and thoughts. One purpose of ego psychology has been to emphasize that there are mental functions that can be considered to be basic, and not the derivatives of wishes, affects, or defenses
2. Defence mechanism
The ego fights acontinual battle to stay on top of the warring id and superego. Occasionally, their conflicts produce anxiety that threatens to overwhelm the ego. The anxiety is a signal that alerts the ego to marshal defence mechanisms.Unconcious protective processes that keep primitive emotions associated with conflicts in check so that the ego can cotinue its coordinating function.We all use defence mechanisms at times,they are sometimes adaptive and other time they are