Adult Development: Psychological Defense Mechanisms

Human personality, expressed emotions, strivings, and beliefs arise from a conflict between aggressive, pleasure-seeking, biological impulses and the social restraints against their expression (Bee, 2000). This conflict between expression and repression, in ways that bring the achievement of satisfaction without punishment or guilt, drives the development of personality. Understanding an individual means understanding which defense mechanisms their subconscious has chosen and how their defenses work for them. Psychotherapist, Sigmund Freud, based his understanding of psychological defense …

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