101 Defenses: How the Mind Shields Itself [With Pocket Reference]

By Jerome S. Blackman

Book Overview

Defenses are mental operations that restore or maintain psychic equilibrium when people feel that they cannot manage emotions that stem from conflict; they remove components of unpleasant emotions from conscious awareness. For example, using sex, food, or hostility to relieve tension - that's a defense - catalogued here as entry number 68: Impulsivity. Screaming at someone can be a defense. Playing golf can be a defense. So can saving money. Or at least all of these activities may involve defenses. In this book, Blackman catalogs 101 defenses - the most ever compiled - with descriptions practical for use in everyday assessment and treatment of psychopathology. He explains how to detect and interpret a defense and offers supportive therapy techniques. The many practical tips interspersed throughout this text make it an excellent reference tool for students and experienced clinicians, while the user-friendly features allow all readers to experience how psychological defenses operate in everyday life.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0415946956
• ISBN13: 9780415946957
• Release Date: February 2004
• Publisher: Routledge
• Length: 216 Pages
• Weight: 0.90 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 5.9" x 8.9"