How Your Mind Denies Reality by Using Its Defense Mechanisms
Become aware of your coping strategies
If you’ve ever wondered why sometimes other people don’t see things the way you see them, you will be surprised to learn that your brain distorts reality to help you survive or cope with complicated situations around you. However, at a certain point, these well-intentioned defensive mechanisms can become harmful by preventing you from evolving.
Defense mechanisms are an area of interest for both neuroscience and psychotherapy, and they can be described as a substitute for real suffering. By using them, your mind is trying to keep you away from unpleasant emotions in an unconscious way by distorting the objective reality.
When you fail to manage a situation emotionally you need to continue to be functional, which is the reason why you develop defense mechanisms, also known as creative adjustments. They may be extremely useful at the time they appear, but it’s essential to realize when they are starting to work to your detriment.
People can develop as many defense mechanisms as needed, some can be very simple and recurring such as psychological projection or denial, while others can be specific and customized to your needs. The particular ones are much more complex and suited for your life experiences…
