- Some of the ego activities are done on the unconscious level, when the ego senses that socially

unaccepted impulses are rising in to awareness, it may use psychological defenses to prevent them from surfacing.

Defensive Coping
Reduce the immediate impact of the stressor, but at a cost, Cost include:1- Socially inappropriate behavior. Ex. Aggression, regression 2- Avoidance of problems. Ex. Withdrawal 3- Self-deception Ex. Rationalization, denial D. C. Give us time to organize our self and our resources, but does not deal with the source of stress or enhance the effectiveness of our responses to stress.

Methods of D. C
- Alcoholic and other drug It blunt feelings of tension, anxiety and frustration Alcohol subdue self-awareness, it reduces negative feelings that stem from our awareness that our behavior is fallen short of our standard (not satisfied with our behavior) - Some times substance and alcoholic abuse can be related to any kind of psychological disturbances such as depression. - Aggression Violence is used to cope with social provocation and as a response to frustration. In warfare and self-defend aggression is valued. Aggressive behavior heightens interpersonal conflict by creating motives for retaliation. - Withdrawal When we feel helpless or believe that any decision would be futile (ineffective, useless, pointless, wasted) we withdraw from the situation. Victims of rape move to new location in order to avoid painful memories or future threat (a spouse may withdraw when in fight with partner) Temporary withdrawal can be beneficial; it can provide the chance to find better and healthy method of coping.

Defense Mechanisms
- D.M. used by normal and abnormal people they protect us from stress and anxiety by the use of self-deception but do not lead to adequate long term adaptations to the problems we face. Common D. M.:- Denial is the refusal to accept the true nature of a threat. Ex. Belief that one will not contract cancer or heart disease although one smokes heavily it cant happen to me - Repression it is the primary D.M in which unacceptable or unpleasant id impulses are pushed back in to the unconscious. Ex. A wife had a fight in the morning with her husband but she forget it as the day goes by, however she cooked for him something he dont like or over cook his dinner. - Regression is to return, under stress to a form of behavior characterize of an earlier stage of development. Ex. An adolescent cries when forbidden to use the family car, or the husband get angry with his wife and refuse to eat or drink from her. - Rationalization is the use of self- deceiving justifications for unacceptable behavior. Ex. A man explaining cheating on electricity bill by saying every one does it or its government money

- Projection is unconsciously attributing anxiety producing thoughts and feeling to other people to conceal from our conscious mind that the thoughts and feeling are our own. Ex. A sexually frustrated person interprets innocent gestures of others as sexual advances. Men who are unfaithful doubt the behavior of their wives. - Sublimation is a diversion of unwanted impulses into socially accepted approved thoughts, feelings and behavior. Ex. A person with strong feelings of aggression may become a butcher or a surgeon. - Displacement is the expression of an unwanted feeling or thought to redirect it from more threatening powerful person to a weaker one. Ex. A women shouting at her children after her husband shout at her.