ego-defense and addiction

ego-defense mechanisms are learned, usually during early childhood. they are developed to deal with inner hurt, pain, anger, anxiety, sadness and self-devaluation. they operate on relatively automatic and habitual levels.

01. denial of reality: protecting self from unpleasant reality by refusal to perceive it or face it.
02. fantasy: gratifying frustrated desires by imaginary achievements.
03. repression: preventing painful or dangerous thoughts from entering consciousness.
04. rationalization: attempting to prove that one's behavior is 'rational' and justifiable and thus worthy of self and social approval.
05. projection: placing blame for difficulties upon others or attributing one's own unethical desires to others.
06. reaction formation: preventing dangerous desires from being expressed by adopting exaggerated opposed attitudes and types of behavior and using them as 'barriers'.
07. displacement: discharging pent-up feelings, usually hostility, on objects less dangerous than those which initially aroused the emotion.
08. emotional insulation: reducing ego involvement and withdrawing into passivity to protect self from hurt.
09. intellectualization: cutting off affective charge from hurtful situations or separating incompatible attitudes by logic-tight compartments.
10. undoing: atoning for and thus counteracting immoral desires or acts.
11. regression: retreating to earlier developmental level involving less mature responses and usually a lower level of aspiration.
12. identification: increasing feelings of worth by identifying self with person or institution of illustrious standing.
13. introjection: incorporating external values and standards into ego structure so individual is not at their mercy as external threats.
14. compensation: covering up weakness by emphasizing desirable trait or making up for frustration in one area by over-gratification in another.
(anna freud)

some typical ‘excuses’ that alcoholics or addicts tend to make. you can substitute your brand of addiction instead of alcohol/drug.

15. rationalizing - i don't drink/use every day, i don't have a problem.
16. minimizing - i don't drink/use half of what sam drinks.
17. cockiness - i got it made, these other folks are losers.
18. justifying - if you had a wife/husband like mine, you would drink/use too.
19. projecting - you always manipulate to get what you want.
20. blaming - you drove me to drink/use. It is my job stress.
21. humor - this isn't serious. life is a joke.
22. intellectualizing - research shows i'm probably not an alcoholic/addict.
23. lying - i only had a couple of beers, maybe three.
24. manipulation - if you quit bitching, i'll quit drinking/using.
25. accusing - your fooling around keeps me drinking/using.
26. threatening - get off my back or you will be sorry!
27. judging - if you did this or that right, things wouldn't be so bad.
28. explaining - oh, i drink/use because i.....
29. analyzing - i started drinking more because of ...., it will slow down later.
30. arguing - i'm not an alcoholic, i've never gotten a dwi or.....
31. defiance - i dare you to prove that i'm an alcoholic/addict.
32. withdrawing - if i don't do or say anything, they will leave me alone.
33. shouting - leave me alone, i don't want to talk about it!
34. silence -
35. smiling - just laugh it off. nervous smile.
36. compliance - i just do and say what they want.