learner's opinion

books:


	• 101 Defenses: How the Mind Shields Itself Jerome Blackman Routledge, 2003 - 232 pages average customer review:based on 2 reviews view larger image
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Useful

A useful overview of defenses; a bit of irony might have helped.

learner's opinion

As a beginner in the study of Freudian concepts I found this book very helpful with its comprehensive list of defenses and their approximate order of appearance. A few of the defenses however have rather ellusive definitions that might be reviewed in future editions.

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.

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