PERSONALITY 101 : FREUDIAN PERSONALITY PROCESSES

1. ANXIETY – this is characterized by a negative feeling of threat, whether internal or external.
Types of anxiety:
 Neurotic Anxiety – something that you want threatens you. There is a conflict between id and ego.
 Moral Anxiety – you did something but you were anxious about it. There is a conflict between ego and superego. i.e. engaging in pre-marital sex
 Reality Anxiety – threat in the real world. There is a conflict between ego and reality.

I have even read something as Mathematics Anxiety, which is obviously characterized by a negative feeling towards mathematics.

2. INSTINCTS – a psychic representation of a physical need. It motivates us to do things.
Components:
 AIM – to reduce tension
 SOURCE – part of the body where tension comes from
 IMPETUS – strength of the tension
 OBJECT – person or target of the instinct in the real world
Pathways:
 EXPRESSED – doing something for it.
 MODIFY – changing/ substituting the target
 BLOCK TEMPORARILY – not doing it temporarily because of other matters

3. DEFENSE MECHANISMS – these are different strategies used by the ego to cope up with tension or stress. ( MY FAVORITE PART!  )

 REPRESSION – the ego removes the threat from awareness.
 DENIAL – the ego distorts reality
 REACTION FORMATION – the ego transforms an unacceptable impulse by expressing the opposite.
 PROJECTION – the ego attributes the unacceptable impulse at someone else.
 DISPLACEMENT – the ego substitutes an easier/ less threatening object.
 SUBLIMATION – the ego converts an unacceptable impulse into a socially acceptable form.
 RATIONALIZATION – ego uses logic to justify unacceptable behavior.
 INTELLECTUALIZATION – the ego removes emotional content and then replaces it with something academic in form.
 REGRESSION – ego retreats into earlier behavior patterns. i.e. returning to places you’ve been to with your ex, and then reminisces the memories.
 UNDOING – ego engages in compensatory behavior to undo an action.
*which of these have you engaged in to?

(Just for awareness about the personality processes that each of us would surely undergo in to.)