Defense Mechanisms, Stress Coping, and Problem Solving in Psychology

This essay delves into various psychological concepts, beginning with a personal experience of using regression as a defense mechanism following a loss. It then discusses denial as a defense mechanism observed in another individual's marital difficulties. The essay further explores stress, differentiating between eustress and distress, and outlines a detailed action plan for coping with negative stress, emphasizing problem-solving, self-care, and emotional regulation. Finally, it distinguishes between problems solvable through mechanical approaches versus those requiring understanding and empathy, using examples to illustrate the importance of tailored solutions. Desklib offers a wealth of similar solved assignments and study resources for students.

Psychology

Contents
1. Description of a situation in which a defense mechanism was used....................................................3
2. Explaining a situation someone I know using a defense mechanism...................................................3
3. Writing stress coping strategies...........................................................................................................3
a. Six circumstances which threaten or perceive to threaten well-being of an individual....................3
b. Plan to cope with stress....................................................................................................................3
4. Identifying problems that could be solved mechanically and by understanding..................................4

1. Description of a situation in which a defense mechanism was used
This was a time when I lost my grandfather due to some terminal illness. This situation was
really disheartening for me as I was so attached to my grandfather. The mechanism that I opted
during these difficult circumstances was Regression. This mechanism focusing on going to an
immature level to deal with the stressful times (Kalat, 2016). The moment I heard that my
grandfather is no more I ran to my mother and cried in her arms. Being around my parents gave
me a lot of strength to deal with the circumstances. I stayed with my parents for a very long time
and moved out when I felt stable enough.
2. Explaining a situation someone I know using a defense
mechanism.
There are numerous people around who are dealing with stressful situation in their own way.
For this section, I would like to give reference of my uncle who lives in a nearby place. He has
been a family friend and such a genuine person for some reasons he is not able to get along with
his wife and they are most probably headed for divorce. The reason for same is that I have heard
them shouting at each other couple of days ago. When asked how are things at home? He said
everything is going fine. The defense mechanism that has been used by this person is Denial as
he is refusing to believe that his marital life is probably heading for divorce.
3. Writing stress coping strategies
a. Six circumstances which threaten or perceive to threaten well-being of an
individual
Stress can be categorized onto positive and negative stress. Positive stressors or Eustress are
generally relating to short term and can relate to a specific task ( Seery and Quinton, 2016) .
Examples can be Exams, project deadlines and wedding of a cousin. On the other hand, there are
some negative stressors (distress) which carry the potential of causing serious harm to an
individual. The examples of negative stress can be separation from a loved one, sleeping
problems and interpersonal conflicts within family.
b. Plan to cope with stress
Below is a brief description of the action plan I am considering to deal with negative
stress.
S.no Points Actions
1 Tackling the problem It is essential to focus on a single problem at a time.
For instance, I am currently focusing on dealing with
stress of a broken relationship. I would be around the
people I love and try to take advice from the
experienced ones.
2 Taking care of my
health
This is another key feature which is to be emphasized.
No matter how distressing the time is. I would try to eat
an adequate meal and make sure that my physical and

mental health is unhurt.
3 Dealing with
emotions
To deal with emotions I would make sure that I spent
appropriate time with family members who support my
emotional and mental well-being. Taking mini-
vacation, reading books and enjoying the small little
happening will assure my mental well-being.
4. Identifying problems that could be solved mechanically and by
understanding.
There are different stresses that we may come across on a daily basis. However, all the
problems could not be solved with a universal approach and need their own specific manner
(Labrague and et al., 2017). For instance, the misunderstandings between me and my father
does not involve any mechanical approach therefore can be resolved by developing an
understanding between the both of us. Whereas dealing with a failure in a class test or a
project requires a mechanical approach. This problem requires a procedural approach as it
initially aims to identify the root cause of the problem then working gradually on the each of
the contributor to make sure that best results are achieved.

References
Kalat, J.W., 2016. Introduction to psychology. Nelson Education.
Seery, M.D. and Quinton, W.J., 2016. Understanding resilience: From negative life events to
everyday stressors. In Advances in experimental social psychology (Vol. 54, pp. 181-245).
Academic Press.
Labrague, L.J and et al., 2017. A literature review on stress and coping strategies in nursing
students. Journal of Mental Health, 26(5), pp.471-480.