Defense Mechanisms of Person and Mental Health - Essay Example

Prices increased so much that some food products doubled their initial price in relatively short periods. However, these changes affected mainly the poor, as the rich usually have long term investments that cushion them from the effects of a sudden economic downturn. When a person faces these hardships, they take some conscious and unconscious measures to enable one to survive the situation; depending on the approach the person takes, there may be constructive or destructive (Simkovic 2009). The aim of this report is to identify the defense and coping mechanisms that people adopt during harsh economic times by dividing them into healthy and unhealthy responses.

Defense Mechanisms Defense mechanisms are the responses a person takes to protect their self-image from the negative effects of an occurrence, enabling the person to survive the situation without attempting to change it. Most defense mechanisms have a negative effect, and they are more likely to be adopted by a mentally unhealthy person, for instance, displacement, rationalization, projection, and emotional insulation. The negative effect of defense mechanisms is that they result in a person creating an alternative reality and avoiding what is happening to them now.

However, when done in moderation, some defense mechanisms like compensation and identification can have positive effects of reducing the suffering that results from the current situation. An unhealthy person is more likely to deny the suffering that results from the harsh economic times, which makes the person feel protected from the consequences. A mentally unhealthy parent is likely to displace the frustrations of the economy and treat their children harshly since they cannot retaliate. In addition, they are likely to rationalize the situation by attempting to explain why the situation is bleak even though it could have been better.

Instead of accepting that the economy is to blame for one’s woes, a person may choose to blame other people or circumstances. Emotional insulation results when a person chooses to avoid the emotional effects of the economic downturn by taking a passive stance so as not to get hurt. Compensation is a defense mechanism that could be adopted by a mentally healthy person, by focusing on one’s achievement, which gives a person a moral boost and high self-esteem. However, focusing on the positive aspect of life may cause a mentally unhealthy person to ignore the unpleasant aspects of life like the economic downturn.

In addition, a mentally healthy person may choose to identify with people who are not suffering from the effects of the economic situation, which may enable the person to adopt the characteristics of these mentors and the person may be able to redeem the situation. However, an unhealthy person may identify with the rich and instead of improving their situation, one may end up accepting the desolate situation and live in fantasy (Corey, 2009). Coping During the economic downturn, a person may change their way of thinking, beliefs, perceptions, and actions to increase chances of survival and reduce the negative effects of the situation.

A person may take adaptive or maladaptive coping approaches, which are positive and negative respectively.