The term defense mechanisms fit Freud's original concept of ego defense mechanisms against anxiety, and this is one notion that holds up better under modern scrutiny than many other Freudian ideas.

Defense mechanisms are a way for the mind to cope with stress or difficult feelings. They are unconscious mechanisms, which means that a person uses them without realizing it. Defense mechanisms can ...

Psychological defense mechanisms are normal and natural reactions which can be positive or negative. They are unconscious reactions to some perceived threat in an attempt to reduce anxiety from ...