Repression as a Defense Mechanism

The objective of hiding our undesired thoughts in our unconsciousness is to feel less anxious.

However, Freud stated that this process can backfire at any point, as these hidden thoughts or feelings can still create anxiety, eventually leading to psychological distress.

By hiding our undesired thoughts or feelings, we might actually end up feeling more anxious and depressed, without even knowing the reason.

Dreams were thought by Freud to be one way these repressed thoughts would try to come back to our minds.

Some of the most known examples of repression:

• Slips of the tongue: we tend to express hidden thoughts by mistake
• The Oedipus Complex: children try to identify themselves with their same-sex parent in order to avoid competition for the other parent's love
• Phobia: hidden thoughts can still influence our behavior.

Repression has been a controversial topic in recent times:

• In the field of psychoanalysis, there are people who both sustain and deny the beneficial effects of repression.
• In regards to our memory, there is a controversy on whether hidden or traumatic memories can really be recovered.
• Neurosis: research has shown that repression can have a beneficial effect when it comes to individuals with dysfunctions at this level.
• Therapy: besides lifting repression, there are also other therapeutic actions that lead to a successful therapy and psychoanalysis.