Week 5 Assignment: Defense Mechanisms

Hi. Im John, and Im an addict.

While this might be a clich attributed to a well-known addiction program, it is true that the first step in treating an addiction is admitting there is a problem. This might seem easy for most, but it is a major acknowledgment for an addict. Addictions serve a purpose in someones life, and working to change the addiction means letting go of that purpose. People often hold on to addictions by means of defense mechanisms.

Defense mechanisms are a long-standing part of psychology stemming back to the early work of Sigmund Freud. Although many aspects of Freuds early theories are not a part of modern clinical practice, defense mechanisms are a part of the current vernacular, including addiction treatment. Therefore, understanding defense mechanisms is an important step in providing effective treatment.

By Day 7

Submit a 2- to 4-page paper that includes the following:

A brief description of two defense mechanisms from the Learning Resources
An explanation of how each defense mechanism you chose might impact behavior
A description of how each defense mechanism might affect treatment processes, and an explanation of why
A description of which stage of change in treatment processes each defense mechanism might manifest in behavior
An explanation of why
Provide one or two strategies for mitigating them
Submission and Grading Information

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