The ego has developed a number of defense mechanisms to deal with the anxiety a person may be feeling. There are times when these mechanisms are intentionally used; but in many cases these defenses work to distort reality quite unconsciously.
- Acting Out – Coping with stress by acting out feelings rather than reflecting upon these internal feelings.
- Affiliation – Turning to other people for support.
- Aim Inhibition – Accepting a modified form of one’s original goal (ie – becoming a car sales man because one cannot afford to have one’s own car dealership).
- ALTRUISM – Satisfying internal needs by helping others.
- AVOIDANCE – Refusing to deal with unpleasant situations.
- COMPENSATION – Overachieving in one area to compensate for failures in another.
- HUMOR – Pointing out the funny or ironic aspects of a situation.
- PASSIVE AGGRESSION – Indirectly expressing anger.
These are just a few of the coping mechanisms used by the veteran. There are more deep and detailed mechanisms that I will address in another essay.
However, the bottom line in dealing with a Veteran with PTSD symptoms is to treat him/her with Respect, Encouragement, Support, Not judging them and being kind to them. After all, they are one of us, and we would like to have this consideration given to us.
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