Imagine the scenario below;
There are visitors at your home then you do something that irks your parent. Angered, She waits till the visitors go before confronting you over the issue.Â
The Scenario above is an illustration of anger suppression in play.
What’s Suppression?
Suppression is a defense mechanism where an individual consciously pushes anxiety-arousing thoughts, emotions and impulses from the conscious mind.
The Distressing thoughts, feelings and Desires are not only inhibited from outward expression but also blocked from popping into awareness eg; Ignoring intrusive thoughts and feelings.
Let’s Assume your conscious mind is your working area. Some objects occasionally pop in , some have to be released outside, others kept at the working area. But some objects tend to affect the Working area for there presence produces an unconducive atmosphere. These objects are unwanted. Unwanted emotions, Thoughts, memories, Feelings or Impulses may it be sexual or agressive. To keep them away, an individual decides to keep them away or direct his attention from them untill the appropriate time. This is called Suppression defense Mechanism.
What are defense Mechanisms?
The term ‘defense mechanisms’ was coined over 100 years ago to describe a construct of strategies to cope with intrapsychic conflicts, mediating between the Instinctual Desires of an individual eg; wishes, needs, and affects, Internalized moral conscience and the external environment.Â
These Unconscious strategies keep our minds safe from Pain, Tension and Unacceptable feelings of shame & guilt whether the threats are real or just perceived.
Difference between Suppression and Repression.
Suppression is closely linked to repression and many confuse between the two but they’re not the same.
Both suppression and Repression involves avoiding painful or anxiety-arousing thoughts, feelings and impulses from Conscious awareness.
But unlike suppression which is more Conscious and voluntary, Repression is more unconscious (ie; Happens automatically without the individual’s awareness). Painful memories, thoughts, impulses and emotions are automatically pushed to the unconscious mind.
Example of Suppression in Real Life;
1. Anytime you consciously try to avoid thinking about a distressing event eg; of embarrassment or you try to distract yourself from feeling sad after a loss that’s suppression.
2. Most kids raised in hostile environments where expressing emotions was seen as a taboo might see suppression as a better Alternative.
3. Distressing Emotions can be suppressed to enable one to focus on a more important task for instance; A student who lost her parents but has an exam may avoid thinking about her situation to focus untill when the exams are over.
4. Sometimes Suppression is used to postpone the expression of an impulse untill when the time is Appropriate for Instance; An individual irked by another person’s remark in a meeting wait untill when the meeting is over to confront him over the issue.
5. Suppression is also Used to Avoid uncomfortable feelings such as Shame eg; A boy Raised in a Culture that saw expressing emotions as unmanly may Suppress his emotions when in public to avoid feelings of shame.
6. Suppression also helps to Prevent us from external conflicts eg; Someone criticized by his Boss’s criticism feels irritated but chooses not to act on his impulses.
Positive and Negative Effects of Suppression.
Suppression is according to Freudian psychologist considered a More Mature Defense mechanism compared to Repression due to it’s conscious nature but also has negative effects.
Among the Positive effects includes;
1. It offers relief and emotional control in the short run that would otherwise escalate to untold problems had we not controlled them.
2. One can now choose to focus on a more important task when the Intruders are kept away Thanks to Suppression.
3. Suppressing agressive impulses may prevent is from unnecessary conflicts.
The Negative Side effects include;
1. Suppressed contents accumulate and still linger in the body and mind and might burst out later causing far reaching consequences. Negative suppressed emotions such as Anger or grief may resurface later as Great emotional outbursts of Rage and Tears.
As great Freud said;
“Unexpressed Emotions never die for they’re buried alive and will come forth in uglier ways”
2. May lead to Social Relationship Problems.
Individuals with suppressed emotions might be Irritating, Dissociative or Irresponsive , something that may negatively affect those around.
3. Suppression and Mental Health Problems.
There has been enormous research by leading experts linking emotional suppression to Anxiety, Stress and Depression.
What is suppressed still persists, causes tension and leads to further psychological tensions and effects.
4. Physical Health Problems.
Our minds and bodies are greatly connected. The suppressed Emotions especially the negative ones tend to affect our physical functioning and lead to Problems such as Headaches, Tensions and Heart Problems.Â
5. Affects Our Cognitive Functioning. Our brains is an energy saving organ and require enormous amount of Energy to Operate. Â
Research by Neuroscientist however shows that suppression may impare cognitive functioning due to the Mental Efforts invested in keeping cool the suppressed Contents. For instance; Memory recalling and reduced Decision making operations.
How to Manage Suppression.
To deal with Suppression;
- Acknowledge and label the uncomfortable emotions. Recognizing the emotion is considered by Many experts to be more effective than pushing them away.
For instance; Claiming “I feel Angry, Frustrated, Fear or Sad”
Now it seize to be an unidentifiable, overwhelming feeling for we have a clear understanding of it.
- Find safe Outlets to express the un expressable.
This includes creative outlets such as Music and art, journaling, writing and talking to Friends you trust.
Mental health experts show that expressing negative thoughts or traumatic experiences by writing on paper is linked to improved Mental and physical health.
It’s also recommended to to set a time to journal about the stressful event or thoughts to allow give them a voice on paper.
We can also give it a voice by talking to someone we trust. May it be a friend, partner, coach or even parent.
- Create Healthy Boundaries.
Sometimes uncomfortable feelings and emotions come from where we feel our needs, wishes and boundaries are violated. In cultural practices where expressing some emotions is considered unacceptable or norms dictate rules such as “Girls should be agreeable” , we may resort to people pleasing mechanism such as Suppressing our emotions. But pushing them away make us feel even more drained. Instead we set boundaries but in a healthy way.
- Prioritize Self Care Activities.
Activities such as Mindfulness and Meditation. Physical activities such as Walking in Nature, Exercises, walking and Dancing help easen the tension within. Mindfulness involves observing without being judgmental until it passes whereas Meditation involves calming the mind through silence in the presence moment.
- Practice Cognitive Reframing
Sometimes negative emotions and uncomfortable feelings arise due to our own way or perceiving events.
What would otherwise be a neutral Event might have a stronger emotional impact on us due to our lens of perceiving things.
For Instance; A student Upset that the Parents didn’t attend his academic visiting might reframe the Situation by claiming that maybe the Parents were caught up with other obligation.Â
One Angry that the Partner didn’t receive her Phone call might reframe the situation by claiming that maybe they’re not near the phone or they’re busy or engaged in other activities.Â
Robert Greene, The author of the 48 laws of Power, calls this Turning Shit into sugar. A shit that would otherwise be overwhelming is turned into a sugar that has less emotional impact.
- Seek Professional advice from a licensed Therapist or Profesional. This is quite better for they will offer advice that is otherwise better than being overwhelmed by feelings, emotions alone.
References
1. American Psychiatric Association. (2000). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (4th ed., text revision). Washington, DC: Author.
2. Anna Freud (1937). The Ego and the mechanisms of defense, London: Hogarth Press and Institute of Psycho-Analysis.
3. Andrews, G., Singh, M., & Bond, M. (1993). The Defense Style Questionnaire. Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease. 181, 246-256.
4. Baumeister, R. F., Dale, K., & Sommer, K. L. (1998). Freudian defense mechanisms and empirical findings in modern social psychology: Reaction formation, projection, displacement, undoing, isolation, sublimation, and denial. Journal of Personality, 66(6), 1081-1124.
5. Cramer, P. (1987). The development of defense mechanisms. Journal of Personality, 55, 597-6l4.
6. Cramer, P. (1991a). The development of defense mechanisms: Theory, research and assessment. New York: Springer-Verlag.
7. Cramer, P. (1991b). Anger and the use of defense mechanisms in college students. Journal of Personality, 59, 39-55
8. Cramer, P. (2015). Defense mechanisms: 40 years of empirical research. Journal of Personality Assessment, 97(2), 114-122.
9. Sigmund Freud (1894). The neuro-psychoses of defence. SE, 3: 41-61.