Re-opening has caused us all a bit of anxiety.  Different rules in different areas, different comfort levels for people not only in the same geographical area, but even for people sharing the same home.  So, I thought it would be fun to use the lens of Freudian defense mechanisms to explore how we are controlling our anxiety.

I tend to use intellectualization: I find out the facts and reassure myself that if I follow the suggestions to stay healthy, then I will stay healthy. Some people use denial: they continue their daily routines as if nothing is different.   Statements that indicate the use of denial include “I don’t know anyone who got sick”, “It’s just like the flu”, and “The whole thing is a world-wide hoax.”  Some use identification: repeating words spoken by political leaders as the basis of their actions.  Identification is evidenced by statements such as, “I don’t know why you are over-reacting like this,” or “wearing a mask is for cowards.”  Some identify with the scientific community and cite statistics about spikes in cases and statistics about first versus second wave of the pandemic. 

Others use repression: they actually hear the news and then forget everything they hear. The combination of repression and denial is what I see when I witness public figures still shaking hands, touching microphones, or not wearing a mask.  Some use regression: yelling, fighting, throwing tantrums at the store and in their homes. Some use reaction formation: acting the opposite of how they really feel.  I imagine many front line health workers are using that defense mechanism.

Sadly, some are using displacement, diverting their anger from the source to a different target (usually a weaker one). So, they are yelling at significant others, children, strangers because they want to yell at the virus and make it stay far away from themselves and those they care about.

Whatever mechanisms you are using to ease your anxiety, try to be kind to yourself and others. We need each other right now.