Psychological Defense Style Profile

Please rate how frequently each statement applies to you. Be honest with yourself for the most accurate results.

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1. I tend to ignore problems, hoping they will just go away.

2. Even when confronted with clear evidence, I find it hard to accept painful truths.

3. I act as if a stressful situation isn't really happening.

4. After a bad day at work, I might be irritable with my family or friends.

5. If I am angry at someone powerful, I might take it out on someone less threatening.

6. I sometimes get upset about small things when I'm actually stressed about something bigger.

7. I often escape into daydreams when life gets too difficult.

8. I prefer to imagine a perfect outcome rather than deal with my current reality.

9. I have a rich inner world that I retreat to when I'm feeling stressed.

10. I feel a personal sense of pride when a team I support or a person I admire succeeds.

11. To feel more secure, I try to associate myself with powerful or successful people.

12. I sometimes adopt the mannerisms or opinions of people I look up to.

13. When dealing with an emotional event, I prefer to focus on the facts and data.

14. I analyze my feelings from a detached, logical perspective rather than just feeling them.

15. I prefer to research a problem rather than experience the emotions associated with it.

16. I often get the feeling that people are untrustworthy or have bad intentions.

17. When I feel angry, I often notice that other people around me seem hostile.

18. If I am feeling insecure, I might accuse others of being arrogant.

19. When I don't get something I want, I convince myself it wasn't that great anyway.

20. I can always find a good, logical reason for my actions, even if others question them.

21. I justify my mistakes by explaining all the external factors that caused them.

22. I am overly nice and polite to people I secretly dislike.

23. I am a strong advocate against behaviors that I sometimes feel tempted by.

24. My outward behavior is often the complete opposite of how I feel inside.

25. When I'm under extreme stress, I might act childishly (e.g., pout or throw a tantrum).

26. I find myself wanting to be cared for and coddled when facing big challenges.

27. In difficult situations, I sometimes find myself acting much younger than my age.

28. I often have gaps in my memory when it comes to stressful past events.

29. People tell me I seem unaware of my true feelings about a situation.

30. I am sometimes surprised by my own reactions, as if I didn't know I felt that way.

31. When I feel frustrated or angry, I channel it into a workout, a project, or my job.

32. I turn my intense emotions into creative work, like art, music, or writing.

33. My most difficult experiences have inspired my greatest achievements.

34. When a worrying thought comes to mind, I can consciously decide to put it aside for later.

35. I can 'switch off' my emotions temporarily to focus on a task at hand.

36. I make a deliberate effort not to dwell on things that I can't change right now.

37. When I am feeling down, helping someone else makes me feel better.

38. I often put other people's needs before my own, especially when I'm struggling.

39. My response to personal pain is to try and relieve the pain of others.