Defense mechanisms: is it psychologically unhealthy to NOT have any?

Question

Defense mechanisms: is it psychologically unhealthy to NOT have any?

Answer 1

Yes, it would be  unhealthy to not have any.  Without defense mechanisms, you could be swamped by events and emotions, unable to do what you might need to do to survive.  Defense mechanisms are like the surge protectors on our electronic devises, they save us from blowing out when too much comes our way too fast.

Answer 2

Holy Cow!  You really need your defense mechanisms whether physical or psychological.  Lots of people are criticized - "you have too many defense mechanisms" - and perhaps it's true.  But it's preferable to too few defense mechanisms.

You have defense mechanisms because you've been hurt.  You might not remember it which then produces defense mechanisms which don't make any sense.  But they wouldn't be there without a reason.

Defense mechanisms are like Defense Spending in this country - they're expensive - we spend far too much to build bombs and keep up a military.  In the same way people spend far too much of their psychic energy on defenses.  But the only way out of that is to think, discuss and understand why you have defense mechanisms and whether you can afford to let them go.  Some of them might be far out of date now.

Answer 3

Defense mechanisms are not just bad for your mind, emotions, but also for the body. During these times, the body will excert effort far beyond normal and it will stress itself. Psychologically, the mind itself will work as hard as it could to protect you from anything.

However, body defense mechanisms are there for a reason. It will strain both mind and body but you will live. In danger, the body reacts by producing hormones to quicken the heartbeat to deliver the blood all over the body. The mind will be processing everything a lot faster, slowing time down. You just have to choose, fight or flight. If you choose flight, then you will be like an olympic runner (trust me, running for your life is something). If fight, your muscles will react as well. It will  ignore a lot of stress signs to keep you going.

Answer 4

It would be,

But everyone does infact have defense mechanisms, for example we all have represion built into us, this is where our brain will take "harmful" memories and take them from the conscious to the unconscious part of the brain,

So to not have any would be an absolute extramity and bad yes.

Why do you ask?