Acting Out: Defense mechanisms by Sigmund Freud
Acting out can be looked upon as one of the defense mechanisms by which the unconscious protects itself against being uncovered by the ego. In therapy acting out can be viewed as one of the borderline defenses. Based on the Vaillant classification, this defense mechanism is part of the Immature Defenses category. Acting Out Defense Mechanism Explanation There are many possible definitions of "acting out". In brief, you may define that as particular behavior, leading to the actions instead of experiencing the corresponding feeling. In the broadest sense, we talk about acting out when a person unconsciously uses action or any non-verbal communication or psychosomatic symptom instead of getting in touch with his true feelings, instead of acknowledging to himself and putting into words what he really feels and experiences inside himself. Therefore, acting out is performing an extreme behavior in order to express thoughts or feelings the person feels incapable of otherwise express...