Defence mechanisms

Developmental and anti-developmental defences: Defences are paradoxical
in that they are an essential aspect of human psychological activity; they
can foster development or they can hinder it. Defences may start off by
providing protection for the ego but if never given up they can interfere
with healthy development. For example, in Klein’s theory of the `paranoidschizoid
position’, the achievement of binary splitting of the self and object
into `good’ and `bad’ protects the fragile immature ego and is a prerequisite
for ego organisation and healthy development. However, if splitting
is rigidly retained and knowledge of reality defended against, splitting is
destructive of development.