
28. How Defense Mechanisms Show Up in Relationships (and Leave Everyone Feeling Misunderstood)
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About this listen
Ever wonder why someone flips out over simple feedback? Or why you feel like you’re walking on eggshells around certain people?
This episode breaks down how ego strength (or the lack of it) impacts your self-talk and emotional regulation, as well as how people perceive (or distort) reality and show up in relationships. Whether you’re someone who tends to spiral in shame or you’re trying to make sense of someone else’s defensiveness, we help you decode the emotional roots beneath the behavior.
YOU'LL LEARN:
- How a strong ego helps you handle feedback, self-soothe, and show up with integrity
- What a weak ego looks like in others (think denial, blame, and projection)
- Why fragile egos can’t handle feedback and often push others away
- How to tell if someone is emotionally mature or stuck in a primitive defense mechanism
- How trauma creates fragmented identities and fuels people-pleasing or narcissism
- What to look for when you’re trying to tell if someone is emotionally safe
This is a must listen if you’re trying to understand your own reactions and stop getting stuck in confusing, emotionally draining relationships. You’ll leave with insight, clarity, and the language to spot these patterns in yourself and others, so you can stop overfunctioning and start protecting your peace.
SOURCES: Excerpts read from the book "Psychoanalytic Diagnosis: Understanding Personality Structure in the Clinical Process" by Nancy McWilliams, Ph.D, ABPP
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