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Creative adaptation
Creative adaptation patterns, also known as defense mechanisms, are unconscious strategies we use to protect ourselves from negative thoughts or feelings. Defense mechanisms are not necessarily bad, as they can help us navigate through painful experiences. However, they become problematic when used too often or for too long.
We adapt in all situations and relationships we find ourselves in, and we often do this completely without being aware of it. The pattern for this adaptation has been created through previous experiences, and can in many cases lead to us reaching out and suppressing our own reactions and needs. The creative adaptation can, among other things, take the form of:
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Projection - you attribute qualities and feelings to someone else
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Deflection - you keep diverting away from the real problem
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Introjection - you adapt to how you think you "should" be
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Denial - you refuse to see the situation for what it is
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Confluence - you lose your own impulses, desires and needs