What is suppression and how does it affect mental health?

Psychoanalystsdefinesuppression(1) as a maturedefense mechanism. In addition, it is the conscious or semi-conscious decision not to act on impulse. It is the opposite of inhibition, which is a merely unconscious decision.

In other words, suppression meanskeeping unwanted thoughts hiddenin our unconscious.

However, that does not mean that it does not affect us, but quite the opposite, since it conditions us from a place in shadow. Here’s everything you need to know about deletion.

What is deletion?

According to the renowned psychoanalyst, Freud(2), suppressionis a conscious process of inhibition(3). That is, by suppressing weknow what makes us bador what could generate internal conflicts and, in this way, we decide what we want to remove from our daily thoughts.

Note: Suppressing implies removing from our focus everything we want to avoid and we keep it as if we were hiding it in the bottom of a drawer in our mind.

Features of deletion

Suppressioncan have both a positive and negative connotation(4). Like anydefense mechanism, it is part of the normal functioning of our behavior.

However, when used excessively and inappropriately,it can become a pathological and negative behavior. Here are its features:

It constitutes a defense mechanism

As we mentioned before, suppression is a defense mechanism. From birth we use several defense mechanisms toadapt to the different circumstancesof life and protect ourselves against any person or situation of danger(5).

Reduce a behavior by applying an aversive stimulus

People who usesuppressive defense mechanisms(6) consciouslyavoid acting ina certain way, since itgenerates an aversioneither to the action itself or to the context.

What does this mean? For example, someone who is attracted to a co-workermay have an impulse to send them an email or request on a social network.

However, he suppresses it and limits his relationship to the workplace,since he considers that it is not correct to mix personal life with work. That’s a good example of how thisSelf Defense Mechanism Works.

It implies removing what causes conflicts in the psyche

By using defense mechanisms, we form a system to protect ourselves from everything that harms us emotionally or mentally (7)

Note: By suppressing we are aware that this impulse can harm us and, therefore, we decide to avoid it, removing it from our thoughts and our daily actions.

It is done consciously

The person who acts in this way

It is linked to denial and repression

By suppressing one it denies and rejects certain natural ways of acting. In this defense mechanism, the person who takes refuge in it can act by excusing himself with certain things, such as: that the environment is not correct, the context is not indicated, among others.

Important: It is necessary to accept our emotions and impulses, since by denying them we only hide them. Therefore, it is key to form a solid emotional intelligence and, in any case, receive help from a professional. (9)

Has adaptive functionality

Like any defense mechanism, suppression is one of the ways in which we seek to adaptto fit in and coexist in society. Since, we consider that certain impulses and ways of acting are not correct and we must avoid them.(10)

If we do not act in this way, it is likely that our behaviors in daily life are not correct. It is likely that this way of inhibiting us can generate conflicts or disagreement both in ourselves and in those around us.

Effects of withdrawal on mental health

As we saw before, suppression can have both a positive and a negative connotation. It will depend on whether we have resorted to deletion judiciously or if we have gone too far with it.

If we use it in a coherent and limited way,it should be positive. Otherwise, we invite you to read the following effects to take into account.

Improves well-being and gratification

By avoiding the behaviors that generate us aversion, we feel gratified and positive, since we consider that our actions are the correct one. (eleven)

Note: By feeling this way, our actions and behavior change, allowing us to relax from day to day and focus on new goals and objectives with a healthier and more positive approach.

Keeps the focus on the positive

As with any defense mechanism, when we resort to it, we reject thoughts and impulses that cause us some kind of discomfort or make us feel uncomfortable with our thoughts.

In this way, we can focus on those behaviors , information and thoughts in which we feel good.

Combat dysfunctional thought patterns

We call dysfunctional thought patterns all the negative thoughts that cause us discomfort and an uncomfortable feeling such as anger, sadness, among others. (12)

Note: By suppressing them we avoid focusing on things, situations, and thoughts that do us harm.

Reduces negative emotions

As we mentioned earlier, by suppressing we take the focus off our negative emotions. That means that, by paying less attention to it, they are reduced by inertia.

Allows you to be aware of feelings

By recognizing what is doing us wrong, we can raise awareness of what is doing us good.

For this , it is essential to know ourselves well and know how we feelafter each type of thought. In this way, we can choose to focus on everything that generates positive feelings and sensations.

Promotes balance in the face of conflicts

Recognizing and avoiding any impulse that we consider conflicting makes relationships possible in a healthier and more balanced way.

This will bring us not only well-being on a personal level, but at the same time, we will create a positive climate in the environments in which we operate.

Key Findings

• Suppression is a defense mechanism.
• It is a way of protecting our psyche.
• It allows us to bring negative thoughts and impulses to consciousness.
• By suppressing these thoughts and impulses we can focus on the positive.
• Continuous and/or inappropriate use of it should not be made, since it can become pathological behavior.