A nurse is caring for an adolescent on an inpatient mental health unit who is undergoing detoxification for a substance use disorder. He tells the nurse that he first began using illicit drugs when his parents wouldn't allow him to get a tattoo. Which of the following defense mechanisms is the client demonstrating?

Suppression

Intellectualization

Dissociation

Projection

Answer and Explanation

The Correct Answer is D

Projection is a defense mechanism where an individual attributes their own thoughts, feelings, or impulses onto someone else. In this case, the client is attributing the cause of their drug use to their parents not allowing them to get a tattoo. By projecting their desire for a tattoo onto their parents' decision, the client is displacing their own feelings onto an external factor.

Incorrect:

A. Suppression: Suppression involves consciously pushing away or blocking unwanted thoughts, feelings, or impulses. The client's statement does not indicate an attempt to suppress any thoughts or emotions related to their drug use; instead, they are openly discussing the reason for their substance use.

B. Intellectualization: Intellectualization involves using excessive reasoning or logic to avoid acknowledging or experiencing associated emotions. The client's statement does not reflect intellectualization, as they are not overly relying on intellectual processes or attempting to detach themselves from the emotional aspects of their behavior.

C. Dissociation: Dissociation involves a temporary disconnection from thoughts, feelings, or memories to avoid emotional distress. The client's statement does not demonstrate dissociation, as they are connecting their drug use to a specific event and cause.

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Correct Answer is A

Explanation

A situational crisis is a type of crisis that occurs in response to a specific event or situation that disrupts a person's usual coping mechanisms. In this case, the sudden death of the client's partner has caused significant distress and an inability to cope with work and family responsibilities. The client's feelings of paralysis and inability to function indicate a response to the specific situation they are facing.

Incorrect:

B- Developmental crisis refers to crises that arise during normal stages of growth and development, such as adolescence or midlife crisis.

C- A maturational crisis involves a crisis that occurs as a result of the normal process of aging and the associated challenges and changes that come with it.

D- Adventitious crisis refers to crises that arise from unpredictable, uncommon events that are out of the ordinary, such as natural disasters or accidents.

A. Displacement B. Reaction formation C. Denial D. Rationalization

Correct Answer is C

Explanation

Answer: C

Rationale:

A) Displacement:

Displacement involves redirecting emotions or feelings from the original source to a safer or more acceptable substitute. In this scenario, the client is not redirecting their feelings about their condition onto another person or object, so displacement does not apply.

B) Reaction formation:

Reaction formation is when a person behaves in a way that is opposite to their actual feelings or thoughts to conceal them. The client is not expressing the opposite of their true feelings about their condition; instead, they are downplaying the seriousness of their diagnosis.

C) Denial:

Denial involves refusing to accept reality or facts, thus blocking external events from awareness. By believing that proper diet and exercise alone will make the joint pain go away, the client is refusing to accept the chronic nature of their condition and its long-term implications.

D) Rationalization:

Rationalization involves creating logical reasons or excuses for behaviors or feelings to avoid facing the true reasons. The client is not making excuses or trying to justify their feelings; instead, they are denying the chronic nature of their arthritis, which makes denial the correct defense mechanism in this context.

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Naxlex Comprehensive Predictor Exams

A nurse is caring for a client following the recent, sudden death of his partner. The client says, "I feel paralyzed and can't seem to cope with work or family responsibilities anymore." Which of the following types of crisis is the client demonstrating?

Correct Answer is A

Explanation

Correct Answer is C

Explanation

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