Defense mechanisms are unconscious psychological strategies used by individuals to protect themselves from anxiety, emotional conflict, stress, or unacceptable thoughts and feelings. Sigmund Freud introduced the concept of defense mechanisms, and later Anna Freud elaborated on how they operate in everyday life. These mechanisms help individuals maintain emotional balance by reducing psychological discomfort. While defense mechanisms are normal and often useful in the short term, excessive reliance on them may interfere with healthy emotional development and interpersonal relationships. Three commonly observed defense mechanisms are repression, projection, and rationalization. Repression is one of the most fundamental defense mechanisms. It involves unconsciously pushing painful, disturbing, or unacceptable thoughts, memories, or feelings out of conscious awareness. The individual is not deliberately trying to forget; instead, the mind automatically keeps distressing experiences hidden to reduce emotional pain. Repressed memories may continue to influence behavior, emotions, and relationships even though the person is unaware of them. For example, a child who experiences a frightening accident may have no conscious memory of the event as an adult but