Question

A nurse in an outpatient mental health clinic is caring for four clients. The nurse should recognize that which of the following clients is effectively using sublimation as a defense mechanism?

a. A client who engages in excessive eating when stressed
b. A client who attends anger management classes
c. A client who expresses emotions through creative writing
d. A client who withdraws from social interactions

Answer 1

The client who expresses emotions through creative writing is effectively using sublimation, which is a defense mechanism where negative urges are transformed into positive actions.

Step-by-step explanation:

The student is asking about sublimation as a defense mechanism. Freud identified sublimation as a mature type of defense mechanism where negative urges and impulses are transformed into positive, socially acceptable actions. Given the four options, the client who expresses emotions through creative writing is the one effectively using sublimation as a defense mechanism.

Eating excessively when stressed (option a) could be viewed as an unhealthy coping mechanism, attending anger management classes (option b) is a deliberate action to deal with anger, and withdrawing from social interactions (option d) could be a sign of avoidance or regression rather than sublimation.