Question

A nurse is caring for a client who states, my boss accused me of stealing yesterday. I was so angry I went to the gym and worked out. The nurse should recognize the client is demonstrating which of the following mechanisms?

A. Displacement
B. Regression
C. Suppression
D. Sublimation

Answer 1

The described behavior, where a client redirects anger from an accusation into a constructive activity like working out, exemplifies the defense mechanism of sublimation.

Step-by-step explanation:

The situation described by the student in which a person goes to the gym to work out after experiencing anger due to an accusation of theft by their employer is an example of a defense mechanism called sublimation. Sublimation is a mature type of defense mechanism wherein a person channels potentially disruptive emotions or impulses into socially acceptable forms of expression. Instead of acting on angry feelings in a negative or harmful way, the individual uses exercise, which is a constructive and healthy activity, to cope with the stress and emotional turmoil.