Chris spends most of the time before his surgery calmly discussing the death rates associated with the surgery with his doctor and reading all the latest medical articles on his disease. He says that his illness is an interesting opportunity to learn more about medicine. Freud would say that Chris is using ________ to deal with his illness.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Chris is using intellectualization, which is a defense mechanism where an individual deals with stress and anxiety by analyzing and rationalizing the situation in a scholarly and unemotional manner. He is coping with his illness by trying to gain as much knowledge about it as possible.

Chris Spends Most of the Time Before His Surgery Calmly