Jill insists over and over that she loves her mother. However, her mother is a long-time hypochondriac who fakes illness after illness. Currently, her mother's alleged ill health has required Jill to give up an independent social life. Jill might be suspected of displaying the defense mechanism of

Question

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Reaction formation is a defense mechanism where an individual acts in a manner opposite to their actual feelings. In this case, Jill might be expressing excessive love for her mother as a way to counteract or deny her possible resentment or frustration towards her mother's behavior and its impact on her life.

Jill Insists Over and Over That She Loves Her Mother