Most notably used by Sigmund Freud in his psychoanalytic theory, a defense mechanism is a tactic developed by the ego to protect against anxiety.
Neurotic anxietyis the unconscious worry that we will lose control of the id's urges, resulting in punishment for inappropriate behavior.
Reality anxietyis fear of real-world events. The cause of this anxiety is usually easily identified. For example, a person might fear receiving a dog bite when they are near a menacing dog. The most common way of reducing this anxiety is to avoid the threatening object.
Moral anxietyinvolves a fear of violating our own moral principles.