A mother brings her 7-year-old daughter to the clinic after several nights of bedwetting. The mother explains that her daughter never wet the bed until her baby brother was born. The nurse explains that this situation is considered what defense mechanism?

Explanation

•Regression is the reversion to an earlier stage of development. This is common in children when exposed to new stressors, such as a new sibling.

•Repression is the attempt to repel one's own desires and impulses by excluding it from one's consciousness.

•Projection is attributing one's own unacceptable or unwanted thoughts to another person.

•Dissociation is a temporary and drastic modification to one's character or identity to avoid emotional distress.

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