A young adult's chief complaint is "seizure fits." A chart review shows a negative EEG report and a normal neurological consultation report. A psychosocial history reveals increased family stress, bankruptcy, and a recent divorce
The nurse recognizes that this young man's pseudo-seizures most likely are an example of which unconscious coping mechanism?
a. Compensation
b. Conversion
c. Dissociation
d. Denial
ANS: B
A conversion reaction is an ego defense mechanism that involves repressing an anxiety-producing conflict and transforming it into a nonorganic symptom such as difficulty sleeping, loss of appetite, or sudden blindness without medical cause. Compensation is making up for a deficiency in one aspect of self-image by strongly emphasizing a feature considered an asset. Dissociation involves experiencing a subjective sense of numbing and a reduced awareness of one's surroundings. Denial is seen as avoiding emotional conflicts by refusing to consciously acknowledge anything that causes intolerable emotional pain.
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