• Often when you have feelings for a guy, you start imagining that he also likes you. You start telling your friends that he is hitting on you and that you don't really care much.

This kind of behaviour is called projection. You tend to do this when you cannot accept your feelings or fears. You fear that your feelings will not be reciprocated.

• You had a fight with your mother but you refuse to clear things out. You simply don't talk to her and avoid her throughout the day.

Passive aggression can lead to a lot of problems such as irritability, unwanted stress and unreasonable anger within oneself.

Also Read: Does Your Mum Run Your Life?

Is it Healthy to use Defence Mechanisms?

If you use defence mechanisms to strengthen your emotional stability in order to deal with life's inadequacies, it is healthy.

Dr Anand explains that when a woman uses fantasy to improve her love life and bring about some changes to the relationship, it is healthy. However, if she fantasises about a stunning actor and expects her husband to look and behave like him, she will certainly feel unsatisfied in her relationship.

Sometimes traumatic instances of childhood such as child abuse and accidents are suppressed by the mind so that we don't get affected. This is a natural defence mechanism that happens in the unconscious mind.

If you have just been through a break-up and you keep telling yourself that life is still good and you have several things to look forward to you are using defence mechanisms in the right manner.