A nurse is assessing a young adult client who has a new diagnosis of Idiopathic Juvenile arthritis. The client states. "The pain in my joints is just a temporary thing. If I keep eating right and exercising, it'll go away." The nurse should identify that the client is using which of the following defense mechanisms?

Projection is a defense mechanism where an individual attributes their own thoughts, feelings, or impulses onto someone else. In this case, the client is attributing the cause of their drug use to their parents not allowing them to get a tattoo. By projecting their desire for a tattoo onto their parents' decision, the client is displacing their own feelings onto an external factor.

Incorrect:

A. Suppression: Suppression involves consciously pushing away or blocking unwanted thoughts, feelings, or impulses. The client's statement does not indicate an attempt to suppress any thoughts or emotions related to their drug use; instead, they are openly discussing the reason for their substance use.

B. Intellectualization: Intellectualization involves using excessive reasoning or logic to avoid acknowledging or experiencing associated emotions. The client's statement does not reflect intellectualization, as they are not overly relying on intellectual processes or attempting to detach themselves from the emotional aspects of their behavior.

C. Dissociation: Dissociation involves a temporary disconnection from thoughts, feelings, or memories to avoid emotional distress. The client's statement does not demonstrate dissociation, as they are connecting their drug use to a specific event and cause.

Answer: C

Rationale:

A) Displacement:

Displacement involves redirecting emotions or feelings from the original source to a safer or more acceptable substitute. In this scenario, the client is not redirecting their feelings about their condition onto another person or object, so displacement does not apply.

B) Reaction formation:

Reaction formation is when a person behaves in a way that is opposite to their actual feelings or thoughts to conceal them. The client is not expressing the opposite of their true feelings about their condition; instead, they are downplaying the seriousness of their diagnosis.

C) Denial:

Denial involves refusing to accept reality or facts, thus blocking external events from awareness. By believing that proper diet and exercise alone will make the joint pain go away, the client is refusing to accept the chronic nature of their condition and its long-term implications.

D) Rationalization:

Rationalization involves creating logical reasons or excuses for behaviors or feelings to avoid facing the true reasons. The client is not making excuses or trying to justify their feelings; instead, they are denying the chronic nature of their arthritis, which makes denial the correct defense mechanism in this context.