What is the Difference Between Repression and Suppression?

The main difference between repression and suppression is that suppression is a conscious effort, while repression is an unconscious strategy to remove unwanted memories or emotions from a person's mind. Both repression and suppression are defense mechanisms that individuals use to cope with stress, anxiety, and other negative feelings, but they manifest differently:

• Repression: This is an unconscious mental act where anxious or distressing memories or thoughts are pushed out of consciousness, continuing to function in secret. Repressed thoughts or memories are not easily retrieved from consciousness and may lead to more severe consequences when the unconscious feelings control our actions.
• Suppression: This is a conscious act and a choice that individuals purposely make to ignore or forget something on purpose. Suppression involves intentionally dealing with unpleasant but not morally reprehensible thoughts or actions, such as focusing on one problem at a time and suppressing other issues until the primary concern is resolved.

In summary, repression is an unconscious defense mechanism that pushes unwanted thoughts or memories out of consciousness, while suppression is a conscious effort to ignore or forget something intentionally.

Comparative Table: Repression vs Suppression

The main difference between repression and suppression lies in the consciousness of the process. Repression is an automatic and involuntary defense mechanism, while suppression is a deliberate and voluntary act. Here is a table highlighting the differences between repression and suppression:

Repression involves unconsciously blocking out unpleasant thoughts, feelings, and impulses, while suppression is the conscious act of pushing unwanted thoughts, emotions, or experiences aside for a period of time. Both are defense mechanisms, but they function differently in terms of conscious awareness and control.