Final answer:
Repression is an unconscious defense mechanism where anxiety-causing memories are blocked from consciousness. It serves as a protective measure to reduce anxiety. Denial, on the other hand, involves refusing to acknowledge painful realities and is related but distinct from repression.
Step-by-step explanation:
The defense mechanism of repression involves the unconscious blocking of unacceptable thoughts, feelings, or impulses, making the individual unaware of their existence. It is a protective behavior employed by the ego to reduce anxiety. For example, analogous to turning up the radio to avoid hearing an unsettling noise from your car, the psyche represses overwhelming memories to prevent them from entering conscious awareness. This is typically done without the individual realizing it, and can sometimes surface through various symptoms or behaviors in other areas of life.
Another related mechanism is denial, which involves refusing to accept reality or fact, acting as if a painful event, thought, or feeling did not exist. It is a defense mechanism where individuals deny anything that can cause them pain or distress. Sigmund Freud posited that the overuse of such defense mechanisms could become problematic, indicating a struggle within the individual between their unconscious and conscious thoughts and feelings.