Final answer:
In Freud's theory, repression is a defense mechanism by which the ego pushes anxiety-inducing thoughts and memories out of conscious awareness to protect itself. This unconscious process serves to reduce anxiety, but overreliance on such mechanisms can lead to psychological problems.
Step-by-step explanation:
In the defense mechanism known as repression, the ego pushes unacceptable impulses out of awareness. Sigmund Freud believed that when individuals face events, feelings, or desires that cause anxiety, they may unconsciously choose to forget these experiences to reduce their anxiety. An example might be ignoring a strange noise from your car due to the inability to afford repairs, equatable to repressing a memory or thought that is too difficult to handle.
Freud argued that the ego employs various defense mechanisms unconsciously to protect itself from being overwhelmed by anxiety. These mechanisms include repression, but there are also others like reaction formation, regression, and projection, each serving to distort reality in some way to manage stress or conflict. Overuse of these mechanisms can be problematic and indicative of psychological issues.