What distinguishes "repression" from "suppression"?

Repression and suppression are both defense mechanisms used to manage anxiety and emotional distress, but they operate in fundamentally different ways.

Repression involves the unconscious blocking of distressing thoughts, memories, or impulses from conscious awareness. This means that the individual is not even aware that the thoughts or memories are present; they are buried deep in the unconscious mind. This can manifest as forgetting traumatic events or feelings that one cannot confront.

On the other hand, suppression is a conscious and intentional effort to deal with distressing thoughts or feelings by ignoring or temporarily setting them aside. When a person suppresses thoughts or emotions, they are aware of them and actively choose to not focus on them at that moment.

Therefore, the distinction that highlights repression as the involuntary blocking of thoughts and suppression as a conscious decision to ignore them accurately captures the essence of these mechanisms. Understanding this difference is vital in psychoanalysis and therapy, as it impacts how individuals manage their emotional states and trauma.