When a patient states "I am not mad, he is," what defense mechanism are they employing?

The patient stating "I am not mad, he is" exemplifies projection as a defense mechanism. In this scenario, the individual is attributing their own feelings of anger onto someone else instead of acknowledging those feelings within themselves. This mechanism allows the person to protect their self-image and avoid dealing with the uncomfortable emotions directly. By convincing themselves that someone else is the one experiencing the anger, they can sidestep their own feelings of madness or frustration.

Projection often serves as a way for individuals to avoid confronting their own thoughts and feelings, which can be distressing. This can lead to misunderstandings and conflicts in relationships, as the projected feelings don't accurately reflect the dynamics of the situation. In contrast, other defense mechanisms like denial, repression, and intellectualization involve different processes of coping with uncomfortable emotions or thoughts, but they do not fit this specific example of shifting one’s emotions onto another person.