Editing Introjection (section)

===As a defense mechanism=== 
It is considered a self-stabilizing [[Defence mechanisms|defense mechanism]] used when there is a lack of full psychological contact between a child and the adults providing that child's psychological needs.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kBVWDwAAQBAJ&dq=Introjection+relational+mechanism&pg=PT35|title=Relational Patterns, Therapeutic Presence: Concepts and Practice of Integrative Psychotherapy|last=Erskine|first=Richard G.|date=2018-04-17|publisher=Routledge|isbn=9780429918513|language=en}}</ref> In other words, it provides the illusion of maintaining relationship but at the expense of a loss of [[self]].<ref name=":0" /> To use a simple example, a person who picks up traits from their friends is introjecting.

Another straightforward illustration could be a youngster who is being bullied at school. Unknowingly adopting the bully's behavior, the victim youngster may do so to stop being picked on in the future.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Introjection, Internalization, Identification, Oh My! |url=https://therapistdevelopmentcenter.com/blog/introjection-internalization-identification-oh-my |access-date=2023-08-26 |website=Therapist Development Center |language=en}}</ref>

[[Psychological projection|Projection]] has been described as an early phase of introjection.<ref name="pmid15577283">{{cite journal |author=Malancharuvil JM |title=Projection, introjection, and projective identification: a reformulation |journal=Am J Psychoanal |volume=64 |issue=4 |pages=375–82 |date=December 2004 |pmid=15577283 |doi=10.1007/s11231-004-4325-y |s2cid=19730486 |url=http://www.kluweronline.com/art.pdf?issn=0002-9548&volume=64&page=375}}</ref>