reaction formation

n. A primitive defense mechanism in which the individual covers up painful unconscious realities by conveying and feeling the opposite emotional experience. For example, an individual may unconsciously feel anger and frustration toward his/her mother but feel that this anger is much too destructive to convey directly. In a complicated unconscious process the individual identifies only with positive experiences of his/her mother and conveys these experiences in a single-minded manner. Reaction formation is notable in that the conveyance of positive experience often appears too strong and lacks any depth or subtlety. As with most defense mechanisms, this process is unconscious: the individual using this defense mechanism is only aware of his or her positive experience and is oblivious to the more intensely negative unconscious experiences. – DGa