Which defense is depicted by the statement, 'I drink because it's the only way I can deal with my bad marriage and my worse job'?

• A. Denial
• B. Rationalization
• C. Projection
• D. Sublimation

Answer: (B)

Rationalization is the defense where someone justifies an unacceptable behavior with plausible, logical-sounding reasons to make it seem acceptable. In this statement, drinking is presented as the only way to deal with a bad marriage and a worse job, which provides a seemingly reasonable excuse for why the person drinks. The underlying motive—using alcohol to cope with distress—remains unexamined, but the speaker frames the behavior as a necessary solution rather than a problematic coping strategy.

This isn’t denial, since the problems are acknowledged. It isn’t projection, because there’s no claiming that others feel a certain way. It isn’t sublimation, since the impulse isn’t redirected into a constructive outlet.