This article is very important and you will see some of this material on your test. To eliminate thought distortions and thus eliminate self-imposed stress, one has to practice NOT permitting thought distortions to seep in. If you were raised with a family who used any of these thought distortions on a habitual basis, it is a hard habit to break, but it really is only a habit of mind and not a reflection of how things operate in the real world. Your text explains hardiness, which is a quality of people who appear to be under a great deal of stress but don't feel that way. Hardy people feel in control of their lives, they are deeply committed to their work and their value systems, and they experience difficult demands as challenging rather than frightening.
Direct coping can involve confrontation, compromise, or withdrawal.
It may sound odd that withdrawal is considered a form of direct coping, but if there is no possibility of success in getting what you want, withdrawal is often the only sensible course of action. Defense mechanisms are explained very comprehensively in your text, so I will not re-define them. The chart on page 489 is excellent. Defense mechanisms all involve a distortion of reality. If you are in a situation where there is absolutely nothing you can do and the anxiety is horrific, or if you have done something to be ashamed of, you will probably resort to the use of defense mechanisms.