The refusal to accept difficult, threatening, or painful situations is a defense mechanism that Freud called ____________.

A) reaction formation
B) regression
C) identification
D) denial

The defense mechanism in which an individual refuses to accept difficult, threatening, or painful situations is denial. This is a common defensive strategy used to protect oneself from experiencing negative emotions or thoughts. Freud believed that this defense mechanism is used when reality is too painful to accept, and instead of acknowledging it, the individual denies its existence.