Answer: Regression.
Regression is a defense mechanism leading to reversion of the ego to an earlier stage of psychological development instead of handling in a more adult way.
In Aaliyah's case, she got stuck in the oral stage. This stage goes from birth to eighteen months of
age. The
main focus is pleasure seeking through the infant’s
mouth, they need to taste and suck. if not, the infant will be fixated
leading to adult habits such as smoking, thumb-sucking, over-eating, and
baiting nails.
