passive aggressive behavior

8/3/2019 Passive Aggressive Behavior

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PASSIVE-AGGRESSIVEBEHAVIOR


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PASSIVE-AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIOR

is dealing with expectations in interpersonal oroccupational situations in an obstructionist or hostilemanner that indicates aggression,

expressing aggression in non-assertive (i.e. passiveor indirect) ways.

seen in some cases as a personality trait or disorder

marked by a prevalent pattern of negativeattitudes and passive, usually denied, resistance ininterpersonal or occupational situations.


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It can manifest itself as learned helplessness,procrastination (delaying) , stubbornness,resentment (bitterness) , sullenness (moodiness)n, or

deliberate/repeated failure to accomplishrequested tasks for which one is (often explicitly)responsible.

The passive-aggressive concept was developed by

the US military to describe soldiers who would notobey instructions happily.


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SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS

Ambiguity (Vagueness) or speaking cryptically: ameans of creating a feeling of insecurity in others orof disguising one's own insecurities.

Intentional Inefficiency: Intentionally being late andforgetting things, another way to exert control or topunish.

Convenient forgetfulness: To win any argument with

a dishonest denial of actual events. Fear of competition


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SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS

Fear of dependency

Fear of intimacy as a means to act out anger: the

passiveaggressive often cannot trust. Because of

this, they guard themselves against becomingintimately attached to someone.

Making chaotic situations

Making excuses for non-performance in work teams


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SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS

Obstructionism - sabotage, time-wasting,

Procrastination - delaying, postponement

Sulking smirking, pouting , (to showdisappointment, anger, or resentment, usually insilence)

Victimization response: instead of recognizing one'sown weaknesses, tendency to blame others for own

failures.


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THE DSM-IV DEFINITION

A pervasive pattern of negativistic attitudes and passiveresistance to demands for adequate performance, beginningby early adulthood and present in a variety of contexts, asindicated by four (or more) of the following:

passively resists fulfilling routine social and occupational tasks complains of being misunderstood and unappreciated by others

is sullen and argumentative

unreasonably criticizes and scorns authority

expresses envy and resentment toward those apparently morefortunate

voices exaggerated and persistent complaints of personal misfortune alternates between hostile defiance and contrition

Does not occur exclusively during major depressiveepisodes and is not better accounted for by dysthymicdisorder.


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The World Health Organization's ICD-10 lists passiveaggressive personality disorder under Other

specific personality disorders.


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CAUSES

specific childhood stimulus - (e.g., alcohol/drugaddicted parents)

in an environment where it was not safe to express

frustration or anger

Families in which the honest expression of feelings isforbidden tend to teach children to repress and

deny their feelings and to use other channels to

express their frustration. Children who sugarcoat hostility may have

difficulties being assertive.


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Never developing better coping strategies or skills

for self-expression, they can become adults who,

beneath a "seductive veneer", "harbor vindictiveintent

Martin Kantor suggests three areas that contribute

to passiveaggressive anger in individuals: conflicts

about dependency, control, and competition


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TREATMENT

Psychodynamic -

supportive,

cognitive behavioral and

interpersonal therapeutic methods


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PSYCHODYNAMIC PSYCHOTHERAPY

patients become increasingly aware ofdynamic conflicts and tensions that aremanifesting as a symptom or challenge intheir lives. Together with the clinician,patients are assisted to bring conflictingaspects of their self into awareness, andthrough time, begin to integrate theconflicting parts and resolve aspects of thetension.


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Supportive psychotherapy is a psychotherapeuticapproach thatintegrates psychodynamic, cognitive-behavioral,

and interpersonal conceptual models andtechniques.

The objective of the therapist is to reinforce thepatient's healthy and adaptive patterns of thought

behaviors in order to reduce the intrapsychicconflicts that produce symptoms of mentaldisorders.


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COGNITIVE BEHAVIORALTHERAPY (CBT)

a psychotherapeutic approach: a talking therapy.CBT aims to solve problems concerningdysfunctional emotions, behaviors and cognitions

through a goal-oriented, systematic procedure inthe present.

CBT is effective for the treatment of a variety ofproblems, including mood, anxiety, personality,

eating, substance abuse, and psychotic disorders


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INTERPERSONALPSYCHOTHERAPY (IPT)

is a time-limited psychotherapy that focuses on theinterpersonal context and on building interpersonalskills.

IPT aims to change the person's interpersonalbehavior by fostering adaptation to currentinterpersonal roles and situations.

passive aggressive behavior

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