Dimple Saini
PASSIVE-AGGRESSIVE PERSONALITY DISORDER
The term “passive-aggressive” was first extensively used by the War Department of the United States in 1945 at the end of World War II. It was used to depict soldiers who were passively refused to accept orders by working inefficiently, sulking, and procrastinating. According to DSM-V, Passive-aggressive personality disorder is not listed on its own but classified under the Personality Disorder Trait Specified. In simple words, not enough research is available to classify it as a named personality disorder but enough evidence is there that it exists.
What is Passive-Aggressive Personality Disorder?
People with Passive-aggressive behavior convey their negative feelings easily through their actions rather than direct handling them. It clearly draws a line between what they say and what they do. In other words, they prefer indirect ways to express how they really feel.
For example, a friend suggested a plan for an outing. A person with passive-aggressive behavior may not able to oppose the plan and agree with the plan while avoiding their inner voice. Since they are not in a favor of this plan, however, they resist following it. They may ignore their friend’s text or call purposely and through other ways they undermine the plan.
Another example: A man studying with his girlfriend in the same room and is upset with her and instead of confessing to her, he blasts the music on his laptop to bother her.
Signs of Passive-Aggressive Personality Disorder:
Externally pleasant but internally frustrated
Often forgets their tasks which they prefer not to do
Often shifting blame from themselves to others
Acts lonesome without expressing any reason for the behavior
Not following the course of action they agreed to
Ignoring responsibility on purpose
Ignoring personal relationships
Unaware of their own emotions or reasons for feeling in a certain way
Causes
Upbringing: Active-aggressive behavior may arise from being raised in an environment where direct expression of emotions was not allowed or even discouraged. A person may feel that they cannot openly express their true feelings and instead find other ways to quietly route their frustration or anger.
Situational characteristics: In a situation where expressions of aggression are socially unacceptable, such as on family functions, one might be more prone to respond in a surreptitious way when someone makes you sullen. The situation has an influence on passive-aggressive behavior.
Taking the easy road: It is not always easy being decisive and emotionally open. Standing up for yourself is scary and hard, passive-aggression might seem like an accessible way to accord with your emotions without having to encounter the cause of anger.
Other causes
anxiety disorders
attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
depression
conduct disorder
oppositional defiant disorder
stress
cocaine withdrawal
schizotypal personality disorder
How to deal?
Whether the person is an acquaintance or someone you love, even a little passive-aggression behavior can sour ones relations. Even after prolonged exposure, the thought of a person with passive-aggressive may be enough to cause stress. Sharing some tips for dealing with someone who uses passive-aggressive moves:
Develop a safe environment: By developing a safe environment around someone with passive-aggressive behavior will help them to know that it’s alright to speak up about what’s really on their mind.
Adopt empathy: Recognizing the passive-aggressive individual’s worry or concern. It can help to break down the fence that person had put up
Don’t cave in: People with passive-aggressive behavior uses tactics that result in an increase of power, security, and control over a situation. If these tactics stop producing the expected result, it could help that person to realize they should accommodate their approach.
Use positive reinforcement: Encouraging and appreciating when people with passive-aggressive behavior expressing can boost them up to continue the good behavior.
Cognitive Therapy: It helps one to see how the past can affect one’s present day actions. Also, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is recommended as it helps one to become aware of their thoughts which are not always true for making one’s life easier.
The behavior is often rooted in insecurity but it cannot always be a healthy way to behave and can be destructive. A person with a passive-aggressive personality disorder can seek a therapist for counseling as it can help them to see things from a different perspective which they have never explored. Always remember you are in charge of your own behavior and can change it anytime you want.
References:
https://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/psychpedia/passive-aggression
https://www.harleytherapy.co.uk/counselling/what-is-passive-aggressive-behaviour.htm
https://www.healthline.com/health/passive-aggressive-personality-disorder#coping
https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-passive-aggressive-behavior-2795481
Very informative
Well Protayed Article
Concept is amazing and very informative!
Informative article
Thanks for sharing.
this is great content .. keep posting! 🙂
Informative article
this is great content
keep posting!
well written
amazing
nice
will share
keep up
perfect
lovely portrayal.. read it & feeling amazing:) keep writing!
Very well curated.
Passive aggression is the most common phenomenon as we thrive in a prejudiced society.
Therefore it is sometimes difficult to express anger and can lead to various issues like you’ve stated above.
Thank you for writing this.
Good one
Well portrayed
Concept is amazing
Amazin
Such an uncommon topic and an informative one.
Would love to know more about this as I feel it was a short and simple one.
Keep up the good work!
Beautifully written.
But I found some of the points were copy pasted.
But I like the way you presented and gave the information. Many people do not even know about the disorder.
Thanks for sharing!
Keep up the good work.
A really understated concept. This can also be the cause for not having good relationships and lead to sociopath tendencies. Nice work!
Informative! Thanks for sharing.
The content was good and self – explanatory.
The examples were awesome.
Also I wish you could have given some simple tips to find out their passive behaviour since most of them don’t know what this disorder is actually. I feel that there are chances that we will never know that a person has such a disorder!
But people with covert narcissism often use passive–aggressive behavior to convey frustration or make themselves look superior. Two main reasons drive this behavior: the deep-seated belief their “specialness” entitles them to get what they want. the desire to get back at people who wronged them or had greater success.
A well written article . Also, confronting/helping them realise in an appropriate manner how their actions are affecting the others and also working on their self esteem and standing up for themselves & effective communication can help .
First time hearing about this! Now I clearly understand what this mental disorder is about.
Hello ma’am Dimple Sahani..nice to read your article…with due respect towards your work and you I wanna add one kind suggestion fr your article ..that if you will explain how an individual understand that he or she is already under a passive agressive personality disorder …than that will be help ful to understand this much well.
Hi Dimple,
In sign and other causes u should mark those points like 1) …. 2) ……..
They are just written freely.
Very informative and it is something which really needs awareness
Would have been more better if more technical terms could have been used making it more informative
really helpful
It was really very good starting with the time it started and then going with DSM V
Causes explanation everything was good
This is really informative .
They actually seek revenge if they find someone unlike.
Passive-aggressive personality disorder (PAPD) causes people to express negative feelings and emotions subtly or passively rather than directly.
It is usually chronic, generally inflexible, condition.
People with PAPD tend to continue their passive behaviors despite the ability to adapt and learn new behaviors.
There are many reasons for this disorder
The explanation in the article is to the point and gave the overview of this disorder understandable
for the unknown person.
There are lot of of treatments available for these people and the explanation for that is very clear
very well articulated; however, a minor suggestion is to zero in on the topic after a brief discussion of what personality disorders are like and how they work. that would make it easier for readers to connect to the specific topic.
Crisp and considering it is still a less-explored topic, well written article
well researched and that is visible through the reading.
good
this is insightful, thanks for writing:)
amazing!!
beautifully written with easily comprehendible vocabulary!
I really like the fact that the article touches a not-so-known topic and elaborates a lot of things regarding the same well. With the increasing population, even the rarest of diseases are seemingly increasing in number and that gives all the more reasons to write and do research on such. Appreciate your work!
very informative