Controlling Passive Aggressive Behavior
A Passive Aggressive disorder is a chronic condition, which turns people to be hostile. There is a total disconnection between what passive aggressive people say and what they do. However, most of these negative actions happen unconsciously. Some of the causes that can be related with passive aggressiveness are:
- Stress
- Anxiety disorders
- Schizophrenia
- Bipolar disorder
- Cocaine withdrawal
Tips to Control Passive Aggressiveness
1. Identify the Behavior
Perhaps people have reprimanded you for your negativity severally. Acceptance is the first step to healing. You have to accept your weaknesses, and then identify them. Identification might make you see a clear pattern. Find practical ways to behave in a more positive way.
2. Identify the Cause of Your Behavior
There is always a reason why people behave the way they do. They could be emotional, physical, or psychological reasons. Maybe you are avoiding direct conflict, fearing rejection or failure. Identifying the cause of your behavior will be helpful in drawing a clear path.
3. Build Self-Awareness
Self-awareness is the act of knowing yourself. For self-awareness to be effective, you have to be honest with yourself. Honesty will make you understand why you harbor all the negative energy, and the reason you choose to behave the way you do.
4. Accept Conflict as a Way of Life
You cannot always run away from conflict.Not all conflict is bad after all. There is constructive conflict and destructive conflict. Lack of being on the same script with your team is not an ingredient for bad relationships. Conflict is good in fostering better relations
5. Embrace Feedback
If you decide to take the change road. You will need assurance that you are making progress. Feedback is very important in gauging your progress. You can inform people close to you of your intentions to be better. In turn, they will be tasked with giving you honest feedback of your progress.
6. Be open to Communication
Lack of communication is one of the things that make you resort to your cocoon. If open communication is not your thing, you will be forced to slowly embrace speaking up for yourself. At the end of the day, your concerns will be made known, instead of taking it on your duties.
7. Take Responsibility of Your Actions
Own up responsibility for all your actions. Blaming people for all the bad things doesn’t really solve anything. It might make you feel good by being off the hook, but it doesn’t really help the situation. Admit your role in the mistake and strive to do better next time.
8. Avoid Chewing more than You Can Swallow
This is simple. If you know your tray is full, please don’t take on tasks that you know you will not deliver. You can let the other party know that you are swamped and won’t be able to deliver on time. Putting that across is better than acting all normal and failing to deliver.
There is no specific treatment for passive aggressiveness. However, it is manageable. Different doctors treat this condition differently. Some patients might be given minor tasks to do, like noting down their history and their feelings toward situations. Other patients might be offered counseling services.
