Passive Aggressive Nature - How Should You Deal With It?

Passive aggressive behaviour is when a person has a history of underlying anger and frustration but is not able to express the same. They are not able, to be honest, and so turn passively aggressive. This can manifest as a behaviour where the person is consciously avoiding doing some things, acts hostile, is critical and stubborn, and does not comply with others' demands by procrastination. For confirming if a person has passive-aggressive behaviour, there is often a history of physical and/or social abuse.

There is no single answer as to what causes passive-aggressive behaviour. Most cases have the cause deeprooted in their childhood, which could include neglect, abuse, aggressive family, harsh punishments meted out, etc. There could also be a history of substance abuse which can be later manifested as passive-aggressive behaviour. Passive aggressive personality is not very straightforward to diagnose and treat. However, deep-diving into the person s history can often provide insight.

Most cases of passive aggressive behaviour have their reason originating in their childhood days. This could include a variety of reasons including an abusive childhood, unhealthy family dynamics, sexual abuse in childhood, punishing parents, etc. These get suppressed and later manifest as aggression which is passive. The person does not come across as an aggressive person but manifests the aggression by constantly refusing to do things, turning hostile randomly, etc. Symptoms of passive-aggressive behaviour can mimic many other psychiatric issues including attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and bipolar disorder.

Medical help is required to confirm the diagnosis and get to the root of the issue, often social support is what ensures treatment is effective. The person needs to get rid of the issue that led to aggression, and once that is done, it would be easy to let go and come to terms with reality. Encouraging the person to be honest and if required being assertive is the key to managing passively aggressive people.