Maladaptive behaviors are unhealthy or ineffective ways ofcopingwith something difficult or stressful.
Maladaptive behaviors are highly individual.
Over time, they can become habitual.
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However, maladaptive behaviors are not only a result of childhood stress or trauma.
They form out of a psychological need or desire to avoid difficulties or cope with stress.
Anger
Everyone experiencesanger.
Anger is one of our core emotions and helps make us aware of possible injustice or mistreatment.
Experiencing and expressing anger in and of itself is not a maladaptive behavior.
However, harboring or constantly experiencing anger can become emotionally, psychologically, and physically unhealthy over time.
Anger vs.
Aggression
Anger is different fromaggression, which is acting in harmful ways toward others.
Though anger can cause aggression, they are not the same.
However, when a person acts aggressively toward others, it is often the result of maladaptive anger.
Maladaptive daydreams are often used to escape stress or trauma.
Passive-Agression
Passive-aggressive behavior is considered an ineffective and non-normative way of communicating.
Instead, the response usually comes across as indirectly hostile.
Maladaptive safety behaviors are typically present in people with high levels ofanxiety.
Those who self-harm often use it to release emotional pain or avoid psychological distress rather than cause death.
Who Self-Harms?
Self-harm is most often seen in adolescents, with those in ninth grade being at the highest risk.
Further, adolescent girls are three times more likely to self-harm than adolescent boys.
Sexual maladaptive behavior takes place if you continuously engage in sexual thoughts, urges, and behaviors.
For many, these negative thoughts and experiences begin in childhood and continue into adulthood.
Withdrawal
Social interaction is critical to our mental health.
Those who withdraw from others are likely to experience negative impacts on their mental health and well-being.
Withsocial withdrawal, a person avoids approaching and interacting with others.
Some research shows that social withdrawal has a genetic component.
Risks of Maladaptive Behaviors
Many people engage in maladaptive behaviors to help them feel better.
Who Has a Higher Risk?
People who experience neglect as children are at a higher risk for developing maladaptive behaviors.
The more severe the exposure to adversity, the more straightforward and long-term the maladaptive response tends to be.
For example, a person who experiences severetraumamight developdissociative behaviorsto help them cope that continue throughout their lifetime.
Some of these reactive behaviors can be challenging, harmful, and considered maladaptive.
Specialized support for those with an autism diagnosis can help children learn emotional regulation and control.
Theories About Causes
There are many theories about what causes maladaptive behaviors.
It can be difficult to help someone break their maladaptive behavior.
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