Conditions And Causes Linked To Passive-Aggressive Behavior

Passive-aggressive behavior is a pattern of behavior where instead of expressing negative feelings directly, an individual communicates them through subtle actions. There's a dissonance between what they're saying and what they're doing. One common example most are familiar with is saying, "I'm fine," or "It's fine, I don't care," but then continuing to act upset and behave with anger or coldness. A more difficult-to-spot form of passive aggression might involve an individual purposefully sabotaging a plan they said they supported. Passive aggression tends to come with hostility and bitterness toward the requests of others, intentional mistakes or delays when completing these requests, a cynical and pessimistic demeanor, and frequent complaints about being deceived or underappreciated. While this behavior isn't considered a distinctive mental illness, it can be a sign of multiple mental disorders.

Anxiety Disorders

Anxiety disorders have been linked to passive-aggressive behavior. Individuals with heightened anxiety often have a difficult time with direct confrontation. They may exhibit passive-aggressive behavior because they're too anxious to have a frank discussion about feelings. There's even an anxiety disorder called avoidant personality disorder, which is characterized by an affected individual avoiding conflict at all costs, even at the cost of their own physical and mental wellbeing. Individuals with heightened anxiety may also have a more generally negative outlook on life. In some, a neurochemical imbalance causes the brain to acknowledge bad things far more sharply than good things. Neurochemical imbalances can usually be treated with mental health medication. For individuals whose passive-aggression is interfering with their lives and the lives of those around them, it's a good idea to pair medication with talk therapy. In therapy, patients learn how to communicate effectively, keep a positive outlook, and deal with the anxious feelings that confrontation causes.

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Bipolar Disorder

Bipolar disorder has been associated with passive-aggressive behavior, as has depression. With bipolar disorder, a chemical imbalance in the brain leads to strange shifts in a patient's energy, mood, activity levels, and functionality. Moods tend to cycle between extreme highs and lows. During 'up' periods, otherwise known as mania, patients exhibit energized and elated behavior. They may start and abandon many projects in quick succession or act impulsively. Following this, there are 'down' periods of sadness, hopelessness, lethargy, and inability to complete basic tasks. Having bipolar disorder doesn't automatically mean an individual will exhibit passive-aggressive behavior. However, like other mood disorders, bipolar disorder causes irrational changes in perspective and emotional regulation. Depressed bipolar disorder patients are more likely to have a negative or aggressive outlook than neurotypical individuals. If a bipolar disorder patient has never been taught how to express their emotions and thoughts in a healthy way, they may come out through passive-aggressive behavior.

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