What Is Maladaptive Behavior?

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Types

Impact

Treatment

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Maladaptive behaviors are actions that prevent people from adapting, adjusting, or participating in different aspects of life. Such actions are intended to help relieve or avoid stress, but they are often disruptive and may contribute to increased distress, discomfort, and anxiety over time.

Many of us inadvertently develop dysfunctional strategies to help us cope with feelings of anxiety, stress, or panic. You may use these strategies because they relieve some discomfort in the moment.

However, maladaptive behaviors don’t help you deal with the root cause of your stress. The relief these behaviors provide is only temporary and often leads to other issues or exacerbates existing ones.

This article covers the definition of maladaptive behaviors, types of maladaptive behaviors, and which mental health conditions can be related to the use of maladaptive behaviors. It also provides ways to overcome maladaptive behaviors and use productive coping mechanisms instead.

Types of Behavioral Disorders in Children

Signs of Maladaptive Behavior

Maladaptive behavior can manifest in a wide variety of ways. These behavior patterns can often be destructive and affect physical health, mental health, relationships, and other vital areas of functioning. Common signs of maladaptive behavior include:

These behaviors often occur when people are inflexible and struggle with self-control. These behaviors are not necessarily a sign of a mental health problem, and many people engage in such actions from time to time. However, these maladaptive actions can create severe problems in a person’s life and often persist despite these negative consequences.

RecapBinge-eating, compulsive worry, self-harm, substance misuse, and impulsive actions are common examples of maladaptive behavior.

Recap

Binge-eating, compulsive worry, self-harm, substance misuse, and impulsive actions are common examples of maladaptive behavior.

Causes of Maladaptive Behavior

One theory to explain maladaptive behavior suggests that such actions persist despite the negative consequences because they fulfill some need.

Maladaptive behaviors can emerge for some different reasons, including the presence of mental health conditions. People use maladaptive behaviors regardless of whether they have a mental health condition. However, those with certain mental health conditions will likely exhibit maladaptive behaviors.

Anxiety Disorders

People with anxiety disorders are likely to display maladaptive behaviors, particularly avoidance, in order to cope with their discomfort.

Avoidance coping, specifically social withdrawal, is one of the most common behaviors among people withsocial anxiety disorder(SAD).However, like all maladaptive behaviors, avoidance can keep you trapped in a cycle of anxiety.

Autism Spectrum Disorder

People with autism may display “externalizing behaviors,” or self-injury, aggression, temper tantrums, and non-compliance. This may be more common in those who have less ability to communicate verbally.

Panic Disorder

People withpanic disordermay engage in avoidance to prevent triggering their symptoms. This is especially true for people with phobias.

Personality Disorders

Avoidant personality disorder(AVPD) is a condition in which people are extremely sensitive to criticism. They are often very shy and tend to withdraw socially as a result.

One study found that reducing avoidant coping in people withborderline personality(BP) traits could improve symptoms of aggression.

Eating Disorders

Eating disorders are also linked with maladaptive behaviors. People with anorexia and bulimia, for instance, are found to have frequent negative emotional states and tend to ruminate. Eating-disordered behavior is often considered an attempt to cope with this psychological distress.

Trauma

Survivors of a traumatic event may use avoidance, self-blame, and/or substance use while attempting to cope with disruptive memories related to the trauma.

Stressful life changes such as divorce, moving, job loss, and the death of a loved one may also contribute to maladaptive coping behaviors.

Types of Maladaptive Behavior

Maladaptive behaviors can look different based on the person who is engaging with them. However, many maladaptive behaviors can be grouped into these categories based on how they commonly manifest.

Avoidance Behaviors

People will sometimes go to great lengths in order to avoidanxiety-provoking situations, a behavior known as avoidance coping.

Examples of Avoidance CopingCanceling plans at the last minute because they think they will humiliate themselfSkipping social events they are interested in because they think they’ll feel awkwardTurning down a promotion at work because they don’t believe in their abilitiesConsuming alcohol, recreational drugs, or other substances to temporarily feel better

Examples of Avoidance Coping

Canceling plans at the last minute because they think they will humiliate themselfSkipping social events they are interested in because they think they’ll feel awkwardTurning down a promotion at work because they don’t believe in their abilitiesConsuming alcohol, recreational drugs, or other substances to temporarily feel better

Avoidance behavior can also involve other tactics to avoid stress or discomfort. For instance, someone who isprocrastinatingon a homework assignment may think they’re unmotivated. But deep down, they are struggling with perfectionism and don’t believe they can complete the assignment well enough for their own standards.

Beingpassive-aggressiveis also a form of avoidance behavior.Instead of saying what you really feel, you might just go along with everyone else’s plan. In this case, you’re avoiding any potential rejection. Maybe you fear being alone so you don’t speak up when you really want to.

Safety Behaviors

Alternatively, you may usesafety behaviors(also known as partial avoidance behaviors) to prevent potential public humiliation. These behaviors are considered a more subtle form of avoidance because although you’re not outright avoiding a situation, you’re not fully engaging in it either.

Examples of Safety Behaviors

Examples of common safety behaviors in people with social anxiety include:

Anger

You might feel the need to yell, throw things, or even hurt yourself or someone else. Your anger might feel uncontrollable at times. Even if you express your anger or frustration toward someone you blame, you still don’t feel in control of the situation or any relief from your feelings.

It’s important to find non-harmful ways of releasing your anger and frustration so you can then understand what’s triggering you and deal with stress productively.

Self-Harm

If you or someone you know is having suicidal thoughts, contact theNational Suicide Prevention Lifelineat988for support and assistance from a trained counselor. If you or a loved one are in immediate danger, call 911.For more mental health resources, see ourNational Helpline Database.

If you or someone you know is having suicidal thoughts, contact theNational Suicide Prevention Lifelineat988for support and assistance from a trained counselor. If you or a loved one are in immediate danger, call 911.

For more mental health resources, see ourNational Helpline Database.

Impact of Maladaptive Behavior

While these behaviors may minimize anxiety in the moment, regularly avoiding situations can also cause more problems, such as:

RecapMaladaptive behaviors can minimize anxiety in the short-term, but create greater problems in the long-term. In addition to worsening anxiety, they can lead to poor educational and professional attainment and contribute to unhealthy coping behaviors.

Maladaptive behaviors can minimize anxiety in the short-term, but create greater problems in the long-term. In addition to worsening anxiety, they can lead to poor educational and professional attainment and contribute to unhealthy coping behaviors.

Treatment for Maladaptive Behavior

Maladaptive behaviors can affect your ability to overcome your social anxiety or create other problems in your life. If you are having problems with maladaptive behaviors, it may be helpful to meet with a primary care doctor or a mental health professional to discuss the issues you are experiencing.

Working with atherapistwho specializes in teaching adaptive coping mechanisms can help you to identify your maladaptive behaviors and triggers.

Together, you and a therapist can develop strategies for replacing your maladaptive behaviors with adaptive ones. Therapy and medication are two scientifically validated forms of treatment that may be helpful to you.

Psychotherapy

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)is an approach to treatment that focuses on changing the underlying thought patterns that contribute to maladaptive behaviors.

Working with a therapist, you’ll learn to identify some of thecognitive distortionsthat lead to avoidance behaviors, anger, and safety behaviors. Then you can work on replacing such behaviors with more adaptive ones.

Medications

Medication can also be prescribed and is often used in conjunction with therapy. Commonly prescribed medications include antidepressants, benzodiazepines, and beta-blockers.

Medication can help reduce feelings of anxiety, which may help you feel less likely to engage in maladaptive behaviors to manage feelings of distress.

Coping With Maladaptive Behaviors

While maladaptive behaviors may relieve anxiety in the short term, in the long term, they will likely worsen uncomfortable feelings.

Replacing these behaviors with safer, more effective coping mechanisms can help reduce anxiety even in the most challenging circumstances.

Adaptive behaviors are actions that help you change your response to make the situation more positive. These behaviors are essential to successfully managing the demands of daily life and engaging with others.

Social Skills

These might include conversational skills and how to make new friends. Developing social skills will make it easier for you tocope with social interactionsdespite feeling anxiety. This can be especially helpful for those with social anxiety.

Personal Responsibility

Taking personal responsibility means being accountable for yourself and your quality of life. This might include developing routines in your daily life to be able to maintain employment and maintain a household, despite anxiety.

Taking personal responsibility also means engaging in self-care. Eating a nutritious diet, exercising regularly, and getting enough sleep every night are important activities to regulate your physical and mental health.

Learning New Skills

For instance, ifpublic speakingis a specific issue for you, adaptive skills might include taking a class to overcome stage fright and develop your public speaking ability.

Emotional Regulation

Learning how toregulate emotionswhen they overwhelm you is necessary to develop adaptive skills.Strategies that can help include the following:

Of course, seeking help from a medical professional can be another helpful way to learn how to regulate your emotions.

Press Play for Advice On Regulating Your EmotionsThis episode ofThe Verywell Mind Podcastshares how to deal with your emotions in any circumstance that may come your way. Click below to listen now.

Press Play for Advice On Regulating Your Emotions

This episode ofThe Verywell Mind Podcastshares how to deal with your emotions in any circumstance that may come your way. Click below to listen now.

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Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

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