Schema Therapy
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Common Maladaptive Coping Responses
Overcompensation
1. Aggression, Hostility: Counterattacks through defying, abusing, blaming, attacking, or criticizing others
2. Dominance, Excessive Self-assertion: Controls others through direct means to accomplish goals
3. Recognition-seeking, Status-seeking: Overcompensates through impressing, high achievement, status, attention-seeking, etc.
4. Manipulation, Exploitation: Meets own needs through covert manipulation, seduction, dishonesty, or conning
5. Passive-aggressiveness, Rebellion: Appears overtly compliant while punishing others or rebelling covertly through procrastination, pouting, “backstabbing,” lateness, complaining, rebellion, non-performance, etc.
6. Excessive Orderliness, Obsessionality: Maintains strict order, tight self-control, or high level of predictability through order & planning, excessive adherence to routine or ritual, or undue caution. Devotes inordinate time to finding the best way to accomplish tasks or avoid negative outcomes.
Surrender
7. Compliance, Dependence: Relies on others, gives in, seeks affiliation, passive, dependent, submissive, clinging, avoids conflict, people-pleasing.
Avoidance
8. Social withdrawal, Excessive autonomy: Copes through social isolation, disconnection, and withdrawal. May demonstrate an exaggerated focus on independence and self-reliance, rather than involvement with others. Sometimes retreats through private activities such as excessive tv watching, reading, recreational computing, or solitary work.
9. Compulsive Stimulation-seeking: Seeks excitement or distraction through compulsive shopping, sex, gambling, risk-taking, physical activity, novelty, etc.
10. Addictive Self-Soothing: Avoids through addictions involving the body, such as alcohol, drugs, overeating, excessive masturbation, etc.
11. Psychological Withdrawal: Copes through dissociation, numbness, denial, fantasy, or other internal forms of psychological escape
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