Sulking

 

Is sulking manipulative?

Sulking is a devious way of manipulating someone's emotions. The sulker will invariably deny they are sulking. That's a given. After all, being frank and open about your sulking wouldn't work.

Is sulking controlling behavior?

Whether the tendency to sulk comes from immaturity or a need for control, sulking is a form of manipulation. If you give in, the problem will continue or grow worse. In order to deal with the problem, you need to assess their behaviour, keep from giving in to their sulking, and go about your daily routine.

Is sulking a personality disorder?

Petulant Borderline Personality Disorder

People with this type of borderline personality disorder may appear angry one moment and sulky or sad the next. They swing unpredictably between emotions. They may also feel unloved or unworthy. This can lead to an unhealthy desire for control and relationship challenges.

How do you deal with someone who is sulking?

In order to deal with a sulking partner, assess their behaviour and keep from giving in to their sulking. Encourage them to communicate openly, remembering that their behaviour is not your fault.

Is sulking passive aggressive?

Sulking, backhanded compliments, procrastination, withdrawal, and refusal to communicate are all passive-aggressive behaviors. When the other person begins acting in such a way, try to keep your anger in check. Instead, point out the other person's feelings in a way that is non-judgmental, yet factual.

Why is sulking bad?

Psychologists have mentioned that sulking in its extreme forms can even morph into a personality disorder because sufferers and constant sulkers are usually unable to articulate their feelings and leave them all pent-up inside themselves.

How do you recognize sulking?

A sulky or sullen person won't smile or engage through eye contact – they will often remain silent and not say a word even when the people around them might be sharing jokes and laughter.

When an adult sulks?

Sulking often results from past abuse. Or from being raised in a family where one was not allowed to express needs or strong emotions. But wherever it came from, repeatedly sulking as an adult is a deliberate choice. Your partner might say they have no control over their feelings, but they do.

Is sulking normal?

Sulking isn't healthy or normal – it's passive-aggressive, and that's not good. Some people are chronic sulkers. This has often developed in their childhoods. They've made their sulking into an art form that can continue for days or even weeks at a time.

Is sulking a form of silent treatment?

When one or both partners sulk, pout, or refuse to talk, they are exerting a cruel type of power in the relationship that not only shuts out their partner but also communicates that they do not care enough to try to communicate or collaborate.

The dark side of sulking...

Sulking is generally thought of as something which children do rather than adults, but it is a major blight on many adult lives. "It is a little known fact that sulking can take on a degree of severity where it becomes a clinical phenomenon, a personality disorder,'' says psychotherapist and author Adam Edward Jukes. A sulk is a reaction to feelings of being rejected where, instead of getting openly angry or talking about the problem, the sulker retaliates with moody silences or monosyllabic replies designed as a punishment. It is closely associated with envy and a desire to destroy the contentment of the other person.