maladaptive behavior
Counterproductive survival strategy
Maladaptive behavior is conduct that undermines a person's ability to function or cope effectively.
The term appears in psychology and psychiatry to describe patterns—like avoidance, substance abuse, or self-harm—that may offer short-term relief but create long-term problems: Binge eating became a maladaptive behavior for dealing with stress.
The opposite is adaptive behavior.
- attachment issuesProblems forming healthy connections
- withdrawalAct of taking away
- procrastinationHabitual task avoidance
- emotional dysregulationPoor control over feelings
- acting outExpressing distress behaviorally
aggression · fight or flight · codependency · rumination · cognitive distortions · learned helplessness · substance abuse · catastrophizing · perfectionism · somatization · pessimism · hypervigilance · self-sabotage · splitting · overeating · comfort eating · emotional eating · passive-aggressiveness
maladaptive behavioradaptive behavior
Context-appropriate functional responses
self-regulation · emotional regulation · self-care · mindfulness
maladaptive behaviorself-care
Maintaining personal wellbeing
emotional regulation · healthy habits · flourishing · thriving
behave, adapt, behavior, adaptation, adaptive, maladaptation