Overcoming Passive-Aggression - by Tim Murphy (Paperback)

About the Book

A guide to avoiding the pitfalls of indirect communication and hidden hostility, now revised and updated to address problems of new technology and when to seek professional help.

Book Synopsis

In Overcoming Passive-Aggression, Dr. Tim Murphy and Loriann Hoff Oberlin provide an in-depth look at a topic we've all faced but haven't always recognized: Hidden anger. When people don't express their views and feel compelled to conceal their true beliefs and emotions, behaving in ways that don't match what they honestly think, there can be serious physical and psychological results for everyone involved. For the first time, Murphy and Oberlin offer a clear definition of passive-aggression and show readers not only how to end the behavior, but also how to avoid falling victim to other people's hidden anger. In clear, compassionate language, they cover everything from the childhood origins of the condition to the devastating effect it has on work and personal relationships to the latest research on the subject, and offer practical, proven strategies for the angry person as well as the individual who finds himself the target of someone else's passive-aggression.

Review Quotes

Murphy...and Oberlin...closely examine how this kind of anger, called passive-aggressive, can undermine sufferers and their relationships and make life generally miserable.--Publishers Weekly

The revision of this book unravels common denominators, teaches how to spot and be assertive with such people, deals with all ages and both genders, and offers specific suggestions for helping professionals who work amid mixed messages and noncompliants.--Counseling Today

About the Author

Tim Murphy, PhD, is a psychologist, retired member of Congress, and former Pennsylvania state senator. In Congress, he authored the landmark reform legislation Helping Families in Mental Health Crisis Act, garnering praise and support from the American Psychiatric Association, National Alliance on Mental Illness, CNN, the Wall Street Journal, and the Washington Post. The bill was signed into law in December of 2016. Murphy served on the staffs of several hospitals, as an Associate Professor of the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, and in his own private practice. As Navy psychologist, he specialized in the treatment of post traumatic stress and traumatic brain injury with wounded service members. With Loriann Oberlin, he is coauthor of The Angry Child. He lives in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, with his wife, Nanette.

Loriann Oberlin, MS, LCPC, is a clinical counselor and therapist. She is the author of ten books on psychological issues, health, relationships, parenting, and other topics; titles include The Angry Child(with Tim Murphy), Surviving Separation and Divorce, and Writing to Make Money. She lives in Maryland.

LoriannOberlin.com