Attention-seeking behavior can be a symptom of mental disorders. But what if I told you that it can also be a form of manipulation?
We all love a little drama, right? She acquires an ordinary and routine life. But if your life has had dramatic ups and downs without stability, it might be worth taking a step back and figuring out why you need all this attention.
Many of us would say that we like to be the center of attention. However, if we crave this attention and work to maintain melodramatic behaviors, it may be a form of manipulation.
An emotionally mature person will get all the validation they need for their self-confidence throughout their lives. However, those with low self-esteem will have to create situations in which they get this important feedback.
So what kind of attention-seeking behavior are we talking about and how is it used for manipulation?
Here are the types of attention-seeking behavior and how to manipulate it:
- Hysterical behavior
This type of behavior is characterized by theatrical outbursts with emotional reactions to anything and everything. Explosions will be exaggerated and tend to be melodramatic, loud, and exaggerated. Hysterical people will fly off the handle at the slightest provocation and be inappropriate in social situations.
This type of behavior is used as a manipulation tactic because it instantly focuses everyone’s attention on the hysterical person, giving them the attention they need.
- He plays the victim
Do you know someone who seems to have the worst luck ever? This is not someone who has already experienced a crime or terrible life event, but someone who uses victim status to elevate themselves above others. This person will view everything as a negative experience and believe they are being deliberately targeted. If one problem is resolved, expect another to appear shortly thereafter.
Used to manipulate, a person who always plays the victim will drain energy from the people around them and use the sympathy of others as a barrier to the truth about them.
- An indispensable friend
These types of people prey on the weak and insert themselves into the lives of others, becoming so indispensable that they bask in the glory of their own friend status. When a weak person begins to depend on them more and more, the chances of exploitation increase. If the underdogs can free themselves, the indispensable friend will become resentful and disrespectful.
This technique is used for manipulation because it elevates the attention-seeking person above all others as they make themselves the most important person around them.
- Munchausen syndrome by proxy (MSBP)
A well-known psychological disorder here, but terrifying. A person with MSBP will get attention by hurting someone and then stepping in at the last minute and bailing them out. In this way, they get all the glory and “superhero” status that was saved after the rescue. Mothers, in particular, are susceptible to injury as are nurses and firefighters, anyone with a job that involves responsibility to the public.
This is a particularly worrisome disorder because it can be fatal. However, for someone with attention-seeking behavior, it is addictive and all-consuming. The attention they receive by getting close to the event is exactly what they’ve needed all their lives.
- Always sick
One way to get attention is to pretend to be sick or to play on an existing illness. We learn from an early age that once we hurt ourselves, we get an immediate, comforting response from our parents. In some extreme cases, people have been known to severely injure themselves in order to get attention. It is completely normal to feel sorry for someone who is suffering and to comfort them, making them the focus at the time. This is a strong feeling for some people.
Gaining sympathy is almost the same as getting attention. So for someone who is more introverted than extroverted, he will use more subtle means to get attention, not the hysterical ones. Instead, they will feign illness so that others will always be at a disadvantage.
- A busy bee
Do you have a friend who is always the busiest person on the planet? No matter how much you have to do, he is always overwhelmed with tasks? They don’t have a moment to themselves and wish they had an easy life like you?
This kind of attention-seeking behavior is more than demeaning to others, as she clearly states, in a passive-aggressive way – “I’m more important than you because I’m always busier than you.”
How to stop attention-seeking behavior
If any of the above behaviors ring a bell with someone you know, there are steps you should take to help them:
Find out why they need attention.
Notice when and where they are most attention-grabbing.
Ignore negative behavior and reinforce positive behavior.
Have them focus on how their attention-seeking behavior affects those around them.
With the help of professionals, of course, it is possible to overcome attention-seeking behavior.
