Life Desk :Just like Alpha men, women with strong behavioural streak in public life called as Alpha female are an accepted phenomenon in the society.These are overly ambitious, powerful women who do not mind doing that something extra to ascertain their position in the public or private life. These women aren’t afraid to ask for what they want and are completely unapologetic about themselves. But in their pursuit of grandeur and glory, do they walk past that thin line of morality and become what can be termed as the new Alpha female?It could be anyone…Unfortunately, these power-driven women with strong sense of self and volatility become too hot to handle for others. When these women use aggression, intimidation and a domineering nature, men fall into their play quite easily. “If the symptoms turn severe, I would call it a borderline personality disorder with severe narcissistic traits,” says clinical psychologist Dr Varkha Chulani.Distinguishing such a woman by her day-to-day behaviour is very difficult. It could be anyone from your own family or someone whom you meet on a regular basis.The root cause…Dr Chulani feels the basic reason stems from how gender stereotypes have undergone a change in the society. “There is fuzziness about the social demarcations in the roles of a man and a woman with an amalgamation of it somewhere,” she explains.”However, overtly aggressive behaviour can be traced back to the person’s distorted childhood,” reveals psychologist Dr Seema Hingorrany. “Many of these women who come to me admit that they felt no sense of worth while growing up. They may also have faced physical abuse. Lack of a ‘safety net’ from parents and family makes them diabolical,” says Dr Hingorrany. “A series of dysfunctional relationships worsens their profile. Many a times these women are ’emotionally numb’ and may wear different masks in society,” she explains. It’s not smooth sailing when it comes to relationships for these women because they always want to be in the driver’s seat.There’s a way out…Dr Chulani suggests a remedy. “Personality correction through therapy can work for these extreme cases,” she says. Dr Hingoranny also affirms that realisation is the key. “It’s good to be ambitious but being ‘too Alpha’ and stepping on other’s feelings is not correct,” she says.Which one are you?Here are the main group diversifications. Choose where you fit in…Alphas: Confident leaders, these are the toughest and smartest of the lot.Betas: Shy and prefer to be side-kicks or enforcers of alphas. They usually can’t get the top rung of women and men so they go for second-tier folk.Gamas: Introspective folk, they are usually bitter about their life experiences and are found hanging around in the corner at a party.Zetas: These are witty, classy people, often providing laughter for the group.Omegas: Indifferent and even coming across as unfriendly and undesirable, they strive to get things on their terms and don’t belong to a clique.Deltas: Submissive, who go with the flow, Deltas are happy to just exist.-ToI
