What is avoidant personality disorder?

Individuals with avoidant personality disorder have a lifelong pattern of extreme shyness. In addition, they feel inadequate and are very sensitive to rejection. APD leads to psychiatric symptoms that significantly compromise relationships and work.

How prevalent is avoidant personality disorder?

According to researchers' estimates, about 1.5-2.5% of the population in the country lives with avoidant personality disorder.

Who has an avoidant personality disorder?

Avoidant personality disorder often begins in your late teens or early 20s. AVPD also tends to strike individuals who have any of the following mental illnesses:

• Clinical depression (major depressive disorder).
• Persistent depressive disorder.
• Social anxiety disorder.
• Obsessive-compulsive disorder.
• Panic disorder.
• Anorexia nervosa.
• Binge eating disorder.

What are the symptoms of APD?

If you have APD, you may find it very hard to interact in your social and work environments. This can be because you are afraid of these things:

• Disqualification
• Embarrassment
• Disapproval
• Criticism
• Ridicule
• Making new acquaintances
• Close relationships

It may also be hard to believe that people like you. When highly sensitive to rejection and criticism, you may interpret neutral comments or actions as negative.

What causes avoidant personality disorder (ABD)?

Genetic, environmental, social, and psychological factors are believed to contribute to avoidant personality disorder. Here are some of the causes for that condition:

• Emotional abuse
• Denigration
• Emotional abuse
• Ridicule
• Peer rejection
• Lack of affection or nurturing by a parent or caregiver during childhood rejection

Therefore, most of the people suffering from this disorder turn out to be very shy and somehow continue with that behaviour even after growing up. Those under-bounded children have many critical exposure events that negatively affect their social lives and give rise to such thought patterns that later put them at risk for developing AVPD.

How is avoidant personality disorder diagnosed?

The specialist whom your physician will advise may ask you specific questions. There are criteria determining whether one has APD. Such requirements must be accomplished before your mid-adult years are over; for instance, its symptoms appear no later than early adulthood.  You may also possess at least the following traits in abundance:

• You refrain from most work-related interpersonal activities or tasks. This can be because you fear negative reactions, disapprobation or rejection.
• You don't want to engage with other people unless you know they like you.
• You avoid intimacy in relationships because you are afraid of being mocked or humiliated.
• The fear of criticism or rejection in social settings occupies your mind.
• You avoid or completely shun social interactions because you feel you are inadequate.
• You think you’re inferior to others, unappealing, and inept.
• You’re unlikely to participate in new activities or take personal risks because you’re afraid of embarrassment.

What is the treatment for avoidant personality disorder?

Treating personality disorders is challenging for the reason that individuals possessing these conditions have long-developed patterns of thinking and actions that have been present for some decades.

However, individuals who have avoidant personality disorder are generally a good population for treatment because the disorder causes them significant stress. And most people who have AVPD want to develop relationships. This desire can be the motivation for individuals with AVPD to adhere to their treatments, which will probably include therapy and, possibly, medication as well.

Treatment for this disorder will be most effective if family members are involved and supportive as well.

Psychotherapy for AVPD

Psychotherapy is the most common treatment of choice for personality disorders. Treatment helps uncover what drives you and your fear and thoughts. Secondly, you learn to relate positively with other people.

Two specific psychotherapies that can assist a person with AVPD include:

• Psychodynamic therapy: This type of therapy bases itself on the psychological reasons behind emotional suffering. In psychodynamic therapy, you introspect on problematic relationships and behavioral patterns that have developed in your life. Through this, you become more knowledgeable about yourself. You will learn to change the way you behave toward other people and toward your environment.
• Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT): This type of structured, goal-oriented therapy. A therapist or psychologist will assist you in closely examining your thoughts and feelings. You will understand how your thoughts can influence your behavior. From CBT, you are enabled to unlearn undesirable thought patterns and behavior. You will learn healthier ways of thinking and behaviors. It might concentrate especially on building social skills.

Medication for AVPD

There is no medication that currently exists to treat personality disorders. However, there exists medication for depression and anxiety, which might be experienced by someone with an avoidant personality disorder. Treatment of these conditions can, therefore, make it easier to treat AVPD.

For the best results, however, you are supposed to take medication while undergoing psychotherapy.

Can avoidant personality disorder be prevented?

You can't prevent avoidant personality disorder. Nevertheless, treatment can reduce the burden that it brings. With help at the onset of symptom presentation, the disruption in life of the individual, family relationships, and friendships may significantly decrease.

What is the prognosis for people with avoidant personality disorder?      

The prognosis for AVPD depends on whether it's treated or not.

If left untreated, AVPD may result in:

• Other psychiatric disorders include depression, substance use disorder and eating disorders.
• Risk of postpartum depression.
• Discontentment with life.
• Difficulty at work.
• Impaired social functioning.

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