I probably have avoidant personality disorder?
You're not alone, so don't feel that you are. You should seek Psychological help if you feel it's a threat to your life. Hundreds of thousands of people in the world feel the same way as you, and it's not your fault that you feel this way. I'm studying Psychology and I think this might help you... It's an excerpt from my textbook: "AVOIDANT PERSONALITY DISORDER: People with avoidant personality disoreder desire relationships with other people, but they are prevented from forming these relationships by tremendous fear of the disapproval of others. Thus, they act shy and withdrawn in social situations, always afraid they will say or do something foolish or embarassing. The symptoms of avoidant personality disorder are similar to those of social phobia, and people with avoidant personality disorder virtually always have social phobias as well. However, not all people who have social phobias have avoidant personality disorder. The latter seems to be a more severe and all-encompassing condition." Also: "SOCIAL PHOBIA is characterized by persistent fear of social situations in which one might be exposed to the close scrutiny of others and thus be observed doing something embarassing or humiliating." To be competely honest, I started studying Psychology because I myself have some doubts on my mental and social health. It seems I learn more and more about myself and my own problems while studying it. If you feel you have the symptoms of avoidant personality disorder or social phobia, don't wait and let it eat away at you. Remember that you're as much a person as the people you feel akward or ahy around, and you're not at all inferior to them. Talk to a psychiatrist if you're interested in seeking medical treatment. When I wa younger I went to a psychiatrist because I was having violent, angry thoughts towards myself and others. It really helped me. Just getting your feelings off your shoulders and out of your head to someone that understands your condition helps indescribeably. There's always someone out there that cares and can help you; remember that...
Can avoidant personality disorder be cured?
I've had it for years, but it's just now start to get annoying. I've made some friends on here, but they don't last for long because as soon as we end up on friend status my APD kicks in and I end avoiding them for weeks. Never again be able to talk to them even I really want to. I'm mentally incapable of keeping any kind of relationship. Anyhooo~~ I just want to know if it can be cured through some steps of something. Can a mental disorder be cured in the first place?
Do I have Avoidant Personality Disorder?
You know best what's normal for you and what isn't. It sounds like you have some really valid concerns, anxieties, and behaviors that need to be dealt with. I can understand your concerns about worrying your family, which is why I'm going to suggest calling one (or several) of the following hotlines: 1. 1-800-273-TALK (This is the National Suicide Prevention Hotline, but they can also be there to lend an ear or to provide you with referrals to local resources. It is free, completely anonymous, and available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.) 2. 800-522-TEEN (This is Teenline and is open from noon to midnight daily--not sure what time zone they're in, though. It is also confidential and may is run by teenagers and young adults who may be able to give you some insight if you just need someone to talk to on an especially bad day.) 3. The following website has an abundance of hotline numbers and resources on it. You may be able to look and see which you feel is most appropriate for you to call given your concerns. http://www.healthyplace.com/other-info/resources/mental-health-hotline-numbers-and-referral-resources/menu-id-200/ Now that you have some resources, I want to congratulate you on taking the first and hardest step of seeking health. I think that cognitive-behavioral therapy would be very for you in identifying and stopping some of the thoughts that are triggering the behaviors that worry you. I know that talking to your family can be hard, and sometimes having a professional come in and say to your parents, "this is what we think may be the issue, and here's how to fix it... here's what it means biologically, and here's what it doesn't mean" can be very helpful. You may be able to get some help through a school counselor or a medical doctor if your parents can get you in--under another pretense if necessary. I wouldn't want to say with absolute certainty that you definitely have avoidant personality disorder without a thorough assessment, but you appear to meet many of the criteria discussed in the DSM-IV (the American Psychological Association's text that is used to diagnose mental disorder). I would definitely recommend seeing a therapist, which you can be referred to from the above resources. It is very likely that much of what you're experiencing can be relieved with the assistance of a competent therapist.
How is avoidant personality disorder treated?
“Cure” might not be the right way to look at it. But I would say you could take the following steps:Accept that you might be a bit more scared of people getting close to you than the average person, and that’s OK. There’s nothing wrong with you, it’s just your internal workings. The only problem is when you let it run your life 100%.Focus on liking yourself FIRST, before trying to go outside to others. Sometimes we look to outside relationships and people for acceptance. But as the old adage goes, “If you can’t love yourself, nobody else can either.” Nobody else can make you feel happy or bring you up if you aren’t fundamentally happy yourself. Relationships don’t “fix” you.Build up your own life, confidence, and self-esteem so that YOU are happy before thinking about dating.Get help in therapy to go over why you might have AvPD - Note: just using therapy as a blanket solution isn’t helpful. But, it can be a great and necessary tool to keep you going on the right path.Focus then on finding healthy people to date, and also not trying to pursue a bunch of casual relationships. If you have AvPD, going through a bunch of one-night-stands can be a form of avoidance. What you need is a good, healthy, normal relationship with someone who cares for you and accepts you.As someone who used to suffer BAD from AvPD, this is the approach I took and would recommend.Back when it was REALLY bad and I couldn’t tell my girlfriend how I felt about her, I wrote a blog post talking about AvPD and the avoider mentality where tons of people started writing in with their own stories.You can check it out over here.
Are people with Avoidant Personality Disorder doomed to a life of loneliness?
Don't panic so much! The best thing to do is practice getting to know people- i know this is hard for someone with your disorder, people with this disorder frequently have a chronic fear of rejection...and I'm guessing here but you probably do too- even in your question you had to justify it by saying that it sounded "pathetic"..You just have to learn that in life some people will dislike you and some people will think you are GREAT (they will, seriously) and you can't let a bad experience get you down...if you are really being inhibited by your disorder then I would suggest social skills training, cognitive therapy, exposure treatment to gradually increase social contacts, group therapy for practicing social skills or the like...but all you need is practice hon, mind over matter...
Paranoid personality disorder?
In recent years, there's been an epidemic referred to as "Cyberchondria". Basically, Cyberchondria is the result of people entering specific symptoms into a search engine and receiving results including the worst-case scenarios for their problems. In addition, often reading a list of symptoms could actually cause people to imagine pains or feelings that aren't really there. This could cause someone with a common cold to think they have lung cancer. Don't get me wrong, I'm not judging you at all. I'm pretty sure a lot of people are guilty of this at some point, myself included (When I was about 15 or so, after extensive online research, I came to the conclusion that I was pregnant, despite being sexually INactive. I actually had a UTI. I was given antibiotics and was fine within a week.). Paranoid Personality Disorder is not common. It's much more likely that you are suffering from anxiety or something less serious. Your best bet in this situation is to visit a psychiatrist, who can prescribe medication to you if, in fact, you do have Paranoid Personality Disorder, or who can diagnose you properly if you don't. Don't worry though, there are ways of dealing with whatever you may have. Usually a combination of therapy and medication is effective in treating a vast number of psychological disorders. The bottom line is to have a professional evaluate you and help you work through whatever obstacles you may encounter. Good luck!
What is avoidant personality disorder? Is it possible to cure it with professional help?
I studied avoidant personality disorder at the Masterson Institute. Treatment of this disorder progresses very slowly.Though the client may not be aware of it, everything in their life is an adjustment to fear, so that fear is not experienced. Thus, the person may have no idea how fear-driving they are. It took six months of therapy with an avoidant personality disordered client for him to begin to see how fear permeated his life.The therapist must be mindfully cautious that the client may bolt if he or she feels intruded into by the therapist, and that what others may feel completely comfortable with may seem a dangerous threat to the client.There is fear of relationship; there is near terror of an intimate relationship, for the client probably feels that something within is totally unacceptable to others and must be kept hidden. So there are three fears:the more attached the client becomes to others, the more dangerous it seems to allow another person in, for if the other person discovers the unacceptable truth within, they will recoil in disgust and break off all contact.by remaining at a “safe” distance - which means to keep a formidable wall secretly in place - the client feels empty and alone in the universe while observing others make contact easily and enjoyably. The problem with this “safe” distance is that it is so devoid of the juices of life that continued life is not adequately rewarding, and thus is of little interest.But if another person is allowed in, the client will be overwhelmed. The client’s sense of self is too weak to withstand contact emotion or to withstand contact with another person.So relationship is fraught will problems as there is no place to stand; too far removed is empty not far enough removed feels dangerous.Dr. Ralph Klein, M.D. is a leading authority on this disorder. You can read a sample of his work on Amazon using the “look inside” feature. See: Amazon.com: Disorders of the Self: New Therapeutic Horizons: The Masterson Approach eBook: James F. Masterson M. D., Ralph Klein M. D., James F. Masterson M.D., Ralph Klein M.D.: Kindle StoreIf you are in the New York area, Dr. Klein would be good to work with.
How does one know if you have avoidant personality disorder?
People with avoidant personality disorder experience long-standing feelings of inadequacy and are extremely sensitive to what others think about them. These feelings of inadequacy leads to the person to be socially inhibited and feel socially inept. Because of these feelings of inadequacy and inhibition, the person with avoidant personality disorder will seek to avoid work, school and any activities that involve socializing or interacting with others.Individuals with Avoidant Personality Disorder often vigilantly appraise the movements and expressions of those with whom they come into contact. Their fearful and tense demeanor may elicit ridicule from others, which in turn confirms their self-doubts. They are very anxious about the possibility that they will react to criticism with blushing or crying. They are described by others as being “shy,” “timid,” “lonely,” and “isolated.”The major problems associated with this disorder occur in social and occupational functioning. The low self-esteem and hypersensitivity to rejection are associated with restricted interpersonal contacts. These individuals may become relatively isolated and usually do not have a large social support network that can help them weather crises. They desire affection and acceptance and may fantasize about idealized relationships with others. The avoidant behaviors can also adversely affect occupational functioning because these individuals try to avoid the types of social situations that may be important for meeting the basic demands of the job or for advancement.Avoidant personality disorder is characterized by a long-standing pattern of feelings of inadequacy, extreme sensitivity to what other people think about them, and social inhibition. It typically manifests itself by early adulthood and includes a majority of the following symptoms:Avoids occupational activities that involve significant interpersonal contact, because of fears of criticism, disapproval, or rejectionIs unwilling to get involved with people unless certain of being likedShows restraint within intimate relationships because of the fear of being shamed or ridiculedIs preoccupied with being criticized or rejected in social situationsIs inhibited in new interpersonal situations because of feelings of inadequacyViews themself as socially inept, personally unappealing, or inferior to othersIs unusually reluctant to take personal risks or to engage in any new activities because they may prove embarrassingFrom Psych Central