Chances are you know someone who suffers from Avoidant Personality Disorder (APD). Even if you don’t, you’ve no doubt seen people who meet APD criteria in movies. A socially isolated, awkward person is a common trope in films. Consider all the movies about lonely, socially inept teenaged outsiders! APD is a fairly common personality disorder with about 2.5 percent of the US population having it[1]. People with APD have such an intense fear of rejection and negative judgment they avoid or withdraw from social situations. In this way, APD is similar to social anxiety disorder[2]. People with APD also have very low self-esteem. APD starts early in life and can be seen in very young children. There’s no known singular cause; like most other psychological issues, environment and genetics interact to create APD.
APD can range from mild to profound in its intensity, but its hallmark is fear of rejection. People with APD deliberately chose to be alone rather than take even a small risk of being rejected in any kind of relationship.
Several other prominent characteristics include:
- Few close friendships and a reluctance to engage with others.
- Overly sensitive to any criticism and overreaction to criticism.
- Avoidance of social events or social settings due to high levels of anxiety
- Awkward, shy and very self-conscious when interacting with others
- High fear of embarrassment
- Over-emphasis on possible, but unlikely negative outcomes of interacting with others.
- Highly risk-averse and afraid to take chances
- Negative self-image, perceiving themselves as unappealing or with little to offer potential friends.
Treatment
APD is a treatable disorder that responds to psychotherapy. Even though people who live with APD have deeply established fears and hard to shake negative ideas about themselves, they typically do want fulfilling relationships with others and endure considerable distress and loneliness because of their disorder. Their loneliness can be a motivator for treatment.
Psychotherapy often centers around educating that client about how their consistent thoughts and feels interfere with their taking action that might help them build new ideas about themselves. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) works well in cases where clients have established patterns of thinking that’s consistently detrimental to their well-being. Therapy often centers around teaching the client how to challenge irrational, negative thoughts. Building social skills is also an important part of treatment.
Getting Help for Avoidant Personality Disorder
If you recognize yourself as having avoidant personality disorder, don’t get discouraged and don’t give up. You can get help. Psychotherapists are safe people to work with and have lots of experience helping people who suffer from all sorts of anxiety disorders. Becoming more comfortable with other people will help increase your satisfaction in life and allow you to build the relationships you want. If you are ready to start moving past your fears of rejection, contact your local mental health care professional in Spokane, WA. Reach out to Damaris through her contact page or calling 509-342-6592.