Avoidant Personality Disorder Treatment at Promises
People with avoidant personality disorder avoid contact and connection with others. They may be viewed as loners or introverts. But their condition is much more serious. They are extremely fearful of ridicule and rejection. This makes them hide from others until their world becomes increasingly narrow. Over time, this isolation gets worse. It can lead to mental health problems such as depression. People with avoidant personality disorder may turn to substance abuse as a way to cope.
Treatment for Avoidant Personality Disorder
- Group therapy to practice communication and receive feedback and support
- Social skills training
- Medication
- Cognitive behavioral therapy, often considered the most effective treatment for avoidant personality disorder
- Dialectical behavior therapy
- Alternative and experiential therapies to encourage whole-person healing
- Trauma-focused therapies for those with past emotional abuse or post-traumatic stress disorder
Avoidant Personality Disorder Symptoms
People with avoidant personality disorder may have the following symptoms:
- Low self-esteem
- Self-isolation
- Avoiding activities at work, school, and social functions for fear of criticism or rejection
- Fear of speaking up when in social situations due to fear of stammering, saying something inappropriate, blushing or otherwise feeling embarrassed
- High anxiety, often spending time studying others for signs of rejection or approval
- Feeling uncomfortable and socially inept in most, if not all, social situations
- Taking comments about extreme shyness or nervousness from others as a sign of rejection or criticism
- Reluctance to seek out friendships
- Fear of sharing personal information, even in close relationships
- Refusing to seek out new activities because they may prove embarrassing
Avoidant Personality vs. Social Anxiety Disorder
Avoidant personality disorder symptoms closely resemble social anxiety disorder. In fact, people are often diagnosed with both mental disorders. Avoidant personality disorder symptoms also overlap with social phobia. But there are important differences:
- The symptoms of avoidant personality disorder are broader and more severe than social anxiety disorder.
- Social anxiety disorder symptoms may get triggered by specific situations. They come and go. As part of a person’s personality, avoidant personality disorder is more pervasive. This can make it harder to treat.
- People with social anxiety disorder fear judgment from others. People with avoidant personality disorder have the same fear. The difference is they lose their ability to trust others.
- People with social anxiety disorder aren’t confident in social situations. But they don’t believe they are bad or inferior. Those with avoid personality disorder internalize the perceived judgments from others. They see themselves in a way that is disjointed from reality.
Getting an accurate diagnosis is critical. Avoidant personality disorder shares many symptoms with social phobia and social anxiety. But treatment should be tailored to your specific mental health disorder.
Common Behavior Patterns
People with avoidant personality disorder are keen observers. They constantly read facial expressions and body language to determine what other people think of them. They worry all the time about how they are being perceived and develop inflexible patterns for relating to the world. Since these patterns aren’t aligned with normal social functioning, they are likely to have been made fun of over time. This makes it even harder to be willing to meet new people or expand their world.
Occupational Challenges
People with avoidant personality disorder have difficulties at work. Career success often depends on positive interactions with others. But people with this disorder aren’t able to network, attend work events or socialize. As a result, they are further isolated and less likely to be seen as an employee who participates.
Avoidant Personality Disorder Causes
The causes of avoidant personality disorder are unknown. There are several risk factors. Researchers suspect that genes or physical illness that altered a person’s appearance may play a role. Environmental factors are also common. For example, growing up with a harshly critical caregiver may cause deep-rooted feelings of inadequacy.
A person who doesn’t receive residential treatment may develop another mental health disorder. These may include:
- A mood disorder like depression or bipolar disorders
- An eating disorder
- Panic disorder
- Generalized social phobia
- Borderline personality disorder
- Drug or alcohol abuse, which may require addiction treatment
