Ever wonder if you or a loved one has avoidant personality disorder?

It is characterized by at least 3 of the following:

[*]persistent and pervasive feelings of tension and apprehension;

I am always in a state of tension and find it hard to relax, I am always worrying.

[*]belief that one is socially inept, personally unappealing, or inferior to others;

I have a huge inferiority complex and at times feel worthless, I tend to avoid others because of it and just shy away.

[*]excessive preoccupation with being criticized or rejected in social situations;


Yes, though I hate to admit at times I am to worried about what others will think of me if I would show my true mask, partly because as a child I went through abuses because of it.

[*]unwillingness to become involved with people unless certain of being liked;

Yes, if I sense that I do not fit in correctly or that I am simply just being ignored, used or uncared for, I will put on a mask like nothing is wrong but afterwards avoid that person at all causes.

[*]restrictions in lifestyle because of need to have physical security;

[*]avoidance of social or occupational activities that involve significant interpersonal contact because of fear of criticism, disapproval, or rejection.
Associated features may include hypersensitivity to rejection and criticism.


Pretty much all describes me well, I am quite hypersensitive and at times have a hard time taking criticism. I fear rejection and at times I feel like I am not good enough and I am just a burden.

 

Consider also that in this diagnostic criteria "It is a requirement of ICD-10 that a diagnosis of any specific personality disorder also satisfy a set of general personality disorder criteria."

The general personality disorder criteria are listed below:

I think it is tricky business to enter into amateur diagnosis of self or others, so please be cautious as you engage with this idea. My sense is there may be a tendency to judge others more harshly when they are different than we are, or they exhibit characteristics that conflict with our own preferences, values, or needs.

 

Pretty much, I do not sleep much( average of 1-3 hours of sleep daily(. I am starting to eat a lot more. Suicidal thoughts are also quite frequent.

 

I don't get a long with my family, been hated upon my parents after they discovered my sexuality. All other relatives are distant. Do not have much friends, been pretty much a loner. Though I am recently making some connections, and have recently gotten into friendships with a few individuals, they do not feel close though.

 

I've been diagnosed with this and it explains partly why my life is such a pain.

 

I have no idea. I wasn't offered treatment for it. I would love to check out if there was. But I'm sure it involves some sort of cognitive therapy.

 

http://www.minddisorders.com/A-Br/Avoidant-personality-disorder.html

Treatments section is about half-way down the page.

 

I've been formally diagnosed with General Anxiety Disorder. As far as avoident personality, that sounds kinda like me, but it isn't enough for me to say I have it. As tovlo said it isn't a good idea to self diagnose. That being said a "bad" INFJ could be stereotypes as a avoident personality disorder (INFP's to a degree as well).

 

Sounds a lot like me - certainly I have the symptoms, if not the condition, but isn't that the same thing really, more or less? Whether things are formalised by a professional or not, the problem is still the same. Certainly I was badly affected by these symptoms in my teens, was much better during the time I was on anti-depressants in my early 20s, but not feeling very much like I was running the show, and so when I came off the medication, the problem returned. It has been better or worse depending on the circumstances and especially the people in my life. Often it's the things I have been compelled to do, through lack of money or the threat of relationshop breakdown that have improved things. For example, I think I improved a lot after doing door-to-door canvassing for a few months, when this was the only paid work I could find. I hated the non-stop interaction and feeling of being judged by every person who opened the door, but gradually this lessened, as I came to understand that 90% of the time, my fears were totally unfounded. Anyway, it's interesting. I'll consider digging out my CBT books again.