Avoidant Personality Disorder is a personality disorder. Personality disorders express the problems of individuals in their relationships with their surroundings and the troubles in the inner world of the individual due to personality traits. In personality disorders, personality traits are seen as rigid and unchangeable.
Features of Avoidant Personality Disorder
Avoidant Personality Disorder is not limited to just shyness, timidity, and introversion. In addition to shyness, timidity, and introversion, individuals with Avoidant Personality Disorder often fear not being approved, rejected, judged, and worry that people will have negative thoughts about them in society; due to the need for approval, they tend to strive to make those around them happy.
Individuals with Avoidant Personality Disorder experience a lack of self-confidence. Also, if they anticipate visible symptoms such as trembling hands and blushing when embarrassed, they experience anxiety. This anxiety is a concern about whether people will notice these symptoms. Because in Avoidant Personality Disorder, individuals are generally concerned with how they appear and how others see them is quite important.
Social Relationships of Individuals with Avoidant Personality Disorder
Being rejected and not being approved creates fear for individuals with Avoidant Personality Disorder. Therefore, they want to make sure they are loved in their relationships. They may avoid being in relationships where they will not be liked. They may have difficulty in establishing close relationships due to the thought of being teased. They may behave shyly or awkwardly when meeting new people.
Individuals with Avoidant Personality Disorder may feel socially inadequate. Therefore, criticism or exclusion can create fear in these individuals. They may fear criticism or exclusion because they believe they are incompetent. Due to this belief of incompetence, they may show shyness in various initiatives and may be hesitant to participate in different activities.
Factors Leading to Avoidant Personality Disorder
Various situations can lead to Avoidant Personality Disorder. Being genetically predisposed or having biological irregularities in the brain can lead to the development of Avoidant Personality Disorder in individuals. Among the reasons for the development of Avoidant Personality Disorder, early traumatic experiences that are negative and painful can also be present. Also, the imitation of the shy and timid behaviors of parents can lead to the emergence of Avoidant Personality Disorder.
Treatment of Avoidant Personality Disorder
Avoidant Personality Disorder is a personality disorder that can affect individuals’ relationships, personal development, professional progress, and success in social relationships. Individuals with Avoidant Personality Disorder may have difficulty realizing their potentials and experiencing difficulties in self-realization. To successfully diagnose and determine appropriate treatment methods, it is necessary to seek the support of a psychiatrist and psychotherapist who are experts in the field. In the treatment of Avoidant Personality Disorder, behavioral, psychodynamic, social skills development, interpersonal, group, and family therapies are utilized. Through the applied therapies, individuals can gain awareness of their problems and discover appropriate solutions.
References
Geçtan, E. (1997) Psychodynamic Psychiatry and Abnormal Behaviors. Istanbul: Remzi Kitabevi. Sevinçok, L., Dereboy, F., Dereboy, Ç. (1998). Clinical features and treatment of Avoidant Personality Disorder. Clinical Psychiatry, 1(1), 22-26. Yoldaş, C. (2018) Relationship between the frequency and subtypes of adult attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in groups with and without Avoidant Personality Disorder in patients diagnosed with social anxiety disorder. Department of Psychiatry, Adnan Menderes University Faculty of Medicine, Aydın.
