avoidant personality disorder

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any of you aspies been diagnosed with this? I started seeing a psychologist earlier in the year and this is the diagnosis I was given.



'It is understandably common for people to seek to avoid at least some anxiety provoking situations. However, tendencies to avoidance can become entrenched over a period of time to become quite self-defeating. This is because the urge to avoid situations can be strengthened by the short-term relief that escape from such situations may bring. As a consequence, avoided situations can become even more anxiety-provoking. Avoidant patterns of behaviour can lead to greater imbalance and dissatisfaction in people's lives if such patterns or habits become entrenched as avoidant personality characteristics. Such avoidant characteristics include: avoiding work activities which have significant interpersonal contact, being unwilling to become involved with others unless certain of being liked, being restrained in intimate relationships, being preoccupied with being criticized or rejected in social situations, being inhibited in new social situations because of feelings of inadequacy, viewing oneself as personally unappealing or inferior, and being unusually reluctant to take personal risks or engage in new activities which may prove embarrassing. Those with strong avoidant personality tendencies experience at least four of these characteristics'

I took that from my clinic's website.

Does this sound like you?

I totally have this but I'd never get treatment for it. I've had it for 23 years it's a core part of my personality. If someone didn't want me this way than they really don't want "me" at all. It sparks my symptoms and hatred, if the world were a better place I really wouldn't be this way in the first place, but because of what it is I've become what I am. For someone to want to take it back now is just plain wrong. I'm Avoidant and proud no matter how much pain it can cause me, it's who I am and the rest of the world can deal with it. That is how I have come to cope with this disorder.

I have symptoms of it, but have never been diagnosed with it.

doctors here arnt really into officially stamping someone with a diagnosis unless theres a point to it. but yeah, that ones been mentioned in my notes over the years. although at the moment it says unidentified personality disorder. I like it, it makes me sound mysterious

Yes, I've a diagnosis of this along with AS and several other things. Like some of the other so called "personality disorders" AvPD isn't a "disorder" at all, many people mistakenly think it is extreme social phobia but it isn't, extroverts can have social phobia but it isn't a part of their personality and they can overcome it, AvPD is actually a core personality type, an extreme form of the SENSITIVE personality which most often correlates to the Myers Briggs INFJ personality. We are rare, those of us who have it really struggle to fit in to a world that is not designed for us and does not recognize or appreciate our deep sensitivity. Most aspies either have the Avoidant Personality, the Schizoid Personality, the Schizotypal Personality, the Obsessive Compulsive Personality (not to be confused with OCD) or a combination of some of those. These are personalities that have been pathologized yet there is nothing inherently wrong with any of them, it is society that is wrong.

http://www.ptypes.com/avoidantpd.html

Up until 3 years ago I was extremely more sensitive. I always felt the world crushing me. When ever I felt rejected in any way I slightly wanted to die. I hated myself and I forced myself to work harder to please other people, and it was all because I was trained to believe that I was a living failure of a human being that had to prove it's worth in order to even exist. When I turned 19 I fantasized living alone far away from other people no longer having to interact with anyone ever again. I had difficulty holding a job because of my learning disabilities and I also started losing friendships but I didn't care about the lack of contact with my friends. When I got my AS DX it changed. Though I still have some of the symptoms I was able to except myself more, and I quit my job and started working a new one for a very kind person. He knows the kind of person I am but he's nice enough to encourage me not to feel worthless. He likes the fact that I come to work with the intention of doing my best everyday.

What my boss would look like as an anime character

Maybe the cure to someone with avoidant personality disorder is a very encouraging and positive environment. I never had that kind of environment at home, so at my current job it could very well be the first time. I'm very weary of our current society I think in the future all the harsh competitiveness for economic survival is going to nurture more psychological disorders in newer generations. Disorders that can be helped or stopped with just the simplest forms of human kindness.

avoidant characteristics include: avoiding work activities which have significant interpersonal contact, being unwilling to become involved with others unless certain of being liked, being restrained in intimate relationships, being preoccupied with being criticized or rejected in social situations, being inhibited in new social situations because of feelings of inadequacy, viewing oneself as personally unappealing or inferior, and being unusually reluctant to take personal risks or engage in new activities which may prove embarrassing. Those with strong avoidant personality tendencies experience at least four of these characteristics

^^ This fits me perfectly. In fact, I have been slowly turning into a complete hermit over the past 2 years. Lately, I'm even avoiding socializing with my direct family. I don't understand why I can't get myself to go spend a little time with everyone in the house. I hate myself for it!

Yes.. dx'ed avpd... I am only very talkative online where i ramble nonstop where irl i avoid people like the plague -_-

Yes... highly sensitive

I don't think it matters as much about the enviornment I've been in fine environments ive been in sh***y environments... It's -constant- fear of rejection and judgement where it's not needed that keeps avpd in place

I think what really makes it bad is being a recluse... The more I get out there with people the less avpd I have so , i think a lot of the 'symptoms' are pretty reversible...

I have a hunch that I might have APD. I seem to be avoiding my clubhouse like the plaque due to the fact that I don't like a few of the staff and members. It seems so easy to stay in my time machine. I push myself to get there, because I know deep in my mind that the only way my depression will go away is if I spend time around people.

I think you are right about being around people to some degree helps depression. I have found volunteering a little helps me focus on other people's problems and not so much on my own difficulties.

Yea I think that's a good point to make. And I'm liking the sound of that unidentified personality disorder thing!

Wow. I have most symptoms of this, and can remember overanalyzing social situations before I went to school. So, the social anxiety was present before I went to daycare, or school




I have most symptoms.

I'll hazard a guess that this is me too. One thing I can think of which illustrates it is that I didn't do my honours year at uni. I did 3 years, got my degree and ran. Everything about what the 4th year entailed terrified me so much that I decided to avoid it altogether, although, academically, I was more than capable. Firstly, there was a weekend fieldtrip and not having the security of home or my fiance to retreat to, then there was going to be a lot of presentations (when I had already experienced being laughed at by some girls at the back of the room) and a project, which meant dealing with professors, lab techs, etc. Then at work, I used to procrastinate over certain tasks that involved things that I wanted to avoid - like making a phonecall or approaching an authority figure or delegating work. I stressed and lost sleep about work that was piling up, due to just avoiding it and doing other stuff instead, that wasn't so urgent. And I've pulled out of social events, at the last minute, on numerous occasions. I thought it was all just down to shyness - but isn't this shyness in action?

Yes unfortunately, amongst other things.

I can relate to this, I can also relate to schizoid personality disorder.

I am not sure which one, but i'v read that the main difference schizoid people are socially isolated and proud of it while avoidant really want social interactions yet they believe they're socially inept and fear social rejection.

So I am more likely to be avoidant than schizoid

Yup, diagnosed at the same time my therapist and I figured out the AS bit. I exhibit every symptom in the list.