Avoidant personality disorder is characterized by a behavior of social inhibition and feelings of inadequacy and extreme sensitivity to negative evaluation by other people.
Generally, this disorder appears in early adulthood, but even in childhood, some signs may begin to be seen, in which children feel excessive shame, isolate themselves more than is considered normal or avoid strangers or new places.
Treatment is carried out with psychotherapy sessions with a psychologist or psychiatrist and, in some cases, it may be necessary to resort to pharmacological treatment.
What symptoms
According to the DSM, Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, the characteristic symptoms of a person with Avoidant Personality Disorder are:
- Avoid activities that involve contact with other people, for fear of being criticized, disapproved or rejected; Avoid getting involved with other people, unless you are sure of the person's esteem; Show yourself reserved in intimate relationships, for being afraid to be ashamed or ridiculed; worries excessively with criticism or rejection in social situations; feels inhibited in new interpersonal situations due to feelings of inadequacy; sees himself as inferior and does not feel accepted by other people; fear of taking personal risks or getting involved in new activities, for fear of being ashamed.
Meet other personality disorders.
Possible causes
It is not known for sure what are the causes of avoidant personality disorder, but it is thought that it may be related to hereditary factors and childhood experiences, such as rejection by parents or other family members, for example.
How the treatment is done
Generally, treatment is carried out with psychotherapy sessions that can be performed by a psychologist or psychiatrist, using, in most cases, the cognitive-behavioral method.
In some cases, the psychiatrist may recommend the use of antidepressants, which can be supplemented with psychotherapy sessions.
