Avoidant Personality Disorder: extreme shyness?

Known as Avoidant Personality Disorder It is a type of personality disorder characterized by extreme avoidance of social relationships. To summarize it very superficially, it is a disorder in which the shyness produced by the fear of giving a bad image to others leads the person to isolate themselves and avoid interacting with others.

Then we will see the symptoms, causes and treatments used to improve the well-being of people diagnosed with this disorder.

What is Avoidant Personality Disorder?

Also known as Anxious Personality Disorder, or simply as avoidance disorder, this disorder has as its fundamental characteristic strong social inhibition. This means that people with this pattern of behavior always try to maintain a very discreet profile, not attract attention and whenever they can, they remain aloof from others.

In the DSM IV diagnostic manual, belongs to group C of personality disorders, that of anxiety disorders, together with the Dependency Personality Disorder and Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder.

Symptoms

The main symptoms of Avoidant Personality Disorder are as follows. In any case, it must be clear that the diagnosis of this disorder (and that of the rest of psychological disorders) can only be performed by a mental health professional, examining case by case.

1. Deliberate isolation

People with this disorder they seclude themselves in their houses or in their rooms for much longer periods than normal, and as far as possible avoid interacting with other people.

2. Anxiety in social contexts

When people are around, especially strangers, it is common signs of anxiety appearsuch as increased heart rate, tremors, and difficulties speaking (which contribute to avoiding speaking). Consequently, their social skills are bad.

• Related article: "The 7 types of anxiety (causes and symptoms)"

3. Extreme sensitivity to criticism

Negative evaluations from others Directed at oneself have devastating effects on people with Avoidant Personality Disorder, making them feel humiliated and rejected very easily.

4. Low self-esteem

Another characteristic of these people is that they have very little confidence in your abilities, and in their beliefs a clear feeling of inferiority is reflected.

• Related article: "10 keys to increase your self-esteem in 30 days"

5. Escapist fantasies

These people tend to frequently fantasize about how would you like your life to be.

6. Distrust

The fear of giving a bad public image makes them tend to distrust others in anticipation that their own inferiority and others will be revealed try to take advantage of the situation.

7. Constant state of vigilance

Avoidance disorder is associated with a state of continuous alertness, through which the environment is examined to discover potential threats.

8. Avoidance of physical contact

This kind of experiences have been associated with unpleasant experiencesdistressing or painful, so they try not to repeat them.

Differential diagnosis and similar disorders

Most often, Avoidant Personality Disorder occurs in people with agoraphobia; about 15% of patients diagnosed with the second also have the first. Regarding people with social phobia, about 30% of them also present avoidance disorder.

These diagnostic categories belong to anxiety disorders, whose basic difference with Avoidant Personality Disorder is that in This second, the person focuses a good part of his fear and concern on the reactions of others instead of orienting them basically towards himself. same.

However, the relationship between avoidance disorder and social phobia remains highly debated, and in many cases it is difficult to distinguish between them, although some studies attribute to social phobia a somewhat lower level of anxiety.

• Related article: "Social phobia: what is it and how to overcome it?"

Causes

Like any mental disorder with complex characteristics, it is estimated that the root of the Avoidant Personality is multi-causal, and therefore it is not realistic to attribute a single mechanism of appearance. However, in the absence of more research in this regard, it is considered that early experiences of isolation and lack of bonding during childhood and adolescence it plays a very important role.

Having learned that rejection is the normal experience that comes "by default," assimilates the idea that rejection from others is inevitable and will appear in every social interaction.

• You may be interested: "Harlow's experiment and maternal deprivation: replacing the mother"

Treatments

Psychological treatments for Avoidant Personality Disorder are based on the cognitive behavioral therapy. This form of intervention allows modify beliefs on which low self-esteem is based, and at the same time offers a context in which to learn new habits to socialize, making anxiety and fear subside.

In the same way, a social skills training It also has beneficial effects and improves the chances that the person learns the necessary skills to find work and gain autonomy.

Regarding the use of psychotropic drugs, these are only used when it is essential and to treat symptoms linked to anxiety and associated symptoms.