Antisocial Personality Disorder	Avoidant Personality Disorder
Borderline Personality Disorder	Dependent Personality Disorder
Narcissistic Personality Disorder	Obsessive-Compulsive Personality
Paranoid Personality Disorder	Schizoid Personality Disorder
Schizotypal Personality Disorder	Personality Disorders Home
Histrionic Personality Disorder

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Individuals with avoidant personality disorder are very uncomfortable in social situations, overwhelmed by feelings of inadequacy, and extremely sensitive to negative evaluation. They are terrified by the thought of being embarrassed in front of others and so withdraw and avoid others. They tend to have low self-esteem and to believe that they are unworthy of being liked or accepted. They are also very self-conscious and view their accomplishments as being of little or no worth.

They actively avoid situations that require social contact due to a dread of criticism, disapproval or rejection. A fear of saying something foolish or of embarrassing themselves makes them timid and hesitant in social situations. Even in intimate relationships they often express themselves carefully - afraid of being shamed or ridiculed.

Individuals with this disorder believe themselves to be unappealing or inferior to others. They usually have few or no close friends, though many actually yearn for intimate relationships, and frequently feel depressed and lonely. To escape these feelings, some take refuge in an inner world of fantasy and imagination which they consider safer than reality.

Avoidant personality disorder is similar to social phobia, and the two disorders often coexist. Both disorders cause a fear of humiliation and low confidence, but a key difference between the two is that people with a social phobia primarily fear social circumstances, while people with the personality disorder tend to fear close social relationships.

It is estimated that between 0.5 and 1.0 percent of adults have avoidant personality disorder - men suffering the disorder as frequently as women.

Diagnostic Criteria for Avoidant Personality:

A pervasive pattern of social inhibition, feelings of inadequacy, and hypersensitivity to negative evaluation, beginning by early adulthood and present in a variety of contexts, as indicated by four (or more) of the following:

(1) avoids occupational activities that involve significant interpersonal contact, because of fears of criticism, disapproval, or rejection

(2) is unwilling to get involved with people unless certain of being liked

(3) shows restraint within intimate relationships because of the fear of being shamed or ridiculed

(4) is preoccupied with being criticized or rejected in social situations

(5) is inhibited in new interpersonal situations because of feelings of inadequacy

(6) views self as socially inept, personally unappealing, or inferior to others

(7) is unusually reluctant to take personal risks or to engage in any new activities because they may prove embarrassing

Treatment of Avoidant Personality:

It is not uncommon for individuals with avoidant personality disorder to enter therapy, but keeping them in treatment can often be a challenge as many of them soon begin distrust the therapist's sincerity and start to fear his or her rejection.

Therapists tend to treat people with avoidant personality disorder much as they treat people with social phobias and other anxiety disorders. Desensitization techniques have proven to be quite effective, and similar to the treatment of a social phobia, the avoidant personality disorder may be taken outside of the office. Such approaches have had at least modest success.

Group therapy may also be recommended to provide practice in social interactions and to help desensitize the individual to the exaggerated threat of rejection.

Antianxiety and antidepressant drugs are sometimes useful in reducing the social anxiety of people with avoidant personality disorder, although the symptoms usually return when the medication is stopped.

Personal Stories of Avoidant Personality:

"I'm told i was a very nice active boy,untill i went to kindergarten,where my troubles started.I was quite active, almost hyper active kind of child and was quite soft and kind compared to other kids,thus provoked rejection in group - they hated me to degree when i'd be tottally avoided by most members of group.Being physical abused (punched,kicked,pushed etc) did not help me,and i grew quite avoidant.Pretty much same happened in school, I was picked upon,made fun of,and beaten up once in awhile.My parents were not told about most of this of course, and i led quite isolated lifestyle,having only few friends i can actually trust.Most of them rejected me after 1-2 years of friendships anyways.to the end of middle school i started to "fight back" a little,started working out and went to some karate sections for a little while.Once i grew big enough most physical attacks ceased,and i was pretty tolerant to verbal ones.As i went to high school,I became somewhat more open and more secure,but even today people who do not know me closely percieve me as cold and avoidant.I tend to have agressive outbursts,because as i was growing being agressive was rewarded-it meant i would not be picked upon as much.It's hard to control those feelings,because it took a lot of courage to learn to be aggresive ,i was a totall "wuss" compared to other kids,and it took me long time to work that out.Now i'm working out how to be more controled and more open.I only visited psychiatrist once,but such anxiety took hold of me,i could never go back there.Now i'm in my 19's and i still got troubles to figure out. I have problems with building relationship with people,i not only dont trust people,i sometimes create situations where the other person feels left out.I can stop talking to that person for long time,but it's not because i'm trying to be manipulative(i'm almost certain this is major issue that stops most of my relationships)but because i need time to "think" person trough,to think if i can trust that person or not.Most people feel very bad,because they feel that i do not care about their feelings,and they feel hurt. Relationship create a lot anxiety for me - even if i look cold,i might be experiencing a waterfall of emotions,feel angry,depressed and just want to smash things or hurt someone.However,on bright side,i think i'm on my way to a more normal personality- as time passes,i accept myself more,and i work out some of the issues i have.Unfortunately,Schoolwork and my general education suffered greatly,i probably will have to take extra courses and pay extra money for school. Personally,for people with this kind of thing,i think it's best to slowly build up charcter-start working out at gym, doing physical activities - it will not only improve your body,but more you hang around people,more you will learn and it will be easier to be in a society."
- Anonymous

For more personal stories of living with this disorder please visit this page.

If you would like to share your story of living with this disorder, or if you are a loved one of avoidant individual and would like to tell your tale - please email me and I will include it on this page.