Avoidant personality disorder in relationships. Everyone must have gone through a phase where they have a shy or awkward nature when related to other people. However, some people experience personality disorders that cause them to intentionally avoid interactions with other people, known as an avoidant personality disorder. This is based on shame and being too afraid of what people think, so they tend to avoid relationships with other people.
What is an avoidant personality disorder?
An avoidant personality disorder is a personality disorder in which sufferers avoid social relationships because they feel they are inferior to others. He also has a very great fear of rejection by others. This personality disorder does not only occur temporarily in one phase of life but tends to be permanent.
People with avoidant personality disorder tend to worry about disappointing others and are afraid of criticism direct at them, so they tend to avoid various activities. In social relationships, they prefer to be alone or feel lonely rather than trying to establish relationships with other people.
How can someone experience avoidant personality disorder?
Although it is a mental illness, experts believe that avoidant personality disorder does not appear by itself, nor is it influence one dominant factor. This disorder forms due to a combination of biological (inherited traits), social (the way individuals interact during development), and psychological (emotions, personality, and temperament) factors that are form in an environment.
It can also trigger childhood trauma from rejection or shunned family and peers. Most avoidant personality disorder develops during development. Adolescents and adults with avoidant personality disorder tend to remain shy. Even get worse and causes them to isolate themselves, avoid people and avoid traveling to new places.
Characteristics and signs of avoidant personality disorder
In addition to isolating behavior and feelings of inferiority, someone with an avoidant personality disorder may have the following characteristics:
- Avoiding activities that involve interacting with others because of a fear of criticism, criticism, or rejection by others.
- Do not want to interact with other people, unless they are sure they will like it.
- Being rigid in personal relationships for fear of being embarrassed or humiliated.
- Always worried about being criticized or rejected in social situations.
- Reluctant to be involved in new interpersonal situations such as acquaintances, because they feel inferior to themselves.
- Tend to feel incompetent, unattractive, or inferior to others.
- Very hesitant to take risks or too afraid to start a new activity for fear of embarrassment.
If these symptoms are look in children or teenagers. There is a possibility that it is not an avoidant personality disorder. Generally, this is because their personalities are still changing.
If this relationship symptom is look in adolescents, then the personality pattern must be able to persist for at least one year before declare as an avoidant personality disorder in relationships.
However, the diagnosis and the presence of this symptom are said to avoid personality disorder in relationships is found in adults. However, with age, the symptoms of personality disorders in adults may change or decrease in intensity around the age of 40 to 50 years.
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The difference between avoidant personality disorder and other similar conditions
Other disorders can co-occur with avoidant personality disorder and have similar symptoms, such as withdrawal. However, the cause is different. Withdrawal behavior experienced by people with social phobia occurs because sufferers are afraid of interacting with other people.
While in people with a borderline personality disorder this is due to difficulties in forming social relationships due to behavior, mood, and self-image.
The main cause of avoidant personality disorder in relationships is shame or inferiority to oneself. As well as an excessive fear of criticism and rejection of towards oneself.
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What must do
Psychiatric therapy and talk therapy need if the symptoms interfere with the sufferer’s activities. The therapy aims to grow the ability to adapt to the condition and relieve the symptoms experienced. This also needs to be accompanied by treatment. Especially if there are co-existing conditions that can make symptoms more serious, such as depression and anxiety disorders.
The benefit of long-term treatment of avoidant personality disorder is to increase the sufferer’s ability to interact with other people. In addition, preventing the emergence of secondary psychiatric disorders and total isolation due to the development of this personality disorder.