Avoidant Personality Disorder | Comprehensive Review

This video answers the questions: What is avoidant personality disorder? Can I provide a comprehensive review of avoidant personality disorder including the definition, history, comorbidity, etiology, and treatment?

Avoidant personality disorder is characterized by a pervasive pattern of social inhibition, feelings of inadequacy, and being hypersensitive to negative evaluation. Individuals with this disorder view themselves as unwanted and isolated from other people.

Avoidant personality disorder is categorized in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM) as a Cluster C Personality Disorder. It has seven symptom criteria. Four or more are required for diagnosis.
1. avoids jobs that involve a lot of contact with people
2. doesn’t want to deal with people unless they can be certain that they be liked
3. moves very slowly in romantic relationships
4. preoccupied with being criticized or rejected in social situations
5. inhibited in new interpersonal situations because of feelings of inadequacy
6. views oneself as socially inept, personally unappealing, and inferior to others
7. due to fears of embarrassment, is reluctant to take personal risks

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[Jim]

On one hand you don't want to live in constant fear of rejection, being judged and feeling inadequate but on the other hand you also don't want to feel completely alone, depressed and living a life without purpose. So instead you do something kinda in between, avoiding most stuff, flying under the radar, doing the bare minimum to just get by and not feel completely overwhelmed. But deep inside you feel like you're wasting your life because you know you have so much more to give.. but the question is always how?

This disorder really sucks. But I still try to love life as much as I can. Gotta work with what you got.. Keep on fighting the good fight.

[alessandraescobar]

I think that one of reasons why this disorder is a little dismissed could be because it only causes problems to the person who has it. The person is not violent, agressive, abusive towards others, and causes little to no damage, so a lot of people may think "why bother?"

[RobertERensch]

I have AvPD among other things, and the best qualifier I ever heard was “ the inability to foresee positive outcomes”.
I find it to be a life destroyer.

[newtdog]

This guy is the real deal. Very few cuts and edits if any. He expressed pure knowledge. I subscribed.

[MrJAnthony]

I can definitely see this in myself. I’ve always avoided social interaction because I felt inadequate...but I just chalked it up to being an “introvert”.

[katyalupochev]

I almost avoided clicking on this video because I was worried I’d feel called out lmfao

[zzulm]

Sometimes the avoidance comes when we don't know how to set boundaries or express them, especially if we were punished or rejected when we expressed them in the past.

[infinitetundra]

I have this. I suspect it was due to my Narcissist Mom an Covert Sister. I was constantly criticized and became afraid criticism. My hypervigilance makes me have constant anxiety when I am around my loved ones. I haven’t spoken to my friends since high school or my Cousins in 6 years. I pretty much live the life of a Loner.

[MyEnemy]

It's robbed me of the life I was supposed to have.

[edwardrmurrow]

I spent over 10 years in psychotherapy and suffered through many false diagnoses until one competent clinician finally determined that I was a high functioning autistic. He said I have text book Aspbergers syndrome. I'm 70 years old and I feel free for the first time in my life

[bdmenne]

Wow! After almost 45 years, I think I finally realized I have APD and not all the others. Fits like a glove and bizarrely, I feel relief. Thank you, Dr. Grande!

[Fahrenheit]

Dr. Grande reviews avoidant personality disorder - "1/5 stars, would recommend avoiding this disorder"

[tdesq.]

Very enlightening! I especially appreciate how you called out the misperception of AvPD being not so serious, while it is, in fact, the most debilitating. Fair to presume that this misperception is likely rooted in its relatively mild effects on others. Obviously, because others typically don't have much contact/exposure to those suffering from AvPD. Thus, the external view is warped. Not prominently on the radar screen. Glad you called attention to this matter, Doctor Grande. You always see things at a deeper level. You're Good!
Grazi!

[carlesserranadal]

I have been struggling with avoidance for my whole life. I started therapy a year ago, had to stop a couple months ago because of a too busy schedule. This video really opened my eyes as to why I need to go back.
I've been slacking off my studies, distracting myself with whatever I can find (movies, books, daydreaming), completely isolating myself for days in my room doing nothing.
This video has been like a slap in the face. It's so painful to watch, because I simply do not want to have to face myself. But it has helped me see I need to go back to therapy, I really need it. We did so much progress, and while we obviously didn't fix everything I've just been reverting to those old behaviours over again. I'm constantly afraid and ashamed. I find it difficult to even reach out to my therapist, because I don't wnat to bother them / feel ashamed of how badly I've been doing since I left therapy / feel like I deserve to just waste my life, because I'm not worth it.
It's so difficult to live with.
But thank you for this video.Truly.

[tomatoisasquishyfruit]

Toughest thing is you know you are not introverted, but yet you keep yourself shut in to "protect" yourself from criticism, emotional or physical abuse. The problem is there is always that one person(s) who will prove you right, thus pushing you towards more isolation. Socializing gets nerve wrecking when you grew up constantly looking around so that you can dodge the physical or emotional and mental abuse coming your way by your "loved" ones.

[Ostariophysi]

It's good that you are looking at other personality disorders besides just narcissistic and borderline. Almost all available content seems to be about these two.

[JessieBanana]

Whenever I see videos on AVPD, it feels like it hits too close to home.

[jessicawelch]

If I had any feelings other than “happy” growing up, my mom didn’t want to hear it. I spent a lot of time alone in my room trying to cope with stuck emotions. I’m 40 now and am still trying to be free. I do try new things but it’s a huge mental push to be social and have real relationships.

[vanessalane]

I was officially diagnosed with avpd a few months ago, before that it was sad and cptsd. Started therapy years ago because I believed there was something fundamentally wrong with me that needed to be fixed, but turns out the thing that needs to be fixed is that I fundamentally believe there's something wrong with me.
There was emotional abuse and neglect from an early age. The most used interchangeable criticism and insult was that I was too sensitive so it really makes me wonder how much genetics played a role or was it a self fulfilling prophecy.

[johnmarcinko]

From personal experience, I think shame and shaming is the most insidious factor in forming personalty...