How to Tell if You Have Avoidant Personality Disorder

By Marissa Katrin Maldonado, Founder, Mental Health Hope

Maybe you tend to be a loner; that shy type of person who prefers spending time alone instead of socializing. If so, then being an introvert is simply a personality trait, and not a sign of a mental health issue. It’s just the way you are wired.

However, if your need to isolate is rooted in a deep fear of rejection or embarrassment, you have extremely low self-confidence, and are hypersensitive to criticism, you may have avoidant personality disorder. Because of the impact these traits can have on your daily life, you may also have trouble developing or maintaining relationships, or even functioning at a job.

So, are you simply an introvert? Or, do you struggle with either social anxiety or avoidant personality disorder? Let’s explore the differences.

About Avoidant Personality Disorder

Avoidant personality disorder falls in the Cluster C group of personality disorders.

It is estimated that between 1.5%-2.5% of adults struggle with avoidant personality disorder. These individuals experience intense emotional distress in social situations and are generally quite awkward socially.

Though the signs and traits may show up during childhood or adolescence, a diagnosis of avoidant personality disorder is not made until the person reaches adulthood.

The diagnostic criteria for avoidant personality disorder stipulates that the individual must have acquired a persistent pattern of avoiding social contact, and will exhibit a minimum of four of the following traits:

• Fearful of being criticized or rejected in social situations
• Avoiding occupations or work-related activities that involve significant contact with others
• Resistant to forming relationships with people unless assured of being accepted
• Inhibited and shy in new social situations because of feelings of inadequacy
• Shows restraint within intimate relationships due to fear of ridicule or shame
• Feeling inferior to others, personally unappealing, or socially inept
• Hesitate to take risks or try new things due to fear of embarrassment

What Causes Avoidant Personality Disorder?

Avoidant personality disorder is a complex mental health disorder that is not yet completely understood. As with most mental health disorders, the origin of avoidant personality disorder involves genetics, psychological traits, and environmental influences.

Some of the factors that may play a role in the development of the disorder include:

• Attachment style
• Temperament
• Adverse childhood experience, such as due to neglect, inaccessible or inconsistent parenting, or emotional abuse

It is thought that the avoidance and isolation is a maladaptive coping strategy that emerged since childhood as a response to a negative childhood home experience.

What’s the Difference Between Social Anxiety and Avoidant Personality Disorder?

Social anxiety disorder is a mental health condition within the anxiety disorder spectrum. Individuals with social anxiety disorder do share several of the same traits seen in those with avoidant personality disorder, but regardless of this overlap there are some distinct differences. In earlier versions of the DSM, avoidant personality disorder-type traits were considered to be a more severe from of social anxiety disorder. However, that thinking has evolved, as distinct differences have been further defined in recent years.

The primary difference is that social anxiety is externally influenced. Someone with social anxiety fears being judged by others, but their reason for that fear is place on the other people—that they won’t approve of something you say or do. In other words, it is more performance driven.

With avoidant personality disorder, the fear of rejection or judgment stems from internal influences. The fear is rooted in very low self-esteem, and a low opinion of self as compared to others. At the core of the disorder is a sense of personal inadequacy.

In summary, social anxiety is usually limited to avoiding specific situations that are awkward for pretty much everyone, although their fears are enhanced. These might be work related situations that involve public speaking or being introduced to the CEO. The fear associated with avoidant personality disorder reaches into all aspects of life, including close relationships.

Is it Okay to Prefer Being Alone?

While societal norms dictate what is acceptable for the way we live our daily lives, they are not ironclad dictates by any means. Each of us has our own personality and temperament that largely influence our preferences, including how we arrange our social lives.

Some people are simply more comfortable when they spend time in solitude. These personality types often end up being writers, philosophers, artists, or composers. They thrive inside their own headspace and within an environment that they can control to large extent. They may be predominantly asocial but still integrate a comfortable degree of social engagement into their lives.

However, if being a loner is due to deep-seated fear of rejection or of being ridiculed, to the point where you cannot sustain relationships or a job, is a whole different story. When avoidance leads to impairment in functioning it is a mental health disorder. In this case, seeking treatment from a mental health provider is the appropriate response.

Treatment for Avoidant Personality Disorder

There are significant challenges in the treatment of avoidant personality disorder. This is because the root causes for the disorder are deeply etched in the psyche, and usually originated in childhood. To identify those negative events and work through the effects they have had on your life can take time and patience.

Treatment involves various forms of psychotherapy, or talk therapy, namely cognitive behavioral therapy, schema-focused cognitive therapy, and psychodynamic therapy. By participating in these therapy sessions you practice specific exercises that you can later apply in real world situations.

There is no specific medication for avoidant personality disorder. However, in some patients antidepressants can be helpful. Additionally, it is important to identify whether there might be any co-occurring disorders. Individuals with avoidant personality disorder have a heightened risk of co-occurring substance use disorder and depression. If those are present, they will also need to be addressed in treatment.

As you can see, there are definite differences between being a shy introvert type, and having social anxiety or avoidant personality disorder. If you believe you are struggling with avoidance personality disorder, reach out for help today.

About the Author

Marissa Katrin Maldonado has been working in the behavioral healthcare industry for over 12 years. She is the founder of Mental Health Hope, a national online resource for helpful articles about mental health conditions for adults, teens, and families. Dedicated to guiding individuals to the help they seek, Marissa believes that with the right support and guidance, those struggling will have the opportunity to turn their lives around and enjoy a healthy and happy life. She is a proud mother and wife and enjoys long distance running, traveling, and music.