The development of avoidant personality disorder can result from a complex mix of environmental factors, personality traits , and genetics. The following can all play a key role : fearful or anxious childhood attachment styles. early childhood environment, which may involve deficits in parental or caregiver affection.
For instance, avoidant personality disorder is more common in people who are anxious and tend toward depression. Parental emotional neglect certainly can play a part in exacerbating these issues, and sexual and physical abuse also can give rise to the disorder.
AVPD is likely caused by a combination of genetics and innate personality and environmental factors, such as early experiences of rejection.
Avoidant personality disorder is characterized by feelings of extreme social inhibition, inadequacy, and sensitivity to negative criticism and rejection.
And having an anxious/avoidant attachment style is linked to avoidant personality disorder. People with this attachment style tend to report that their parents didn't often express love or affection. Your parents might have been around physically, but felt distant when you reached out to them for closeness or support.
But, once they get close, they become distant. Then they may repeat this cycle and not know why they are doing it. The anxious-avoidant attachment style is often due to trauma that includes physical abuse, chaotic or scary environments, and/or inconsistent care.
Avoidant Attachment Style and Narcissism. There's a significant overlap between grandiose narcissism and avoidant attachment. However, people with avoidant attachment don't necessarily believe they are superior and entitled to special treatment and unconditional admiration.
At their core, avoidant partners tend to believe that no one will ever meet their needs. They expect that others do not want them to thrive or will not allow them to be themselves. They also may fear that they cannot measure up to what others want. In response, they wall themselves off for protection.
What is the most effective treatment for avoidant personality disorder? Currently, cognitive-behavioral therapy is considered the most effective treatment for symptoms associated with avoidant personality disorder. Including family members in therapy can result in a better support system for those with AVPD.
Avoidant Personality Disorder Causes and Risk Factors
A family history of depression, anxiety, or personality disorders. Childhood abuse, trauma, or neglect. Trauma including suffering an extreme incident of ridicule or rejection in childhood.
Many people with avoidant personality disorder display avoidant behaviour due to having a long-standing fear of rejection or feelings of inadequacy, which in many cases has shown to have been initiated in an early childhood environment.
It appears to affect men and people assigned male at birth (AMAB) and women and people assigned female at birth (AFAB) equally. Like other personality disorders, avoidant personality disorder symptoms may be noticed in childhood and often begin to create discomfort in adolescence or early adulthood.
“Generally, people with AVPD appear to be very accommodating, amicable, hardworking, and people-pleasing,” says Winarick. “But there is often palpable anger or aggression lurking far beneath the surface.”
This may seem like a paradox: avoidant personality disorder is characterized by a fear of not being good enough whereas narcissistic personality prompts an image of a grandiose person believing he or she can do no wrong.
Estimates are that anywhere from 1.5% to 2.5% of adults have avoidant personality disorder, with both men and women affected. People with the disorder are likely to have a higher risk of suicidal ideation and to suffer from chronic depression.
But sadly, someone with an avoidant personality disorder, finds it very difficult to develop healthy relationships with boundaries. Individuals with this disorder also find it difficult to trust or express their deepest feelings for fear of abandonment, rejection, or loss.
People with the avoidant attachment style are more likely than secure attachers to have low levels of emotional intelligence. This is especially the case when it comes to other peoples' emotions.
Adults with the dismissive / avoidant attachment style seem to be pretty happy about who they are and where they are. They might be very social, easy-going, and fun to be around. In addition, these individuals might have a lot of friends and/or sexual partners.
Because of this emotional distancing, they tend to be less empathic toward people in need (Joireman, Needham, & Cummings, 2001; Wayment, 2006). Further, avoidant people tend to respond negatively to their partner's emotions because those emotions can signal that they need more attention and intimacy.
The disorder can develop in childhood, and symptoms have been detected in children as young as 2 years old. However, like other personality disorders, avoidant personality disorder is typically only diagnosed in adults.
Some avoidant personality disorder symptoms can get worse when left untreated. Avoiding others may continue to seem like the only safe way to cope with intensifying fears of rejection and disapproval. Even work and everyday errands might become so overwhelming that you end up isolating yourself completely.
Love Avoidants recognize and are attracted to the Love Addict's strong fear of being left because Love Avoidants know that all they have to do to trigger their partner's fear is threaten to leave.
Avoidant-attachment style personalities aren't emotionally mature enough to tell their partner the truth about how they feel, so they disappear when they become threatened with feeling vulnerable or close to someone.
Avoidant people may not realize how much their communication is avoidant as they may consciously want to have a companion.