We created the Avoidant Personality Disorder website to help ourselves and others with AvPD/APD and to keep the Avoidant support groups online for people with Avoidant Personality Disorder to find each other and to share their experiences with others who know in their hearts what it feels like to have Avoidant Personality Disorder along with other conditions that may overlap or concur. This group also welcomes those with Social Anxiety, Social Phobia, Agoraphobia, Schizoid Personality Disorder and Obsessive Compulsive Disorders, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and other overlapping disorders that hinders functionality in combination to APD.How can we each know if we have Avoidant Personality Disorder? 

Well, read the medical descriptions of AvPD provided. If it feels like you've been pierced through your heart and a whole truck load of emotions hits you all at once; extreme anxiety (you may feel like choking, crying, throwing up... things like that) because some or most of the description fits you... and if it touches that secret place inside you that you keep hidden so well - you may have found your answer. 

If you see yourself everywhere in the personal accounts we have on this page, then you're probably one of us. If that is the case we urge you to sign up for the mailing list. Those who have Avoidant Personality Disorder and severe Social Anxiety are marked by intelligence and courage. We are living with this thing but fight our whole lives not to let it destroy us. We have a strong trait in our personalities that wants to fight the disordered part. But without guidance, we fight in the wrong way though nonetheless we still fight!

We are a peculiar people; often others don't understand us. Our avoidant personalities cause others to wonder or to judge. But likely it is that as people with this disorder we are particularly sensitive to what our environment contains. Hyper-vigilance and mistrust will often accompany our thoughts and though we may yearn in our souls for friendships...they often elude us. This leads to isolation for fear of rejection and a lack of acceptance amongst others.

Ultimately, we may find ways to "cope." We might decide that being alone is preferable to being with others. We may find our own company though lonely...safer than what we had experienced before. We think - If we don't risk then we can keep others from hurting us. If we can build walls around our hearts, around our bodies then we can cocoon and find solace within the quiet peace of ourselves. We want a soulful existence but the FEAR is strong, the vulnerability just too much and so...we go inward.

We want to offer you hope! It is not over! You are a person of purpose and meaning. Here we will offer you support, encouragement and a dose of humor to help get you through your days. Come and be a part of this unique group of individuals.

We hope you will join us and  sign up at our Avoidant Personality Disorder Groups and if you don't feel like posting you can lurk and read messages.  Be assured that you are in the right place. 

AvPD/APD Medical Description

World Health Organization description  WHO of Avoidant Personality Disorder. This text describes the diagnostic criteria for AvPD.

There is a good likelihood that AvPD is the extreme form of Social Phobia. If you have APD you will recognize many of the characteristics of Social Phobia/Social Anxiety in yourself.

A hallmark of both AvPD and Social phobias is Anxiety. 

The following is a description of anxiety symptoms you may experience. 

You know these symptoms very well if you have APD.

You might also have experienced a panic attack though not all Avoidant's have panic attacks.

There is sometimes an obsessive-compulsive component to APD and social phobia. This is a description of Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder.

Dependency could be one the personality traits of a person with APD.

This is a description of Dependent Personality Disorder.

If you have APD, you might also experienced one or more depressive episodes.

This last text is written for this page. It contains information of the American system of classifying personality disorders, but Avoidants' all around the world will benefit from reading it: Avoidant Personality Disorder.

You can see more at: mentalhealth.com's Avoidant Personality pages.

 Ever had a day like this?

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