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.
Avoidant Personality Disorder Causes and Risk Factors
Having another mental health condition like depression or anxiety. 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.
Research suggests that experiences of rejection and marginalization during childhood and innate traits of social anxiousness and avoidance may contribute to avoidant personality disorder. Avoidance in social situations has been detected as early as about age 2 years.
Genetics alone cannot explain why some people develop AVPD, because it's possible to have a family history and never have this condition. Researchers suggest that there are early childhood experiences that contribute to avoidant behaviors and personality disorders.
While avoidant personality disorder symptoms may fade or become less intense as you age, you may always have some lingering feelings of inadequacy or fears of rejection.
Despite popular opinion, it's entirely possible to have a satisfying, fulfilling relationship with someone with an avoidant attachment style. Although we stated earlier that attachment styles are stable, they are not a life sentence. Your avoidant partner can become more secure in their actions.
Whoopi Goldberg, Donny Osmond and Kim Basinger have something in common other than fame — it is avoidant personality disorder, or simply, AvPD. This disorder is estimated to affect around two percent of the general adult population.
For some, symptoms of avoidant personality disorder begin in infancy or as a toddler. For these youth, symptoms such as shyness, isolation, and avoidance of strangers and new places are common. Most people who are shy in their early years tend to grow out of the behavior.
Emotional-Social Experience of Avoidant Personality Disorder
While there is no clear data on the co-occurrence of Autism and AvPD, many professionals within the Autism community believe that AvPD occurs more often among autistic adults. Reasons may include (Source): Experiencing social rejection and bullying as a child.
Avoidant people may not realize how much their communication is avoidant as they may consciously want to have a companion.
In line with their desire for complete independence, many people with an avoidant attachment style also feel greatly triggered when a partner becomes too reliant on them. Especially if this leads to more demands for their time and attention. Having to focus on others can feel like a burden.
Avoidant personality disorder is characterized by feelings of extreme social inhibition, inadequacy, and sensitivity to negative criticism and rejection.
As a general statement, all narcissists are love avoidant, but people can be love avoidant and not be narcissists. This can be confusing. Taking a closer look at each type of person will clarify the signs to watch for in any relationship.
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 Personality Disorder is a Separable Schizophrenia Spectrum Personality Disorder even when Controlling for the Presence of Paranoid and Schizotypal Personality Disorders - PMC.
However, most experts believe that AVPD is just a more severe and debilitating form of social anxiety, rather than a completely separate condition. Still, there are slight differences between the two, especially in how the symptoms show up and interfere with a person's ability to function.
A number of experiences and risk factors can make you more likely to develop avoidant personality disorder, including: Having another mental health condition like depression or anxiety. A family history of depression, anxiety, or personality disorders. Childhood abuse, trauma, or neglect.
While there are exceptions, for the most part people with AVPD won't have many close or intimate relationships with extended family members, co-workers, neighbors, and others who are in their orbits but not in the same proximity as partners, parents, children, siblings, or lifelong friends.
On the other hand, people with an avoidant attachment may be attracted to anxious partners because their pursuit and need for closeness reinforce the avoidant person's need for independence and self-reliance. Anxious and avoidant partners may also seek their partner's traits due to wanting those traits in themselves.
Studies have found that avoidant attachers are less likely to date or seek relationships. In other words, they are more prone to having smaller social circles and, thus, may stay single for longer periods of time.
After intimacy deepens, the avoidant partner loses interest in being sexual, in hugging, kissing, and perhaps even holding hands. Some avoidant partners will seem to actively limit physical proximity, such as sitting closely together on a couch where contact may be possible.
Relationship Red Flag #1: The issue of space
In one direction, your partner needs too much space, and you feel like a single person in your relationship. This could be due to an avoidant attachment style, or it could also indicate a commitment issue.
Avoidant, or insecure-avoidant
Avoidant attachment develops in children who do not experience sensitive responses from a parent or caregiver to their needs or distress. Children with avoidant attachment may become very independent, both physically and emotionally.