How bad is avoidents personality disorder

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Its makeing me wonder because my doctor said its bad but it can be fixed.
but on a 1 to 10 how bad is it really?

Personality disorders tend to be fairly severe.

Avoidant personality disorder is like social anxiety combined with severe agoraphobia. It's being afraid of interacting with people and being afraid of leaving your home, and just spending as much time as possible alone to avoid this.

At least that's my understanding. After I told my disability attorney that I spend ~23 hours a day in my room and talk to people maybe 5 minutes a day, I'm kind of surprised no one's tried to stick the label on me. But I'm not really afraid of people or leaving the house, I just don't see a point to interacting with people when I have no reason to, and there's nowhere to go so I stay at home.

Verdandi,

No real point in having APD tagged on if you have an ASD. I know the causes are different, of course, but the ASD will supersede such with the same effect. Same with Schizoid PD.

OP:

Bad enough to be classed as a disorder. That's pretty much the defining point.

I'm an aspie but my social separation is so severe that Avoidant Personality Disorder also exists. Mine is extreme in that I don't even go to the Asperger's meetup groups here in town. Mine is extreme to the point that bands and artists I've wanted to see for years I pass up because I can't bring myself to go out. I've actually bought tickets to bands I never saw (Judas Priest and YES) and I still have those tickets. Movies come and go which I miss. Friday night - I'm home. Saturday night - I'm home. This is the disturbing nature of AvPD. The aspieness I don't mind but the AvPD sucks.

Can be anywhere from "barely there" to "extreme".

Here's a flashback to the results of the personality tests we took recently (only my highest scores):

Schizotypal: Very High
Avoidant: Very High

Avoidant |||||||||||||||| 70% (52%)
Obsessive-Compulsive |||||||||||||||| 70% (45%)
Dependent |||||||||||||||| 66% (46%)
Schizotypal |||||||||||||||| 62% (52%)

It appears to me that the tests I have taken so far (besides these two the MMPI-2) indicate a trend that my personality is somewhat immature, I tend to avoid situations that imply responsibility, and I definitely have traits of anxiety disorders (avoidant, dependent, obsessive-compulsive).

I think it's good to know in which area my problems lie, so that I can take appropriate counter-measures.

Overall, though I think it affects me only mildly, I should not overlook this issue.

AvPD seems to have a long term risk to developing into an 'intermediate schizoid' personality, which seems to have happened to me. So i would try and challange/treat it if you can. I know its difficult if you have autistic type issues, but anything you can do to stop it getting worse and hold your current lifestyle in place, whether going to meetup groups or just getting out more would help.

I think you are right.

Ive always ( more or less) had the "willy's" in social encounters-- and even way back to the first grade. Fortunately, I've been able to connect to a few in my time, easing some sort of internal tension that I had --a sort of validation. And it is true: the more you are immersed into this, the more "used to it" you become.

It all boils down ( for me) some sort of theory of mind difference, and I've gradually learned how people think and can relate to this now on an intellectual level.

If I didnt fight this tendency I certainly believe it could consume like a fire.

I recall being at my grandparents at around 17-18 years of age, and feeling a flood of anxiety with the idea of talking to him (in small talk).

So much so, creating a mild stim in myself. I'd say to myself: " what are you really afraid of-- and why be so afraid?"

I used to 'duck into the bathroom' when we had company to "pull myself together." *Frightful*

They would have done better to call it Social avoidant personality disorder.....I thought it was somebody who avoided everything. Why can't they get such a simple thing right? There's another one called social anxiety disorder, seems to be pretty much the same thing.

I suspect those labels do more harm than good. I don't see they really mean anything except the person concerned is scared of people. I admit to that. Can't live without 'em, but they can seem very scary. I don't look much further than my autism for an explanation. I don't see how another label would help me.

SUMMARY: I think it's a load of tosh.

Ditto.

I dont have autism when they said i had this he said autism was for sure out of the picher.
And i just just learnd this. Also i dont think ill have that because i am getting into counsoleing. But yes its bad.

I enjoyed this post - made me laugh too

Kind of you to say so.

This is an interesting thread.

My discomfort with social situations had definitely developed to deliberate social avoidance over the last year, because I just don't see the point of socialising.

Outside of work, if I wasn't married I think I would be a complete hermit!

It's only as bad as you think it is.

It's nothing more than psychiatric mumbo jumbo.

We all have a tendancy to avoid things we don't like and/or are afraid of. Our lifespan would be significantly shortened if we didn't. Avoidence can only be defined as a disorder if you yourself experience it as a problem in real life.