PERSONALITY OR DISORDER? PERSONALITY DISORDERS

psikolojiozel10-1-25kapak

Avoidant Personality Disorder

Tubanur BAYRAM KUZGUNa
aİstanbul Arel University Faculty of Science and Letters, Department of Psychology, İstanbul, Türkiye

Bayram Kuzgun T. Avoidant personality disorder. Tunç P, ed. Personality or disorder? Personality Disorders. 1st ed. Ankara: Türkiye Klinikleri; 2025. p.64-72.

ABSTRACT
Avoidant Personality Disorder (AvPD) is a chronic psychological condition characterized by social inhibition, feelings of inadequacy, hypersensitivity to criticism, and a persistent fear of rejection. Individuals with AvPD often experience significant distress in interpersonal relationships due to avoidance of social interactions, and a deep-seated fear of embarrassment. Differentiating AvPD from social anxiety, dependent, schizoid, and schizotypal personality disorders is important. Additionally, AvPD has been relatively understudied due to the reluctance of affected individuals to seek treatment and the challenges associated with clinical interventions. Historically, psychodynamic theories have contributed significantly to the understanding of personality disorders, including AvPD. Emerging clinical research suggests that psychodynamic therapy offers valuable insights into the development and treatment of AvPD by exploring underlying psychological structures. This review aims to provide an updated examination of the psychodynamic factors influencing AvPD, shifting the focus from symptom classification to deeper psychological mechanisms contributing to the disorder.

Keywords: Avoidant personality disorder; diagnosis; etiology

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