News of Avoidant Personality Disorder Forum

Another of those "comparing SPD & AvPD" posts... I know you like them; and if you don't, well I do like them; which is all that matters really, a skill all AvPD should learn.

I've noticed that when I am surrounded by people, like for example a crowded elevator, or meetings at the office, I sometimes almost have to concentrate to remember there are people around me, otherwise I sink into my head completely. My ...

I recently came across this forum, and I read some stuff about APD. I was amazed, scared, and relieved. I read the symptoms of APD, and it's like somebody just read my mind. Although I don't think my APD is as severed as some of the members here, I do live in almost total isolation.

I was very outgoing when I was younger. But something in my life changed, and so did my personality. I ...

I'm an amateur musician. I play music every day and it's a big part of my life (its usually very therapeutic). But sometimes when I'm playing I get extremely frustrated with the way I sound and the level of my skill... to the point that I have wanted to bash my acoustic on the floor.

I've noticed something though. When I first record something and play it back I'll almost inevitably hate it (the way ...

Ever feel like doing that? Ever really do it? I feel like chucking it, just getting in my car and driving off. Maybe to see if anyone misses me. I wonder if anyone would even care. Would anyone bother to look for me? Probably not. I won't really do it. I have my cat to look after. He was my father's cat and I have to take care of him. He's my best friend.

I hate them. Normal people have families and get together with them. I watch some football and go to a movie by myself. A couple of years I even worked on Thanksgiving and Christmas. I hate this crap.

I'm sure something along these lines has been posted before. I'm just looking for good books on social phobia/anxiety/AvPD (particularly books that work towards differentiating the disorders... I feel like I've been this way my whole life).

Also, has anyone really found any texts on their problems helpful, or just redundant. I can't imagine finding anything I don't already know...

But I'm still hopeful, if you've read anything that really helped you out I'd appreciate ...

Hey, I just found this forum. I'm 17 and I am really suffering from this. In a way I'm glad I found out about APD because before I thought I was going mad but now I know the reason for the way I think and it makes more sense. It's good to see that there are other people out there like me (well it's not good but you know what I mean!). But on the ...

Does anyone ever feel like this disorder is self-enforced? I mean, it fits me more or less perfectly... I've talked to my psychology professor about it and he was certain I would be diagnosed if I went to the "right" people, but again, diagnosis for this disorder is done via interview. There's really no objective way to validate this disorder (is there?).

What I'm trying to say is: as much as I would like for ...

Has anyone ever thought what they would be like without AvPD? It would feel so weird not having part of my personality, no matter how much I hated it. I would be scared of what I might become without this constant fear and paranoia. Where I am now, I know who I am and I know my boundries. But if it went, I wouldn't know who I was anymore and that scares me.

Anyone else ...

I have been doing some thinking about myself lately and so I began to analyze my fantasies and see if there was something in them that could tell me something about me. After a few days of analyzing I realized that there is a common theme in my fantasies and that is, being saved.

In most of my fantasies I tend to be rescued by someone. Somebody comes into my life and magically solves everything. ...