GAD VS. AvPD

I was diagnosed as GAD during a short stay in a psych hospital last year. I just recently stumbled across info on AvPD. I recognize myself much more in the symptoms and experiences of the AvPD people. I've found many with the same problems I have. Is GAD sometimes diagnosed as a catch all answer to label someone so as to avoid a more complicated diagnosis? I feel like I was GAD, but so much of the anxiety I felt then had to do with the drinking I was doing then. The AvPD I feel I've been my whole life. I would appreciate any help with my confusion.

flyingfree wrote:I was diagnosed as GAD during a short stay in a psych hospital last year. I just recently stumbled across info on AvPD. I recognize myself much more in the symptoms and experiences of the AvPD people. I've found many with the same problems I have. Is GAD sometimes diagnosed as a catch all answer to label someone so as to avoid a more complicated diagnosis? I feel like I was GAD, but so much of the anxiety I felt then had to do with the drinking I was doing then. The AvPD I feel I've been my whole life. I would appreciate any help with my confusion.

I think that doctors use the GAD label to catch all PDs. A family doctor wont really know much about PDs and they tend to prescribe meds based on a very simple GAD diagnosis.

Reading about AvPD and seeing how much this decsription fits your life experiences can be comforting in the sense that your feelings are somewhat validated by the medical community. However, even a psych would probably end up prescribing the same kinds of meds that you would get with a GAD diagnosis. The only 'treatments' available for AVPD seem to be anti-depressants and/or CBT. And i would consider those to be coping mechanisms instead of actual "treatments".

You could go to 5 different shrinks and get 5 different diagnoses. I was also in a psych hospital and they never did bother to come up with an exact type of anxiety diagnosis - even after two years. They just said avpd or GAD or SAD. It's like that. But the treatment is about the same just like Jess said - CBT and meds. Unfortuantely they didn't care about treating me for my avpd. They wanted to treat me for 'delusions' that I didn't have.

flyingfree wrote:I was diagnosed as GAD during a short stay in a psych hospital last year. I just recently stumbled across info on AvPD. I recognize myself much more in the symptoms and experiences of the AvPD people. I've found many with the same problems I have. Is GAD sometimes diagnosed as a catch all answer to label someone so as to avoid a more complicated diagnosis? I feel like I was GAD, but so much of the anxiety I felt then had to do with the drinking I was doing then. The AvPD I feel I've been my whole life. I would appreciate any help with my confusion.

I have to say that GAD and AVPD is extremely different disorders and extremely different diagnosis, while you may feel that you can relate to both GAD with anxiety ,and some symptoms of AVPD doesn't mean that you have this personality disorder, have you discussed any of this at all with your doctor ?

Butterfly Faerie wrote:

flyingfree wrote:I was diagnosed as GAD during a short stay in a psych hospital last year. I just recently stumbled across info on AvPD. I recognize myself much more in the symptoms and experiences of the AvPD people. I've found many with the same problems I have. Is GAD sometimes diagnosed as a catch all answer to label someone so as to avoid a more complicated diagnosis? I feel like I was GAD, but so much of the anxiety I felt then had to do with the drinking I was doing then. The AvPD I feel I've been my whole life. I would appreciate any help with my confusion.

I have to say that GAD and AVPD is extremely different disorders and extremely different diagnosis, while you may feel that you can relate to both GAD with anxiety ,and some symptoms of AVPD doesn't mean that you have this personality disorder, have you discussed any of this at all with your doctor ?

No, I will ask this week, but the psych hospital doctor was more or less part of an assembly line solution to my situation. Meaning he was provided by the state hospital and I was not seen privately by him. Unfortunately, the doctor I see doesn't listen well, and is just an aide anyway.

I'm sorry your doctor isn't helping you flyingfree... I hope you find some answers soon.

I just got out of a psyche hospital less then a month ago. That was the worst experience of my life and I vow I will NEVER go back there. I was there for depression & anxiety. The Doctors never tried to diagnose me either. I agree with Butterfly Faerie,GAD & AVPD might seem the same on the surface but if you dig alittle deeper you will find that they are very different. With GAD you constantly worry about every little thing but with AVPD you have trouble with intimacy and relationships. In my case I want friends and to be apart of the group very badly but my inner self keeps fighting me all the way. A voice keeps telling me that i'm not good enough & that they don't want to be my friend,they will humiliate and reject me so stay away from them. It is very frustrating.

Tom40 wrote:I just got out of a psyche hospital less then a month ago. That was the worst experience of my life and I vow I will NEVER go back there. I was there for depression & anxiety. The Doctors never tried to diagnose me either. I agree with Butterfly Faerie,GAD & AVPD might seem the same on the surface but if you dig alittle deeper you will find that they are very different. With GAD you constantly worry about every little thing but with AVPD you have trouble with intimacy and relationships. In my case I want friends and to be apart of the group very badly but my inner self keeps fighting me all the way. A voice keeps telling me that i'm not good enough & that they don't want to be my friend,they will humiliate and reject me so stay away from them. It is very frustrating.

That's exactly the way I feel Tom. I have always feared closeness from women. I want to be loved by them so much, yet the negative thoughts in me scare me away, or make me afraid to risk, or tell me how inferior I am, that I'm not good enough for them. I deeply fear rejection and humiliation, and so I am alone.

You can get over it by throwning youself into something. Become a workaholic. I've done that. Sometimes I think about getting one of those types of jobs. The job I have now can be like that at times, but lately it has been slow and I have decent help. You could find a hobby. The last couple of years I have been hitting over 100 classical music concerts. I went to 8 in seven days last year. This year I have a 13 concerts in 12 days for a stretch in March. The weather probably won't allow it though.


And get a Brooke Burke poster to come home to.

Parador wrote:You can get over it by throwning youself into something. Become a workaholic. I've done that. Sometimes I think about getting one of those types of jobs. The job I have now can be like that at times, but lately it has been slow and I have decent help. You could find a hobby. The last couple of years I have been hitting over 100 classical music concerts. I went to 8 in seven days last year. This year I have a 13 concerts in 12 days for a stretch in March. The weather probably won't allow it though.


And get a Brooke Burke poster to come home to.

Great, you would have to say Brooke Burke. She's from the city I live in. I'd go crazy from the sexual tension. The thing is, that women find me very attractive, or use to anyway. But I still froze up like I couldn't believe someone so beautiful could possibly be interested in me. End result, I would beat myself up mercilessly when I would blow another shot at a beautiful female. Workaholic wouldn't work either, since my AvPD effects my confidence in my ability to handle a job. Especially work related stress. I work as delivery driver. Not much stress, but not much money either.