Avoidant PD and Procrastination and College Problems

Anyone here have major problems while attending college? Things such as not being able to pick a major, procrastination, not attending classes etc? Fear of trying?

*raises hand* for lots of reasons....dunno what to do about it so i struggle on and do what i can - never get what im capable of which leaves me feeling like a failure but i "usually" make it through...well, i have so far

'whatever', my first question to you would be: Do you like what you are studying? When I left school here in Ireland I started a BSc Hons. in Computer Science but ended up hating it. In the year that I left the course (Year 4) I rarely attended classes and hid myself from everyone in the college laborartories browsing the World Wide Web. But now that I am back in college doing something I like it is a different story altogther.


It is never too late in your life to pick up a major. I believe that many people struggle through college not enjoying what they are studying... ...but they still get through and end up getting a job in a related area. How is that enjoying life?

It brings warmth and enrichment to my heart to hear of people making huge decisions in the face of adversity. ie, leaving a job, dropping out of a course, leaving a partner... ...All in the quest for something better in their lives.

this doesn't seem to work in my case. anything that i ahve studied in the past has been my choice and i do enjoy the subjects but various other things that go on affect how i work on them and all....my thoughts are often taken up with other things which i dwell on more than the work at hand which means i end up doing something like reading or music or soemthing to try and take my mind off it - doesn't work and i end up getting nothing done

I think i ended up majoring in procrastination. I've always been an awful procrastinator and I think it's probably linked to a lack of self confidence.

When I left school I spent three years studying art and design then turned my back on it all. Studied philosophy, got into uni to study philosophy and psychology, gave it up studied english lit, changed my mind, studied computer programming. I've since worked in IT.

Okay my case is probably a bit extreme, but I don't think many people really know what they want to do when they leave school, people's plans change as they get older. The important thing is to pick a subject you enjoy studying and to do it for the right reasons, don't feel you need to do it for someone else's sake. It's your education and your life after all, no-one else's.

earthling wrote:I think i ended up majoring in procrastination. I've always been an awful procrastinator and I think it's probably linked to a lack of self confidence.

He! He!


Anyway, In the past I have been terrible at making decisions too. I was a procrastinator too. You are right though - It is down to a lack of self-confidence.

It only took me seven years to graduate college!

Does anyone else feel like perfectionism is an element of AvPD? I think my own procrastination stems from the feeling that everything is too overwhelming and I can't face it. The reason things feel overwhelming to me, though, is because I think that I think I excpect myself to do things to meet such an incredibly high standard that I can't possible ever do them right - so I just never start.

That's an interesting line of thought Adna. I am definately a perfectionist but I would have blamed it on my OCD, not AvPD. I don't feel as if I am AvPD anymore though. No wonder AvPD is never diagnosed on it's own - There seem to be many other already defined disorders that combine to make-up AvPD.

I'd have to agree with you on that...

I am definately a perfectionist -- often to a fault. And will feel uneasy about starting something unless I know I can get it perfect. If that makes sense.