can you have both dpd and avpd?

So this is my first post but I've been wondering this...
So I suspect i have AvPD because I have most of the symptoms. It could just be social anxiety but idk. I don't have a therapist at the moment so.

Anyway I basically avoid everyone out of fear of rejection and all that, but I am lucky enough to have a girlfriend. We've known each other our entire childhood and eventually started dating so it was much easier than finding a date like most people in adulthood.
But I have become obsessively dependent on her. I need her constant approval and advice, even if she's given it to me before. I cannot be alone, I always need to be with her, even on text.

I also have almost all the symptoms of BPD so it could be that.

Anyway is it possible to have both?

I'm not asking for a diagnosis I'm just curious.

Thanks

Hi and welcome.

Yes, you can have more than one personality disorder. Some people can also have traits of personality disorders, where they have the symptoms but they either don't have enough of the symptoms of that personality disorder to meet the criteria for that diagnosis. Or where their symptoms are milder/not severe enough to warrant that diagnosis. There is also some overlap between AvPD and social phobia- there's a post about it here avoidant-personality/topic136761.html you might want to take a look at.

There are also some symptoms that can overlap between personality disorders too- but the motivations behind the behaviours can differ. It is possible for people with AvPD to have relationships- I've met quite a few who have, but there's just more barriers in their everyday for them to work through than there are for the average person.

Have you thought much about seeking out a therapist? I've found in the end having a diagnosis helped me go away and learn more about it, understand why it was there and why I do the things I do, and it's also helped me seek out extra support too.

Thank you for your reply
This does make sense to have traits of some disorders without having the full thing.

I am seeking a therapist actually, I'm planning on going sometime this month for an evaluation

Thank you!

You're welcome.

Just be aware that for someone to diagnose a personality disorder you would have to be seeing them for some time for them to observe how you behave and react to things and see how your symptoms present over time. They might be able to pick up on indicators of a PD in a single session, but it would take a lot longer to say definitely yes or no and to see those things as being long term symptoms.

I hope your search for a therapist goes well.

Thank you so much for the advice

It's brave of you to share your feelings. It's natural to wonder about what's going on with yourself. Having someone you trust, like your girlfriend, can be a real lifeline. But it's also okay to seek support beyond her. Maybe try reaching out to a therapist or counselor when you can. And yeah, it's possible to have both AvPD and BPD, but only a pro can really help sort that out.