a resource and venting blog for people with avoidant personality

this isn’t my personal blog. it’s a place for information about avpd and resources that might help other people with avpd. - this blog is self-dx friendly.

- this blog is a safe place for people with every personality disorder

- this blog considers personality disorders to be inherently neurodivergent

- this blog does not tolerate racism, transphobia, queerphobia, sexism, or other bigotry.

---

avpd is a cluster c personality disorder characterised by intense fear and avoidance of social interaction and rejection. people with avpd often feel inept, like the worst person in the world. many of us feel like we are a ‘monster’ unfit for human interaction. Longterm childhood abuse, neglect, or other trauma is commonly believed to be a factor in why we develop avpd. it’s a common personality disorder but underdiagnosed due to our tendency to downplay our problems and perform wellness to therapists, social workers, and other professionals.

avpd is commonly comorbid with general anxiety, agoraphobia, ocd, and ocpd.

avpd comes with intense self loathing, an unstable sense of self, and a tendency to dissociate from one’s emotions.

many of us have either a flat affect (inability to express emotions with our face and body language) or create performative personas for the sake of interacting with other people.

many of us find Safe People. this term refers to people who we are less symptomatic around, are able to express some emotion around and be a little more vulnerable. these are usually the only people we actively seek interaction from, and most of us only have one or a few in our lives.

---

if you have any questions, feel free to send an ask.

This is an interesting question. I think they're (avpd and ocpd) equally difficult in terms of their impact on my ability to socialize and feel safe in relationships. In some ways, they amplify each other. My rigid expectations for how a relationship would be plus my inability to be open and vulnerable to another person? My inate feeling of inferiority combined with my seemingly contradictory belief that I know the Correct way to do things?

On the other hand, there are times I think that having ocpd mitigates some avpd symptoms. I've heard a lot of people with avpd talk about giving up on hobbies/skills out of a sense of feeling incompetent.

I certainly feel that way very intensely about the hobbies I do, but my ocpd makes it unthinkable to ever give up. I'm rigidly, obsessively devoted to the thing and to improving at it because of the ocpd.