The Human Mind
Personality Disorders
Avoidant Personality Disorder
Avoidant Personality Disorder is a pervasive pattern of social inhibition, feelings of inadequacy, and hypersensitivity to negative evaluation, beginning by early adulthood and present in a variety of contexts, as indicated by four (or more) of the following:
- avoids occupational activities that involve significant interpersonal contact because of fears of criticism, disapproval, or rejection;
- is unwilling to get involved with people unless certain of being liked;
- shows restraint within intimate relationships because of the fear of being shamed or ridiculed;
- is preoccupied with being criticized or rejected in social situations;
- is inhibited in new interpersonal situations because of feelings of inadequacy;
- views self as socially inept, personally unappealing, or inferior to others;
- is unusually reluctant to take personal risks or to engage in any new activities because they may prove embarrassing.
Source: The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM)
Back to Personality Disorders

Discuss psychology and the human mind in our Psychology forum
Know yourself - Understand others!
Back to Human Mind & Personality