I suppose it makes sense. I have no close friends and I completely avoid social situations unless I have to be in them. It would explain why I always feel like the center of (negative) attention in any given room, or why I always feel like I'm annoying people or that I sound smug.
The doctor told me people with AVPD often have trouble understanding who they are as a person, and can't latch onto specific identities, but I haven't thought about that much. The pamphlet and stuff I'm reading online also seems to suggest AVPD has such overlap with social/general anxiety they're almost the same thing.
Anyone else have experience with this?
I'll be talking about this to my therapist now, thanks. Or psychiatrist? I dunno.
I love people and want to help as much as I can and for everything to be OK for everyone and for everyone to love me. I just feel a lot of times that I'm not cut out for this whole "socialization" thing.
If I hear someone laugh on the bus, I will assume it's at me and shrivel up and check for bird poop.
If someone starts yelling in public, I will assume it's at me. :/
Idk how normal this is.
Also, "alien v predator disorder". I said it
I've often thought I have it but I've learned to avoid things less, and for me I think it's more depression, anxiety, and prior trauma that causes my poor self-esteem than a personality disorder. But the older I get and more I read up on this stuff, I feel like it's less like distinct things and more like a bunch of overlapping Venn diagrams, and in the end the treatment for these things is often the same either way. Lots of therapy, which means finding the right therapist and then exploring the right approach for handling problems.
As far as I can tell, the thing that distinguishes AVPD is that it's a personality disorder, which has to meet a bunch of criteria (persistent, inflexible, not the result of trauma or another disorder, etc.) so it's more difficult to mitigate.
As for how to mitigate it, what works for my social anxiety is the usual recommendations: box breathing (breathe in 4 seconds, hold it 4 seconds, out 4, hold 4, repeat) to slow your heart rate. The 4/5 R's on handling obsessive/intrusive thoughts (recognize it's happening, relabel it as unwanted/delusional/intrusive/whatever label is helpful, reattribute to symptoms of your mental illness, refocus your task/thinking, reappraise the thought later when you are in a safe place). Learning to just stop thinking. Learning patience and being kind to yourself. I hope you can find some peace, and find the right people to bring into your life. I know loneliness very well. A deep longing ache inside that waxes and wanes but never really leaves. It hurts and I'm sorry you have to deal with it.
for me I think it’s more depression, anxiety, and prior trauma that causes my poor self-esteem than a personality disorder.
same.
more I read up on this stuff, I feel like it’s less like distinct things and more like a bunch of overlapping Venn diagrams
also same. can't afford to go therapist shopping though. too traumatized/mentally ill to work --> can't afford therapist --> too mentally ill to work or afford therapy, vicious circle.
The 4/5 R’s on handling obsessive/intrusive thoughts (recognize it’s happening, relabel it as unwanted/delusional/intrusive/whatever label is helpful, reattribute to symptoms of your mental illness, refocus your task/thinking, reappraise the thought later when you are in a safe place).
where did you learn about this?
It's a common technique for handling OCD and anxiety https://www.hope4ocd.com/foursteps.php
Bear in mind that Dr. Google will always confirm you are a narcissistic sociopath with CPTSD and AVPD and AIDS and six kinds of cancer
Just like me for real. I don't even try to do anything about it I just disassociate around people and drink and smoke myself into a stupor when I'm alone. The plan is basically to just drink myself to an early grave so it's not really suicide
:CommiePOGGERS: AVPD gang :lets-fucking-go:
I was just prescribed Paroxetine for it. It did blunt the anxiety but I still don't like talking to people. Looks like that'll take more work.
Kind of maybe? I've been diagnosed with General Anxiety Disorder
And my (non-psychologist/psychiatrist) therapist has said I display some traits/concerns of AVPD, BPD, NPD (narcissism), ASD (Autism). Never tried to get any of the above formally diagnosed by a psychologist/psychaitrist though cause I know there's a lot of negative societal effects if these are on your medical record
General Anxiety Disorder
After like 10-15 years of thinking I'm just depressed, I discovered this and realized it's a perfect explanation for my problems. It actually helped me see my problems as something I could potentially deal with somehow. I still haven't really made much progress on that front yet, though.
I didn’t know this existed, but I feel like I am very much in this description.
Like, even hearing people talking in another room really makes me nervous.
:meow-hug: I hope you find something that helps, but we’ll be here on the internet where it’s safe and send some good vibes.
I'll try my best. Thanks for being supportive and I hope you're ok
