Avoidant Personality Disorder: share your experience
You and your experience matter to us! If you feel like it, share your answers to the following questions:
When were you diagnosed with AvPD? What were your reactions to the diagnosis?
What does AvPD look like for you? How do you experience it?
What do you struggle the most with?
What support would you like to receive from others? What support would you like to receive from this subcommunity more specifically?
Have you found any coping mechanisms or techniques that are helpful?
When were you diagnosed with APD?
Somewhere early 2019
What were your reactions to the diagnosis?
After the explanation, it made sense
What does APD look like for you? How do you experience it?
Getting overwhelmed with information, not knowing how to process it properly and what actions I should or want to take. Resulting in dropping tasks altogether and trying to regain structure by isolating myself as much as I can. If I can't, I can get really angry at just about anything around me
What do you struggle the most with?
Detecting and expressing my boundaries and limits
What support would you like to receive from others? What support would you like to receive from this subcommunity more specifically?
I generally like people asking, during or after an activity, how I'm doing, cause I don't like asking for help or a break, it makes me feel like a burden.
I've noticed that someone listening to what I'm going through helps to lessen the strain on me
Have you found any coping mechanisms or techniques that are helpful?
Music works well for me when I'm overstimulated. And doing personal Check ins 2 times daily now helps me notice any changes in my mood and emotions
@Madaraismyspiritanimal
Thank you so much for sharing your experience with us Richard. I am sorry it took me a few days to write you back.
I am glad that receiving your diagnosis has helped you make sense of things. A diagnosis can feel daunting and scary, but it can also help us get some understanding. You seem to be aware of many aspect of your PD and I think this is very positive! I also find very positive that you realise how sharing your feelings with others can offer you some relief. We all deserve to be heard and to have our experience validated and held by supportive people. This is the meaning and purpose of this community!
I do hope your post will encourage other people to open up as well. Thank you again.
@Madaraismyspiritanimal thank you for sharing, music can be really soothing, I agree.
When were you diagnosed with AvPD? What were your reactions to the diagnosis?
5 years back. it was a co-diagnosis. I don't think I really understood it back then, but I do see how it is applicable to me now.
What does AvPD look like for you? How do you experience it?
Being at arms length from what seems like everyone all the time. I'm not sure how much of the stuff I think is in my head, or whether it is real, because I find it really hard to talk about a lot of the stuff that is going on in me. I always feel so disconnected from everyone around me.
What do you struggle the most with?
Not knowing, I am confused a lot about what is happening around me and whether what I am thinking is real or just me seeing something that's maybe not there.
What support would you like to receive from others? What support would you like to receive from this subcommunity more specifically?
I think acceptance is the number one thing. To have people understand that it is hard to share and say some things, even though I (and other avoidant people) are trying.
Have you found any coping mechanisms or techniques that are helpful?
Not quite so. I try to take a chance every once in a while, ask a question outside my comfort zone, but most of the time I'm still struggling.
@yellowBike1922 thank you for sharing. I'm sorry that you're struggling.
