Avoiding personality disorder affects 3% of the population, this disorder characterizes sensitive and cautious people who live trapped in loneliness for fear of being hurt, judged or rejected, their need to escape, their inability to face their fears and their vital anguish so great that they end up building the walls of their own strength, where they live in isolation.
This disorder, defined in the early twentieth century by psychiatrists and eugenicists Bleuler and Kretschmer, is little known, not so well known as, for example, obsessive-compulsive disorder or dependent personality disorder, which according to historians and experts in such disorders psychiatric condition, the clearest example that personalizes the elusive personality disorder is the figure of Emily Dickinson.
- “I’m afraid of people of few words.
- I’m afraid of quiet people and people who preach.
- I’m afraid of those who can’t understand.
- I’m afraid of the person who thinks while others just chat.
- “-Emily Dickinson-.
As Dr. Laurence Miller explains in her book “From Difficult to Disturbé”, the famous poet gradually moved away from the world until she was isolated in her room. Many of his verses, like “Morning doesn’t love me, so good night, or Day?”, his emotional relationships gave him more disappointment than joy.
Thus, and by way of example, it is known that a person can gradually develop this evasive tendency until it translates into a neurotic outbreak that, in many cases, requires hospitalization. Psychiatrists define these individuals and this progressive behavior toward isolation as “retractors. “”. (contraction) and, as curious as it may seem, this trend appears more frequently today.
For a time it was thought that an education based on criticism, humiliation and contempt inevitably led to an elusive personality disorder, however, today, with respect to any type of clinical disorder, it is known that “2 plus 2 is never 4”. , that each person reacts differently to the same circumstances and that, in the world of personality disorders, there are many conditions, in addition to associated disorders and extremely complex dysfunctional thoughts.
On the other hand, the current DSM-V defines the elusive personality as a form of social anxiety, in which self-esteem is so low that the person completely loses his social functionality until he prefers isolation. However, the most complex of all. It is that the situation of these patients is completely self-resistant, that is, that all their values, their dreams, their identity and their needs are in a state of constant and unpleasant chaos. The mental strain on this is very great.
People with avoidable personality disorder know exactly what they should do to improve their situation, because, on average, they are very intelligent people, however, the simple fact of confronting their fears, phobias and thoughts generates so much anxiety that they prefer to find excuses, leaving the solution to the panic they feel today for tomorrow.
At the same time, what causes these behaviors is the strengthening of the circle that maintains anxiety, so, little by little, and to protect themselves from so many negative emotions, these people opt for isolation.
The therapeutic relationship with the person with an elusive anxiety disorder is, in many cases, long and fruitless for several reasons, the first is that the patient with this profile generally believes that the professional will not be able to understand their inner world. she will be rejected for her thoughts, ideas and needs. As the psychotherapist gains his trust and builds a strong alliance, it is possible to begin to see progress; however, if this confidence does not appear, it is very difficult to move forward to strengthen patient confidence.
The points for working with the person with an elusive personality disorder would be:
In conclusion, as can be seen, there are several strategies that the professional should apply with these patients, it is a type of disorder in which cognitive behavioral therapy, as well as rational-emotional therapy, psychodynamic therapy or systematic desensitization can be particularly useful.