Dependent Personality Disorder
Dependent Personality Disorder (pronunciation: deh-pen-dent per-soh-nal-ity dis-or-der) is a Mental Disorder characterized by a long-term need for care and support from others. The disorder is often associated with a fear of being alone or abandoned, and a lack of self-confidence or ability to independently manage daily life tasks.
Etymology
The term "Dependent Personality Disorder" is derived from the English words "dependent", meaning relying on someone or something else for aid, support, etc., and "personality disorder", which refers to a type of Mental Disorder characterized by unhealthy patterns of thinking, functioning, and behaving.
Symptoms
People with Dependent Personality Disorder often exhibit a range of symptoms, including:
- Difficulty making everyday decisions without an excessive amount of advice and reassurance from others
- Need for others to assume responsibility for most major areas of their life
- Difficulty expressing disagreement with others due to fear of loss of support or approval
- Feeling uncomfortable or helpless when alone because of exaggerated fears of being unable to care for themselves
- Urgently seeking another relationship as a source of care and support when a close relationship ends
- Unrealistically preoccupied with fears of being left to take care of themselves
Related Terms
- Personality Disorder
- Mental Disorder
- Anxiety Disorder
- Avoidant Personality Disorder
- Borderline Personality Disorder
Treatment
Treatment for Dependent Personality Disorder typically involves Psychotherapy, specifically cognitive-behavioral therapy. This form of therapy helps individuals to become more independent and learn to form healthy relationships. In some cases, medication may be used to treat co-occurring conditions, such as Depression or Anxiety.
See Also
This WikiMD.org article is a stub. You can help make it a full article.