Avoidant Personality Disorder

It is possible for many of us to, at some point in our lives, experience moments of feeling socially awkward.  
However, feeling socially awkward can at times be mistaken for Avoidant Personality Disorder or AVPD. Many factors can distinguish the two from each other. Whereas AVPD consists of personality traits and social awkwardness that stem from anxiety. So, the questions are:
 

1. What is Avoidant Personality Disorder, and how can one determine if they have it?

 
Avoidant Personality Disorder is a condition where a person wants to avoid social situations out of fear of being rejected or judged. You often feel inadequate when comparing yourself to others and are highly sensitive to others’ negative judgments of you. Avoidant Personality Disorder differs from social awkwardness in various ways, as mentioned below. People with AVPD will:
 

1. Rarely try anything new
2. Have a poor self-image
3. Find themselves hurt and offended by criticism
4. Have extreme anxiety and fear of social settings leading to the avoidance of doing activities or having relationships
5. Find themselves with few friends and avoid the opportunities to meet more
6. Be shy and awkward in social settings due to fear of being rejected or embarrassed

 
Comparatively, socially awkward people might find themselves doing the following:
 

1. Failing to understand social norms
2. Lacking meaningful connections
3. Oversharing during conversations
4. Feeling anxious in social settings
5. Struggling to have a natural flow in your conversations
6. Often rambling in conversations

 
The main difference between being socially awkward and having AVPD is that socially awkward people are aware they feel this way and understand their feelings. On the other hand, people with AVPD have deep feelings of low self-worth and the intense fear of rejection and isolation. Therefore, those diagnosed with AVPD will avoid these situations where socially awkward people will still engage but feel uncomfortable while doing it.
 
AVPD is a treatable condition by way of psychotherapy. By using different modalities, such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, the psychotherapist can help someone become more aware of faulty thought patterns or negative cognitions and help them to modify their ways of thinking.