DEPENDENT PERSONALITY DISORDER
A dependent personality disorder is a mental disorder marked by a long-standing dependence on other people.
- People suffering from this disorder usually depend on people to meet their emotional and physical needs. Adults with this disorder may depend on their parent or spouse to decide where they should live, the type of job they should have, and which neighbors to befriend. Adolescents with this condition may depend on their parents to decide what they should wear, how they should spend their free time, what college or school they should attend, or what they should do in their free time.
- They constantly rely on people for comfort, reassurance, advice, and support and may be seen as being clingy because they fear they can’t live life without the help of others
- A dependent personality disorder is one of the most frequently diagnosed personality disorders.
- People suffering from dependent personality disorder see themselves as powerless and ineffectual and see other people as more powerful.
- People with this disorder may have difficulty expressing disagreement with other people, especially on those on whom they are dependent. This may out of fear of losing support or approval.
- It is common in women and it usually begins in young adulthood or later as important adult relationships form.
CAUSES
The exact cause of the disorder is unknown. Risk factors that may contribute to the development of the disorder include:
- Overprotectiveness and authoritarianism parenting behavior
- Childhood trauma such as neglect, abuse
- Being in a long-term, abusive relationship
- A family history of anxiety disorder
SYMPTOMS
- Difficulty being alone because of exaggerated fear of being unable to take care of oneself
- Willingness to tolerate abuse and mistreatment from others to the point of volunteering to do unpleasant things to obtain nurturance and support from them.
- Unrealistically preoccupied with fears of abandonment
- Inability to start projects or tasks because of a lack of self-confidence rather than a lack of motivation or energy
- Urgently seeking another relationship as a source of care and support when a close relationship ends
- Placing the needs of their caregivers above their own
- Needing repeated reassurance
- Extreme sensitivity to criticism
DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT
Diagnosis of dependent personality disorder is first distinguished from a borderline personality disorder as the two share similar symptoms. In the latter, the person responds to fears of abandonment with feelings of rage and emptiness while in the former, the person responds to fear with submissiveness and seeks an external relationship to maintain dependency.
No laboratory test exists to specifically diagnose the disorder, however, the doctor may carry out diagnostics test to rule out physical illness as the cause.
Psychiatrist and psychologist use different diagnostic tools to evaluate a person for a personality disorder. This may include criteria set by different bodies including the World Health Organization, American Psychiatric Association, Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorder, Psychodynamic Diagnostic Manual and others.
TREATMENT
The first line of treatment is psychotherapy. The aim of this treatment is to help such a person understand the disorder, make them more independent and help them form a healthy relationship with the people around them. This is done by improving their self-esteem and their level of confidence.
Psychotherapy is usually short-termed as long-term therapy could put the individual at risk of growing dependent on the therapist
Medications can be used in individuals who suffer from anxiety and depression, but this does not treat the core problems caused by the disorder. Some medications for anxiety and depression are habit forming so it is important to monitor individuals who take these prescription drugs as they are susceptible to addiction and substance abuse.