Book about AvPD

[lurknomore]

Here is a link to a book about AvPD. I haven't read the whole thing yet, as it's impossible with a slow internet connection, and a lot of it is technical jargon, but I thought some might find it interesting/useful. It's Martin Kantor's "Distancing: Avoidant Personality Disorder, Revised and Expanded."

MARTIN KANTOR, Distancing: Avoidant Personality Disorder, Revised and Expanded

I know there has been a long debate about the differences between Avoidant Personality Disorder and Social Anxiety Disorder- I thought maybe this could shed some light. Perhaps we could even discuss/debate here about what we've read as well.

 

[sr_81]

I bought this book about a year or so ago but didn't find it particularly useful.

 

[lurknomore]

I still haven't read all of it, and I'm not really sure how "useful" it might be overall, but some of what I've read so far has produced some "aha" and "I never thought about it that way" moments. Like avoidants fear acceptance and success as much as they do rejection and criticism. It even describes SA as a type of avoidance- where you funnel all of your anxiety into just a few situations. I just thought it might be helpful as an information source on avoidance, and might help clear up some of the confusion about the differences between SA and AvPD.

 

[mictsekk]

I read some paragraphs of it, and I did get some helpful information. But I think it focused too much on the type II-IV avoidants, and I think I'm type I. Still, thanks for posting it!

 

[lurknomore]

I read some paragraphs of it, and I did get some helpful information. But I think it focused too much on the type II-IV avoidants, and I think I'm type I. Still, thanks for posting it!

Yeah, I'm pretty sure I'm a type I, but I may have some codependent tendencies... only I have no one right now to be codepedent on. I think I'm just aware that I have this tendency and refuse to give into it... therefore I'd rather stay stuck as a type I than hide myself through depedence on one person... yet I still feel like a child unable to take care of myself. ::

 

[eggpod]

I've just read through this book and, as what would probably called a mild sufferer of (not officially diagnosed, but recently realised) AvPD, I found it interesting, somewhat enlightening and comforting in a strange way. The early chapters in particular rang true for me in so many ways.

It's also made me think seriously about trying to stop some of my avoidant behaviour. I even answered the phone at work today when I would usually have ignored it, because I consciously thought 'that is typically avoidant, I mustn't do that.' I'm almost excited about the staff Xmas party now, although my newfound attitude will most likely wane as I need others to push me into doing things out of my comfort zone. (Hmm, ending on a negative note, that's pretty typical behaviour I guess).

 

[EscapeArtist]

Hmm I'd probably be a combo between I, III and IV. I avoid meeting people in general, but if I do meet somebody I become dependent on that one person, and then I disappear from them like a magic act. I never realized there were so many different types, I thought all these different types were just different characteristics of AvPD

Thanks for the book

 

[Deardiary]

D'oh. didn't know it was free online and already paid for the book.

 

[edtmrk]

It's alright but not really geared towards the consumer, more directed to those who treat those who have AvPD.