Do I have social anxiety or AvPD?

[Minaseesee]

I am wondering if I have been misdiagnosed, because although they're similar, the symptoms of AvPD are more like how I behave.

I have noticed that I tend to avoid social situations a lot, because I don't enjoy socialising and maybe to prevent myself from getting hurt. I really want to form intimate relationships with the opposite gender, but always feel like they'd never like me, so I back away. I am highly self-concious and need a mirror with me wherever I go otherwise I get really paranoid and feel like panicking. I do have low self esteem and I feel like I don't know how to socialise with people or keep friendships. I push people away when they end up getting too close to me and I find it extremely difficult to trust. I over think every thing that was said to me, whether it was positive or negative, to try and work out what they meant. I constantly need to be reassured about positive things, even then I turn it into a negative thing. I isolate myself from the world because the though of socialising depresses me. I am really defensive and take things to heart because I feel like they're attacking me. When I'm on holidays, sometimes I don't leave the house for a week. I also noticed that I go from really liking a friend to hating them for no reason in particular, I just over think I guess. Finally I daydream so much.as an escapism, like fantasising successful social situations.

Another thing I noticed is I only tend to be extremely shy and anxious around people I don't know or people I feel are higher up or me or older. If I know people I am really talkative and get hyper quite a lot. I do have very sudden mood swings though. If someone irritates me, my happiness goes straight to anger.

Do I actually have social anxiety like I was diagnosed or Avoidant personality disorder?
Or something else?

 

[jaim38]

Wow, this sounds a lot like me. You could have both social anxiety and avpd. I think I do.

 

[spider04]

I think Social Anxiety is a symptom of something else, like for example Avoidant Personality Disorder. And you also sound like me too, you may have AvPD.

 

[JackOfSpades]

I think Social Anxiety is a symptom of something else, like for example Avoidant Personality Disorder. And you also sound like me too, you may have AvPD.

It's always been my understanding (maybe wrongly) that Avpd is more the symptom of Social Anxiety. Or more fittingly, a progression of Social Anxiety.

And it sounds a lot like me too.

 

[spider04]

It's always been my understanding (maybe wrongly) that Avpd is more the symptom of Social Anxiety. Or more fittingly, a progression of Social Anxiety.

And it sounds a lot like me too.

The reason I think so is because not all people with Social Anxiety are the same, someone with Aspergers will probably have Social Anxiety too but I don't believe Aspergers was a progression from Social Anxiety, but I don't know, this is just what I think.

 

[LuckMode]

Wow, this is basically me too. Not sure if I have AvPD though; don't want to self-diagnose myself and freak out for no reason

 

[laure15]

Probably both. I am pretty sure I have both. Sometimes, I am so good at faking confidence in public that I can fool some people. How I present myself to strangers can be very different from how I feel inside. I can handle positive situations, but negative situations are my downfall.

 

[w*n*c*a*m]

i can relate too

 

[anuskas]

I would also like to know about me...

 

[Dreamscape]

I think you have AvPD for sure, because daydreaming is the one of the elements of being AvPD, and self-assurance about your appearance too, and yeah I can relate ALL the symptoms you have and I'M pretty sure I have AvPD.

 

[lurknomore]

For a definite diagnosis, it's best to see a professional. None of us here are in a position to diagnose or treat anyone, that is not what this site is set up for. Any one of us can look at the list of symptoms for any given disorder and say "That sounds like me/you," but that cannot take the place of talking to a professional.