Social anxiety and avoidant personality disorder...

[invisible]

Just a question.. being that everything exists on a spectrum and that people who suffer from social anxiety disorder are on the more disfunctional end of shyness...

Doesn't that mena that everybody with SA also has avoidant personality disorder and vice versa?

 

[Crimefish]

SA is when social situations cause you anxiety, AvPD is when you avoid them because of the anxiety. Many people suggest they are the same thing, or AvPD is a severe form of SA. However, personality disorders are much harder to treat than anxiety disorders, so either they're inappropriately named, or they're different things.
The only difference for me is I can be diagnosed with SA (have been, in fact), but I can't be diagnosed with any personality disorders 'til I'm 18.
I do think I have AvPD though. It doesn't just suddenly appear on your 18th birthday.

 

[GettingThere]

Good reply Crimefish, you are very well educated on this stuff.

Personally speaking, i believe that avoidant behaviour can certainly exist as an entity on its on without SA. People who are seriously depressed, for instance, naturely avoid others without necessarily suffering from the symptoms of SA.

 

[aligurl09]

ppl with sa always avoid

 

[MrMr]

ppl with sa always avoid

yes agree with this,people with sa usually have some degree of avpd.but sa also causes depression which in turn causes avpd.there are many overlaps between sa and other anxiety disorders.