Contents
Dependent personality disorder is a type of personality disorder characterized by a constant dependence on others – on their availability, presence, contact with them, on their “advice”, and in fact decisions. It is assigned to people with low self-esteem, avoiding responsibility for decisions made. What are the causes of dependent personality disorder? Can it be treated?
Dependent personality disorder – characteristics
Dependent personality disorder is characteristic of people with low self-esteem, dependent, unable to make decisions, afraid of responsibility. These people are perceived as helpless, non-decision-making, submissive, they need the constant presence of another person who will tell them how to live. Dependent personality disorder is characterized by internal tension and a willingness to connect with others in order to make sure that the decision made by that person is correct. There is an inner feeling of inability to exist independently. The result of such needs is putting the more important and less important everyday decisions in the hands of other people, the inability to make demands and demand something from them. Abiding by the expectations of others, adjusting to them. Such a man is helpless, incompetent, devoid of strength and skills. Dependent people are not able to express that they do not agree with someone, they agree to all the proposals presented for them, they even act to their own detriment, so as not to lose their current support.
Dependent personality disorder – causes
Many factors affect the formation of a dependent personality, they include, among others, biological and developmental factors, i.e. the childhood of such a person also has an impact. Biological factors influencing dependent personality may be the character and temperament with which we are born, i.e. it may result from genes. Scientists believe that upbringing can have a huge impact on the formation of the dependent personality. Unwanted parenting methods and events weaken self-esteem. The dependent personality of a child is usually the responsibility of parents who presented an authoritarian or overly caring educational model. Parents who take care of the child at every step, will not allow him to be independent and decide about anything, shape the dependent personality of the child. A child will not learn to make choices on his own, if he cannot do so, if he is relieving himself in everything. Upbringing itself is not the only cause of dependent personality disorder. It is also conditioned by the behavior in the family, the relationship between relatives and their behavior.
Dependent personality disorder – symptoms
Dependent personality disorder is a disease included in the official International Classification of Diseases, and if one has at least three of the symptoms listed below, it is a type of dependent personality disorder. These symptoms include:
- Excessive submission to the wishes of others and subordinating one’s own needs to others;
- Feeling of loneliness, unjustified fear of losing the person you depend on;
- Reluctance to make demands on others;
- Feeling of inability to independently decide about yourself;
- Helplessness in a situation of loneliness;
- Lack of faith in one’s own abilities and skills;
- Striving to please at all costs those on whom you depend;
- Ensuring daily decisions are made;
- Inability to express dissatisfaction with people you depend on;
- Fear of relationship or relationship breakdown;
- Feeling of helplessness;
- Seeking new acquaintances by force, out of fear of being left alone.
The biggest problem of the independent personality is shifting responsibility for one’s life onto others. An addiction that demands constant closeness and confirmation of decisions. Such people, being alone, feel lost and helpless, unable to make any decisions on their own – even the simplest ones.