#dpd resources

[personality-disorder-archive]

Dependent Personality Disorder (DPD): Symptoms and Characteristics

[PT: Dependent Personality Disorder (DPD): Symptoms and Characteristics /End PT]

Dependent Personality Disorder is a cluster C disorder, meaning that it is characterised by anxious and/or fearful behaviours. As the name suggests, one with Dependent Personality Disorder (DPD) is dependent on people, but in ways that are disruptive to their personality, way of being, and interpersonal relationships.

A pwDPD struggles greatly to be independent, hence the dependency. Symptoms include:

trouble making everyday decisions, like what to wear, without constant reassurance and advice from others

difficulty starting tasks on their own

intense fear of not being able to take care of themselves

doing or volunteering for uncomfortable tasks to get support or nurturance from others

needing others to take responsibility for various aspects of their life

avoiding expressing disagreement or creating conflict in relationships for fear of losing the relationship

feeling uncomfortable when alone

having a fear of abandonment and a sense of helplessness when relationships end

There are similarities between DPD and BPD, but the key difference between the two is mood fluctuations and how the pwPD deals with anxiety around abandonment. A pwBPD may experience swings in their mood that can put a huge strain on their interpersonal relationships, and a fear of abandonment that may lead to said mood swings. However, a pwDPD is very anxious about someone leaving them, and will therefore most likely be passive and "submissive" to avoid conflict, ergo avoiding someone leaving them. There is also a lack of impulsivity in DPD that is often a key factor in BPD.

Less than 1% of adults in the U.S. meet the criteria for DPD, which is most likely due to under-research on the condition, which leads to under-diagnosis. However, the research that has been done suggests that factors in the development of DPD include childhood trauma (as with all other PDs) and anxiety disorders in family members. The latter is because DPD is an anxiety-driven condition, and, should one leave one's anxiety untreated/ignored, it could form into the personality disorder.

Another factor is also parenting styles and/or childhood trauma, as a traumatised child may become entirely reliant on a parent, even though said parent may be abusive. Authoritarian parenting styles may contribute to this as well, as the child may lose confidence in decision-making and start relying solely on other people to make decisions for them.

[psychresources]

Dependent Personality Disorder 101

Symptoms/traits

The core element of DPD is viewing the self as helpless and inept, and others as strong and competent

People with DPD have low self-esteem and high insecurity, and they imagine themselves to be powerless. They often adapt their behaviors according to what they need in order to find and establish a relationship with a safe person

DPD may also cause separation anxiety, leading to "passive, clinging, and submissive" behavior

People with DPD may have more than one person that they depend on

Having DPD is associated with good grades, attending to medical problems more quickly, and strong skill at reading subtle social cues

DPD is a heterogenous disorder, which means that different people may experience it differently

Differential diagnosis

There is quite a bit of overlap with avoidant personality disorder (AvPD) and borderline personality disorder (BPD)

DPD individuals feel anxious about being left alone or functioning autonomously, while people with AvPD do not; people with DPD believe that there are others out there who will help them, while people with AvPD don't; people with AvPD are more introverted than those with DPD; people with AvPD also experience more alexithymia than people with DPD

DPD and BPD are both characterized by a fear of abandonment, but BPD causes stronger mood swings, splitting, and impulsive behaviors, while individuals with DPD are often more consistent

DPD is also frequently comorbid with (occurs at the same time as) anxiety disorders, depression, and eating disorders

Causes

Factors that contribute to the development of DPD are family environment (especially overprotective and authoritarian parenting), social learning, severe childhood illness, biological predisposition, and childhood trauma

Temperamental traits of negativity, low adaptability, and tendency to withdraw may be associated with later developing DPD

Women are 40% more likely than men to be diagnosed with DPD. This may be due to clinician bias, bias within the criteria, and/or underlying psychological issues presenting differently according to societal expectations

Other

DPD is estimated to have a prevalence rate of 0.5-2%

DPD is associated with high risk of suicide, self harm, and substance abuse

It's not known for sure if DPD is lifelong or not

DPD can develop at any point in life

DPD is often treated with CBT. This is considered very effective

People with DPD are at increased risk of being abuse victims as adults

Further reading:

DPD resources (Reddit thread)

DPD checklist

DPD vs BPD

DPD resources

Sources:

Disney, K. L. (2013). Dependent personality disorder: A critical review. Clinical Psychology Review, 33(8), 1184–1196. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2013.10.001 (PDF)

Simonelli, A., & Parolin, M. (2017). Dependent Personality Disorder. Encyclopedia of Personality and Individual Differences, 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-28099-8_578-1

Loas, G., Cormier, J., & Perez-Diaz, F. (2010). Dependent personality disorder and physical abuse. Psychiatry Research, 185(1–2), 167–170. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2009.06.011

Loas, G., Baelde, O., & Verrier, A. (2014). Relationship between alexithymia and dependent personality disorder: A dimensional analysis. Psychiatry Research, 225(3), 484–488. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2014.11.062

What is the difference between dependent personality disorder and borderline personality disorder? (n.d.). bromundlaw.com. https://bromundlaw.com/psychology/dependent-personality-disorder-vs-borderline-personality-disorder

[a-persodivergent-journal]

Let's talk about what "healthy" Really looks like when you're persodivergent.

I feel like it's not a surprise when I say that the idea of what's pushed for "healing" and "healthy" is being as neurotypical, or in this case persotypical, as you can be. To erase symptoms and act "normal". This of course is not a reasonable expectation, and in fact leads to many not feeling like they can make any progress. If they can't reach the end goal, why would they even try? Or maybe even taking steps towards that just aren't feasible in the first place.

In reality, making progress is more about not being overtaken by your symptoms. Being able to have a say in your life. Knowing how to make your lows not as extreme. You don't grow out of personality disorders, age or otherwise. Instead you learn how to manage it. And most of the time that management will not look like what's "normal" or "acceptable" for persotypicals.

I think our most recent example of this is with my acceptance of DPD, and in turn starting to look at my behaviours. Where I'm already coping alright, and where I need more supports.

I realized that one of the things I've been doing, that I've given myself a hard time for previously, is actually a pretty good coping mechanism I have in place. I'm sure no one with DPD is unfamiliar with the need for help with activities, especially self maintenance ones. Food, dishes, meds, that sort of stuff. It's very easy to let this stuff go unchecked and just fall aside because doing it yourself is not an option. At first my system had to either do it themselves, or get someone to tell me to do it. Or my now dp had to check in regularly and get me to do it. I couldn't even bring myself to be able to ask for help. Over time, with this being more of a routine however, I've gotten to a place where I can ask for help. I can ask my dp if I really do need to take my meds. Sure the answer hasn't changed since the last hundred times I've asked. I Know I need to take meds. But I still can't do it myself.

For a good while I gave myself a lot of shit for not being able to do it myself. Because that's not what a functional neurotypical expects of themselves. Upon acceptance of my DPD however, I realized that it's actually a really impressive method I was able to put in place. I'm not solely relying on others anymore. I'm able to get most of it done myself. I recognize a need, and instead of letting it go unfulfilled, I reach out and ask for a reason to fulfill it. Because of my DPD I don't naturally have those reasons the same way someone without DPD would. That's not going to change no matter how much progress I make. What Does change is having found a way to satiate that need. An alternative way to get it met, instead of letting it go unmet. This might not be healthy for an Independent, but it Is healthy for a Dependent.

This is what we mean when we say working in context of your disorder. That your healthy will not look like what's expected of someone without that PD, and that's okay. What's important is finding a way to get your needs met. Because how you work is different than someone without your PD(s), how you manage will be different. It's important to not try and push yourself to what is "normal", because often times you end up doing more damage than needed.

[clusterrune]

dependant personality disorder

dpd resources

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