Cluster C Personality Disorders
Dependent Personality Disorder
Dependent Personality Disorder is characterized by traits such as:
- A pervasive and excessive need to be taken care of that leads to submissive and clingy behavior
- Has difficult making everyday decisions without the help of others
- Needs other to be responsible for major areas of their life
- Difficulty expressing disagreement due to fear of losing approval
- Difficulty initiating projects on their own due to a lack of self-confidence, rather than a lack of motivation
- Feels uncomfortable or helpless when alone due to the fear of being unable to care for themself
- Goes to excessive lengths to receive care or support from others
- Urgently seeks a new relationship to provide care and support when a close relationship ends
- Unrealistic preoccupation with the fear of being left to care for themself
Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder
Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder (OCPD), not to be confused with OCD, is characterized by traits such as:
- Preoccupation with rules, rigidity, organization, lists, or order.
- Perfectionism that interferes with task completion.
- Excessive devotion to work or productivity that is not due to economic need
- Inflexibility and over-conscientiousness regarding morality, ethics, and values that is not accounted for by cultural or religious observance
- Refusal to throw out useless or worn objects despite lack of sentimental value
- Reluctancy to delegate tasks to others
- "Miserly" spending style; treats money as something to be hoarded for future catastrophes
- Significant rigidity and stubbornness
Avoidant Personality Disorder
Avoidant Personality Disorder (AVPD) is characterized by traits such as:
- Being easily hurt by disapproval or criticism
- Lack of close friends
- Reluctance to be involved with people or initiate relationships
- Avoidance of activities that involve contact with others
- Shyness in social situations due to fear of doing something wrong
- Exaggerating potential difficulties
- Excessive restraint in intimate relationships
- Feeling socially inept, inferior, or unappealing
- Unwillingness to try new things that may cause embarrassment
How Are They Treated?
Dependent Personality Disorder
How is it treated?
Psychotherapy: Long-term individual therapy, including cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), can treat maladaptive thinking and behaviors.
Medication: Antidepressants or other medications might be prescribed to treat co-occurring conditions such as depression.
Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder
How is it treated?
Psychotherapy: The primary treatment for this condition includes cognitive therapy, schema therapy, and dialetical behavior therapy.
Medication: There is limited research concerning the use of medication to treat OCPD, but medication may be prescribed to treat co- occurring conditions such as depression or anxiety disorder.
Avoidant Personality Disorder
How is it treated?
Psychotherapy: The primary treatment for this condition is cognitive-behavior therapy (CBT) and/or schema therapy.
Medication: There is no medication for AVPD, but AVPD is often co-morbid with social anxiety disorder, other anxiety conditions, or depression. Medication may be prescribed to treat these symptoms.