Avoidant personality Disorder?

[Starlet_2008]

Hi, I'm 21 years old and have always had a social phobia, but recently I've been researching avoidant personality disorder and think I may have it. Over the past 2 years i have stopped going out clubbing with friends and try to avoid doing things that involve me speaking to people. The 3 months I've had off  from university over the summer I didnt get a job because I was too afraid to meet people and have an interview. I've spent the whole of the summer worrying about the presentations i might have to give when I go back and its making me feel ill all the time. I am very unwilling to speak to people unless i am sure that they like me and i can appear very awkward and sometimes even freeze and am unable to say anything to people, even people i know quite well! does this sound like Avoidant personality disorder to you?

Another problem I have is with intimacy and meeting men. Half the time i just dont feel like meeting someone because intimacy and thoughts of a physical relationship make me feel very strange and weird. I do know that social phobia makes intimacy difficult, but I actually feel very strange and sick when i think of being with someone..

[Roger Gould, M.D.]

I wouldn't worry about the diagnostic category, but certainly you have described a retreat from relationships, and a poor sense of who you are and your worth and confidence. All of this cries out for a consultation with a therapist to figure out what is going on..it can turn your life around, so don't hesistate...avoiding feeds on itself so do something now to avoid a downward spiral.