This is the last post in the series, describing remaining important issues: complement of the defence mechanism's description, overview of sexual problems, handling painful emotions, passing the disorder on to next generations and self-work prospects in other mental health disorders.
Overcoming Avoidant Personality and Social Anxiety, part 3 – forming connections
This post is going to explain methods dedicated to build and repair connections in personality structures. The methods presented here may seem counterintuitive as they don't directly correspond to shame, humiliation, low self-esteem and other bitter feelings that haunt people suffering from Avoidant Personality Disorder and Social Anxiety. Please read previous posts to understand why making connections is building and repairing personality structures.
Overcoming Avoidant Personality and Social Anxiety, part 2 – introduction to practice
Let me introduce methods and practices targeting all different negative aspects of Social Anxiety and Avoidant Personality Disorder. Connection building practices come first, followed by other areas that need improvement. Every practice is described in few sentences. More details will be provided in the subsequent posts.
Overcoming Avoidant Personality and Social Anxiety, part 1 – theory
Everything described here stems from my personal struggle with Avoidant Personality Disorder. It appeared in my life suddenly when I was eight, turning my life to existence filled with shame and little joy. For another fourteen years I struggled to live with it, knowing that something is very wrong, but not being sure what is it exactly and how to deal with it. In my early twenties, I finally started actively searching for a solution, ...
Adults intimate connections
Beyond child - parent relationship In the former post I described the role of early child-caregiver relationship as the first fundamental relation shaping child integration with the world. This relation importance diminishes in adolescence and is replaced by new intimate relationship with another adult person (see also here). This new relationship will have the crucial role … Continue reading Adults intimate connections
Dependent and Antisocial personality disorders
Let me present the brief description of the last three personality disorders. They represent children, which were forced to "accept" their fate as an engulfed or rejected individual or were already born as disconnected.
The importance of human connections and how they shape our life
Let me expand the concept of Integration that was introduced previously. I want to present how connections between human beings keeps the World together and governs our feelings and behaviours. I'll start by stressing that connection should be understood literally - it's not a mere metaphor intended to stress importance of human relations. We are born and … Continue reading The importance of human connections and how they shape our life
Schizoid, Histrionic and Narcissistic personality disorders
Here is presented another group of personality disorders. These are examples of the guarded personalities which developed defence mechanism protecting their inner self from the “evil” World. Unfortunately, these defence mechanisms seal the personality in its damaged child form, preventing it from ever being healed and mature.
Borderline, Avoidant and Obsessive-Compulsive personality disorders
Let me describe the first group of personality disorders. It comprises the personalities that are stuck on different levels of development, futilely trying to mature.
When childhood went awry – personality disorders
I will not go through formal descriptions of Personality Disorders, presenting raw criteria is not a goal of this blog. Just an ultra short summary in case you are not familiar with this topic: one has a Personality Disorder if all this applies: a) he feels and behave differently than most other people, b) he or … Continue reading When childhood went awry – personality disorders