Mental health experts describe personality as characteristic patterns of thinking, feeling, and behaving that make us unique individuals. Personality characteristics tend to remain consistent over time. A personality disorder affects how a person thinks or acts, resulting in behavior that deviates from cultural norms and impairs healthy functioning. Individuals with personality disorders experience severe dysfunction in most areas of life, mainly with interpersonal relationships. Rose Hill Center is a top-rated mental health treatment facility offering various services. Our dependent personality disorder treatment center in Holly, Michigan specializes in treating people who have a dependent personality disorder.
Individuals with personality disorders often struggle with other mental health issues, including anxiety and depression. When your mental health is compromised, you can feel lost and alone, but help is available. Call the Rose Hill Center team at 866.367.0220.
What Is Dependent Personality Disorder (DPD)?
There are ten types of personality disorders, of which dependent personality disorder, DPD, is among the most commonly diagnosed. DPD occurs in men and women equally and usually develops in young adulthood. DPD involves a pervasive need to be taken care of that causes feelings of helplessness and submissiveness. People with DPD have an excessive fear of abandonment and difficulty making everyday decisions. They are often described as needy and clingy. Their reliance on others to fulfill their emotional and physical needs frequently leads to them being involved in physically and emotionally abusive relationships.
DPD may be due to a mixture of genetic, developmental, and environmental factors. DPD is more common in individuals with particular life experiences, including:
- Childhood trauma
- Severe childhood illness
- History of abusive relationships
- Family history of anxiety or personality disorders
- Religious, cultural, or family behavior that emphasizes reliance on authority
People with DPD want someone to take care of them, and they have great anxiety about caring for themselves. They give up their interests and independence to get the care they crave.
Do You Have Dependent Personality Disorder (DPD) Symptoms?
Overall, those with dependent personality disorder are overdependent on others and will do anything to please them. In addition to being extremely needy, clingy, passive, and fearful of abandonment, common dependent personality disorder signs include:
- Inability to make everyday decisions without advice and reassurance from others
- Avoidance of responsibilities by acting helpless and passive
- Oversensitivity to criticism
- Extreme pessimism and lack of self-confidence
- A tendency toward fantasy and naivety
- Willingness to tolerate negative behavior, mistreatment, and abuse from others
- Placing the needs of others before their own
Though people with DPD fear being alone, their behaviors often sabotage relationships. While the end of a relationship devastates them, they quickly jump into a new one. Some treatment experts may confuse DPD with borderline personality disorder (BPD), as they share many common symptoms. If you think you or a loved one has DPD, reach out to your doctor. Following an accurate diagnosis, dependent personality disorder treatment can help you manage symptoms and learn how to develop healthy relationships.
What to Expect from Dependent Personality Disorder (DPD) Treatment
As with many personality disorders, those with dependent personality disorder usually seek help when life becomes overwhelming due to their symptoms, specifically those of anxiety and depression. Psychotherapy is the main form of treatment for DPD, where the goals are to help patients:
- Become more actively involved in decision-making
- Develop independence
- Improve self-esteem and self-confidence
- Develop coping skills
- Learn to form healthy relationships
People with DPD often have a history of trauma, so trauma therapy is a standard part of treatment for many. In working with patients with DPD, therapists are careful to monitor the therapeutic relationship so that the patient does not form an unhealthy bond in treatment. Medication does not treat the core problems that DPD causes. However, we may use it to help you manage anxiety or depression associated with DPD.
Find Dependent Personality Disorder Treatment at Rose Hill Center
At Rose Hill Center, we understand that dependent personality disorder can feel like a scary diagnosis. Education about DPD helps to alleviate your fears. You will learn the skills and tools to manage your DPD symptoms and regain control of your life through dependent personality disorder treatment in Michigan. To learn more about how we can help, contact our team today at 866.367.0220.
