Dependent Personality Disorder

Dependent personality disorder is a psychiatric condition marked by an overreliance on other people to meet
one’s emotional and physical needs.

WHAT IS A DISORDER?

Personality traits are enduring patterns of perceiving, relating to and thinking about one's environment and
oneself that are exhibited in a wide range of social and personal contexts. Only when personality traits are
inflexible, maladaptive and cause significant functional impairment or subjective distress are they
considered personality disorders. The essential feature of a personality disorder is a continuing pattern of
inner experience and behavior that deviates noticeably from the expectations of the individual's culture and is
manifested in at least two of the following areas: cognition/thinking, affectivity/emotional expression,
interpersonal functioning or impulse control.

This persistent pattern is inflexible and pervasive across a broad range of personal and social situations, and
leads to clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational or other important areas of
functioning. The pattern is stable and of long duration, which means its onset can be traced back to at least
adolescence or early adulthood. This pattern is not better accounted for as a manifestation or consequence
of another mental disorder and is not due to the direct physiological effects of a substance (such as drug
abuse, medication, exposure to a toxin) or a general medical condition (such as head trauma).

Dependent personality disorder

Dependent personality disorder is described as a pervasive and excessive need to be taken care of that
leads to a submissive and clinging behavior as well as fears of separation. This pattern begins by early
adulthood and is present in a variety of contexts. The dependent and submissive behaviors are designed to
elicit caregiving and arise from a self-perception of being unable to function adequately without the help of
others.

Individuals with dependent personality disorder have great difficulty making everyday decisions (such as
what shirt to wear or whether to carry an umbrella) without an excessive amount of advice and reassurance
from others. These individuals tend to be passive and allow other people (often a single other person) to take
the initiative and assume responsibility for most major areas of their lives. Adults with this disorder typically
depend on a parent or spouse to decide where they should live, what kind of job they should have and which
neighbors to befriend. Adolescents with this disorder may allow their parent(s) to decide what they should
wear, with whom they should associate, how they should spend their free time and what school or college
they should attend.

This need for others to assume responsibility goes beyond age-appropriate and situation-appropriate
requests for assistance from others (such as the specific needs of children, elderly persons and handicapped
persons). Because they fear losing support or approval, individuals with dependent personality disorder often
have difficulty expressing disagreement with other people, especially those on whom they are dependent.
These individuals feel so unable to function alone that they will agree with things that they feel are wrong
rather than risk losing the help of those to whom they look for guidance. Individuals with this disorder have
difficulty initiating projects or doing things independently.

They may go to extreme lengths to obtain nurturance and support from others, even to the point of
volunteering for unpleasant tasks if such behavior will bring the care that they need. Individuals with this
disorder feel uncomfortable or helpless when alone, because of their exaggerated fears of being unable to
care for themselves. When a close relationship ends (such as a breakup with a lover or the death of a
caregiver), individuals with Dependent Personality disorder may urgently seek another relationship to provide
the care and support they need. They are often preoccupied with fears of being left to care for themselves.
Symptoms

People with this disorder do not trust their own ability to make decisions and feel that others have better
ideas. They may be devastated by separation and loss, and they may go to great lengths, even suffering
abuse, to stay in a relationship. Other symptoms include:

Difficulty making decisions without reassurance from others

Extreme passivity

Problems expressing disagreements with others

Avoiding personal responsibility

Avoiding being alone

Devastation or helplessness when relationships end

Unable to meet ordinary demands of life

Preoccupied with fears of being abandoned

Easily hurt by criticism or disapproval

Willingness to tolerate mistreatment and abuse from others

Complications of this disorder may include depression, alcohol and drug abuse, and susceptibility to
physical, emotional and sexual abuse.

Causes

The cause of this disorder is not known. The disorder usually appears in early adulthood. This disorder is
common but not well studied; however, more women than men have been found to have dependent
personality disorder.