 Hey, psyched goers, and welcome back to another video. Thank you all so much for the love and support that you've given us, enabling us to make yet another exploration into everyday psychology. So let's begin. How often have you described someone as shy? Surely you can think of someone, or maybe it's even you who's shy and introverted. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, and you can often live a normal life. However, what happens if the shyness is so intense and extreme that we shut ourselves out from the world? What if we fear criticism and disapproval from others so much that we limit what we can do? This is often the case with avoidant personality disorder, also known as AVPD. Before we begin, please remember that this is for informative purposes only. It's not intended to treat, diagnose, or prevent any condition. If you resonate with any of the signs mentioned, please do reach out to a qualified mental health professional. With that said, here are six signs that define avoidant personality disorder. Number one, intense fear of rejection. Do you go to extreme lengths to avoid rejection? Are you extremely sensitive to criticism? Fear of rejection is the biggest telltale sign of avoidant personality disorder. While disliking and fearing rejection is relatively common, AVPD takes this to a new level. It affects every aspect of your life, especially relationships and work life. You may also repeatedly perceive situations as negative, despite the contrary. According to Psychology Today, this can be so severe to the point that you prefer isolation over the possibility of getting rejected. Number two, a lack of close relationships. So, you spot your coworker at the mall. Uh-oh. What's your immediate course of action? Is it more tempting to run and hide or greet them? Ultimately, this huge fear of being rejected translates into difficulties in forming relationships. If you go to great lengths to avoid surprise meetings, even with those you see on a regular basis otherwise, this might be a red flag. You prefer to avoid others at all costs, unless you know that you'll be accepted. Even in relationships, you may fear intimacy and push others away. According to a study, you may find interacting with others difficult and intimidating, so you prefer to stay away from this, thus limiting your social network. Number three, avoiding risk-taking. Have you ever turned down opportunities for a promotion or job changes due to fear that you might do something wrong? People with AVPD have a tendency to avoid risks or anything that might result in failure. Failure can be embarrassing, which is something that opens the door to rejection and ridicule. This limits you in what you're willing to do, which makes it hard to gain new experiences. This can extend to work situations as well. Earning any kind of disapproval is a scary thought, so you try to limit it as much as possible. Number four, excessive shyness. Is meeting new people stressful and unappealing to you? Does your need to avoid other people at all costs often lead to social isolation? Even talking with others that you do know can be difficult, as it opens the door to potential disapproval. When with others, you find that your thoughts are loud and overpowering, often negative, and putting you down. You might prefer to stay inside than go out with others. Even if that's an activity you think would be fun, the fear of rejection takes over and impacts your decisions. Number five, low self-esteem. Avoidant personality disorder brings with it feelings of inadequacy. You might compare yourself to others and feel unworthy. You can also feel socially inept due to limited social interaction and your constant self-criticism. Self-esteem problems make it harder to interact with others and can cause you to become even more isolated. And number six, avoids conflict. Since this disorder primarily revolves around fearing disapproval and rejection, you may notice that you avoid conflict at all costs. People-pleasing is very common and can lead to issues. You might settle for less and get involved in undesirable situations so that you can avoid disapproval. This can also cause issues in other areas as you can find yourself unable to make decisions when other people are involved. Please note that this disorder varies from person to person. Someone with a condition may feel all, some, or different from what is listed here. The disorder can be comorbid with other conditions such as anxiety and depression, which can result from social isolation and fear of rejection. It's important to know that this condition can be treated and with the right professional help, you can immensely improve. We hope we were able to give you insight into some of the ways you can identify avoidant personality disorder. What are your thoughts on AVPD? Are there any signs that we missed? If you've been diagnosed with AVPD, then what are some of your experiences? Let us know in the comments. If you found this video interesting, be sure to hit the like button and share it with someone who might relate. Don't forget to subscribe to Psych2Go and hit the notification bell for more videos. As always, thanks for watching and we'll see you in the next one.