(American Psychiatric Association, 1994, pp. 668-669) describes Dependent Personality Disorder as a pervasive and excessive need to be taken care of that leads to submissive and clinging behavior and fears of separation, beginning by early adulthood and present in a variety of contexts, as indicated by five (or more) of the following:
has difficulty making everyday decisions without an excessive amount of advice and reassurance from others;
needs others to assume responsibility for most major areas of his or her life;
has difficulty expressing disagreement with others because of fear of loss of support or approval;
has difficulty initiating projects or doing things on his or her own (because of a lack of self-confidence in judgment or abilities rather than a lack of motivation or energy);
goes to excessive lengths to obtain nurturance and support from others to the point of volunteering to do things that are unpleasant;
feels uncomfortable or helpless when alone because of exaggerated fears of being unable to care for himself or herself;
urgently seeks another relationship as a source of care and support when a close relationship ends;
is unrealistically preoccupied with fears of being left to take care of himself or herself.
High Neuroticism
Chronic negative affects, including anxiety, fearfulness, tension, irritability, anger, dejection, hopelessness, guilt, shame; difficulty in inhibiting impulses: for example, to eat, drink, or spend money; irrational beliefs: for example, unrealistic expectations, perfectionistic demands on self, unwarranted pessimism; unfounded somatic concerns; helplessness and dependence on others for emotional support and decision making.
Low Extraversion
Social isolation, interpersonal detachment, and lack of support networks; flattened affect; lack of joy and zest for life; reluctance to assert self or assume leadership roles, even when qualified; social inhibition and shyness. *hmm, was like that, am changing that*
Low Openness
Difficulty adapting to social or personal change; low tolerance or understanding of different points of view or lifestyles; emotional blandness and inability to understand and verbalize own feelings; alexythymia; constricted range of interests; insensitivity to art and beauty; excessive conformity to authority.
High Agreeableness
Gullibility: indiscriminate trust of others; excessive candor and generosity, to detriment of self-interest; inability to stand up to others and fight back; easily taken advantage of.
High Conscientiousness
Overachievement: workaholic absorption in job or cause to the exclusion of family, social, and personal interests; compulsiveness, including excessive cleanliness, tidiness, and attention to detail; rigid self-discipline and an inability to set tasks aside and relax; lack of spontaneity; overscrupulousness in moral behavior.
Specific Affects
Performance anxiety, fear of abandonment, fear of negative evaluation (Bornstein, pg. 162).
The Behavior Perspective
Motivations
Desire to obtain and maintain nurturant, supportive relationships (Bornstein, pg.162).
Behaviors
Suggestibility, yielding, help-seeking, compliance (Bornstein, pg. 162).
Excessive emotional reliance on others, avoidance of situations requiring independent decisions, submissiveness and lack of self-assertion (Perry, pp. 2764, 2769).
Procrastination.
Childhood
Overprotective, authoritarian parenting; sex role socialization. (Bornstein, pp. 38-53)
What is the link between parental overprotectiveness and authoritarianism and the development of dependent personality traits in children? Parental overprotectiveness and authoritarianism serve simultaneously to (1) reinforce dependent behaviors in children of both sexes and (2) prevent the child from developing independent, autonomous behaviors (since the parents do not permit the child to engage in the kinds of trial-and-error learning that are involved in developing a sense of independence and mastery during childhood). Thus, when parental overprotectiveness or parental authoritarianism is characteristic of the family unit, this will tend to produce high levels of dependency in children (since both parenting styles foster and encourage dependent behavior). When both parental overprotectiveness and parental authoritarianism are present within the family unit, dependency in children is particularly likely to result. (Bornstein, pg. 41) *had strict dad till 7, but after that I wasn't overprotected*
Cognitive Effects
Basic Belief: I am helpless. Strategy: Attachment (Beck, Freeman & associates, pg. 26).
Representation of self as powerless and ineffectual; belief that others are powerful and in control (Bornstein, pg. 162).
In Cognitive Therapy of Personality Disorders, Aaron T. Beck, Arthur Freeman, and associates list typical beliefs associated with each specific personality disorder. Here are some of the typical beliefs that they have listed (pg. 360) for Dependent Personality Disorder:
I am needy and weak.
I need somebody around available at all times to help me carry out what I need to do or in case something bad happens.
I am helpless when I am left on my own.
I am basically alone--unless I can attach myself to a stronger person.
The worst possible thing would be to be abandoned.
I must do nothing to offend my supporter or helper.
I must be subservient in order to maintain his or her good will.
I need others to help me make decisions or tell me what to do.
OMGoodness, i think alot like that. Ask nicole, she will tell ya. *nicole online person I chat to* I'm in a sense glad I kinda found out what i got, but I think i have more questions now than answers. Sorta like, now what? DOes my whole being have to be corrected cause the way I think is considered abnormal? Why can't I stay like this? What will the results of changing be. Too bad I couldn't go in and ask real psychitrist. No money, besides, I still have my mistrusts. Well, time to move on till I can do something. *doubt i will move on, but will try* Ok, is big entry, enough already.
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