Living with dependent personality disorder (DPD) can be challenging to cope with. When a close loved one cannot assist, an individual may go into overdrive and panic for survival later. This can make one feel helpless, devastated, and lost while experiencing complications with anxiety and depression. The effects of DPD can affect an individual’s ability to manage life priorities alone. If left untreated, the mental health condition can negatively impact relationships with family and friends. Fortunately, practicing helpful strategies and participating in cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) at Renaissance Ranch can help one effectively maintain independence while in recovery.
What Is Dependent Personality Disorder?
According to MedlinePlus, dependent personality disorder can be defined as a psychiatric condition that impairs one’s ability to live independently. Many individuals with a DPD diagnosis highly depend on others to care for their emotional and physical requirements. For example, an individual facing challenges with dependent personality disorder may experience difficulty making decisions for themselves.
They may feel desperate for others to meet their needs, fearing failure. Thus, an individual with DPD may struggle to present self-sufficient behaviors. A wide body of research has also found that those with dependent personality disorder tend to rely on other people for emotional validation. They may fear hurtful judgment or rejection as they feel an overpowering need to keep the relationship for assistance. This may lead one with DPD to take serious measures to fix the relationship. Clinging onto others can, in turn, push one’s loved ones away, making it even more difficult for one to cope.
Symptoms of Dependent Personality Disorder
Many individuals who choose not to surrender to professional treatment often misuse drugs in hopes of suppressing their symptoms. Therefore, the negative effects of DPD can lead to co-occurring mental health conditions and substance use disorder (SUD). Doing so can potentially worsen an individual’s condition and flair up many other aspects of one’s life. It may help someone with DPD to learn to recognize their triggers and symptoms. This may help one better respond to the effects of their condition without depending on drugs and alcohol in the hopes of coping with rejection and fear of doing things alone. Common DPD symptoms include:
- Feeling uncomfortable being alone
- Fearing abandonment
- Feeling incapable of taking care of certain responsibilities
- Only feeling comfortable when someone else is in charge
- Feeling hesitant to try something new or challenging
What Causes Dependent Personality Disorder?
The targeted cause of DPD remains unknown. However, a few different factors play a wide role in why an individual may be susceptible to developing dependent personality disorder. To illustrate, a combination of developmental, biological, psychological, and temperamental factors can contribute to the development of DPD.
Overprotective parenting may condition one to feel as if they cannot achieve anything without someone else’s approval or support. Having a history of abusive relationships can put one at risk of facing challenges with DPD. Childhood trauma may contribute to mental health complications as poor family support and interpersonal issues can leave an individual feeling helpless. Genetic factors, such as having a family member who has anxiety, can lead to DPD. Excessive worry or fearing the worst may make one feel highly dependent on others to fix their issue.
1. Practice Decision Making to Maintain Independence With DPD
An individual with DPD may often depend on others to make decisions for themself. Due to various outside factors or having a lack of confidence in oneself, an individual with DPD may not feel they are capable of making smart decisions. It might help for one with DPD to slow down, and deconstruct a few options alone, before quickly running to a loved one for immediate advice. Reaching out to family is never a bad choice, but taking time to break down a solution alone can significantly improve one’s self-esteem.
2. Engage in More Personal Hobbies to Maintain Independence With DPD
Choosing to do more tasks alone can feel daunting. Jumping into big tasks, such as paying certain bills, traveling alone, deciding to sign a lease, or contemplating if purchasing a home with terrible interest rates is a great idea, can seem nerve-wracking. One can start small by independently engaging in new activities. Walking downtown in a busy city alone, opening a checking account at a local bank, or simply running errands without depending on others can help one build more trust to steadily maintain independence while in recovery.
3. Listen More to Positive Thoughts to Trust Oneself and Maintain Independence With DPD
It is common for one with DPD to talk down to themselves or assume they are not good enough to make certain decisions. Instead of focusing on negative thoughts, it can be helpful for one to change their way of thinking. An individual with DPD may gain great benefit from attending outpatient cognitive-behavioral therapy at Renaissance Ranch. Doing so may help one better control their thoughts, regulate emotions, and promote positive change to help one maintain independence with DPD.
4. Engage in More Self-Care to Maintain Independence With DPD
When an individual begins to take big responsibilities into their own hands life may feel overwhelming. Following self-help strategies along with cognitive behavior therapy can also seem like a lot. The constant pressure to meet goals or deadlines may trigger one to turn to others to take care of certain tasks. Therefore, practicing self-care is critical for one to maintain mental stability. Every day gets easier with consistent practice. Reaching out for support is always okay, but depending on others too often can make one lose their sense of independence.
Our guidance and assistance do not stop once you or your loved one has completed our addiction recovery program. Men in recovery will join our men’s alumni group, which is full of empowered members who can provide the support they need to maintain lifelong sobriety. With our outpatient treatment program for men in Utah, we can lend a hand to men afflicted with the disease so they can overcome it. In our facility, you or your loved one will find help and healing with the assistance of our incredible staff full of men who have been where you are and want to help you find lasting reprieve and recovery. Call Renaissance Ranch at (801) 308-8898 for CBT support.