by Anja Emerson

Created on: August 24, 2009   Last Updated: October 28, 2009

Dependent personality disorder is a psychological condition characterized by a pervasive pattern of dependence on other persons and intense feelings of submissiveness. Individuals suffering from this disorder need constant care, attention and reassurance from the people around them. They have intense fears of being abandoned and allow others to take control of their lives, in order to gain their approval and support. They are often quite needy and require excessive amounts of advice and valuation.

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders defines this disorder as a pervasive need for approval and support, accompanied by clinging behavior that begins in early adulthood, indicated by at least 5 of the following criteria:

(1) has difficulty making everyday decisions without an excessive amount of advice and reassurance from others.
(2) needs others to assume responsibility for most major areas of his or her life.
(3) has difficulty expressing disagreement with others because of fear of loss of support or approval. (Note: Do not include realistic fears of retribution.)
(4) 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).
(5) goes to excessive lengths to obtain nurturance and support from others, to the point of volunteering to do things that are
unpleasant.
(6) feels uncomfortable or helpless when alone because of exaggerated fears of being unable to care for himself or herself.
(7) urgently seeks another relationship as a source of care and support when a close relationship ends.
(8) is unrealistically preoccupied with fears of being left to take care of himself or herself.

Dependent personality disorder is rare, with a prevalence of around 0.5% of the population. It is equally common in men and women. It is usually diagnosed in adolescence or early adulthood, when their clinging, maladaptive behaviors become disabling and cause significant issues in interpersonal relationships or the workplace.

The individuals suffering from this disorder frequently experience feelings of vulnerability and helplessness. They find it hard to make decisions and take control of their own lives. They usually become dependent on their partner or the persons close to them, tolerating abuse if necessary, to avoid being on their own and taking care of themselves. They prefer to work in positions that do not require responsibility or decision-making, because they feel incapable.

As with other personality disorders, diagnosis is usually made through psychological tests applied by a mental health professional. There are currently no laboratory tests that can detect this psychological condition.

The most common form of treatment is psychotherapy. The therapist has to help the patients change their poor self-image and learn how to function autonomously. Their clinging, dependent behaviors need to be constantly discouraged, gradually being replaced by healthy patterns of interaction with others. The patients need to learn to be independent and to rely on themselves. Furthermore, they have to learn how to accept responsibility for their actions and take care of themselves.

Though for most personality disorders the preferred approach is long-term therapy, in this particular case it is discouraged, to prevent the patient from developing a dependent connection to their therapist.

Learn more about this author, Anja Emerson.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.