The main goal of this therapy is to make the individual more independent and help them form healthy relationships with the people around them. This is done by improving their self-esteem and confidence.Medication can be used to treat patients with depression or anxiety because of their DPD, but this does not treat the core problems caused by DPD. Epidemiology
Based on a recent survey of 43,093 Americans, 0.49% of adults meet diagnostic criteria for DPD (National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions; NESARC; Grant et al., 2004). Traits related to DPD, like most personality disorders, emerge in childhood or early adulthood. Findings from the NESArC study found that 18 to 29 year olds have a greater chance of developing DPD. DPD is more common among women compared to men as 0.6% of women have DPD compared to 0.4% of men.A 2004 twin study suggests a heritability of 0.81 for developing dependent personality disorder. Because of this, there is significant evidence that this disorder runs in families.Children and adolescents with a history of anxiety disorders and physical illnesses are more susceptible to acquiring this disorder. Millons subtypes
Psychologist Theodore Millon identified five adult subtypes of dependent personality disorder. Any individual dependent may exhibit none or one of the following:

History
The conceptualization of dependency, within classical psychoanalytic theory, is directly related to Freuds oral psychosexual stage of development.
Ellison, J. M.; Adler, D. A. (1990). "A strategy for the pharmacotherapy of personality disorders". In Adler, David A. (ed.). Treating Personality Disorders. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. pp. 43–63. ISBN 978-1-55542-811-2. Adler, David A., ed. (1990). Treating Personality Disorders. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. ISBN 978-1-55542-811-2. Richards, Henry Jay (1993). Therapy of the Substance Abuse Syndromes. New York: Jason Aronson. ISBN 978-0-87668-539-6. Zimmerman, Mark (1994). Diagnosing DSM-IV-R Psychiatric Disorders in Primary Care Settings: An Interview Guide for the Nonpsychiatrist Physician. Psych Products. ISBN 978-0-9633821-3-9. Ekleberry, Sharon (2014). "Dependent Personality Disorder (DPD)". Treating Co-Occurring Disorders. pp. 63–64. ISBN 978-1-317-82549-4. Oldham, John M.; Morris, Lois B. (1990). The Personality Self-portrait: Why You Think, Work, Love, and Act the Way You Do. Bantam. ISBN 978-0-553-05757-7. Sperry, Len (1995). Psychopharmacology and Psychotherapy: Strategies for Maximizing Treatment Outcomes. Psychology Press. ISBN 978-0-87630-787-8. Stone, Michael H. (1993). Abnormalities of Personality: Within and Beyond the Realm of Treatment. Norton. ISBN 978-0-393-70127-2. Benjamin, Lorna Smith (1993). Interpersonal Diagnosis and Treatment of Personality Disorders. Guilford Press. ISBN 978-0-89862-990-3. Benjamin, Lorna Smith (1996). "Dependent Personality Disorder". Interpersonal Diagnosis and Treatment of Personality Disorders. Guilford Press. pp. 221–239. ISBN 978-0-89862-990-3. External links

J. Christopher Perry, M.P.H., M.D., 2005 (Dependent Personality Disorder)
Diagnostic Features, Complications, Prevalence, Associated Laboratory Findings
MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia: Dependent personality disorder