Treatment
Treatment of avoidant personality disorder can employ various techniques, such as social skills training, psychotherapy, cognitive therapy, and exposure treatment to gradually increase social contacts, group therapy for practicing social skills, and sometimes drug therapy.A key issue in treatment is gaining and keeping the patients trust since people with an avoidant personality disorder will often start to avoid treatment sessions if they distrust the therapist or fear rejection. The primary purpose of both individual therapy and social skills group training is for individuals with an avoidant personality disorder to begin challenging their exaggerated negative beliefs about themselves.Significant improvement in the symptoms of personality disorders is possible, with the help of treatment and individual effort. Prognosis
Being a personality disorder, which is usually chronic and has long-lasting mental conditions, an avoidant personality disorder may not improve with time without treatment. Given that it is a poorly studied personality disorder and in light of prevalence rates, societal costs, and the current state of research, AvPD qualifies as a neglected disorder. Controversy
There is debate as to whether avoidant personality disorder (AvPD) is distinct from social anxiety disorder. Both have similar diagnostic criteria and may share a similar causation, subjective experience, course, treatment and identical underlying personality features, such as shyness.It is contended by some that they are merely different conceptualizations of the same disorder, where avoidant personality disorder may represent the more severe form.
Subtypes
Millon
Psychologist Theodore Millon notes that because most patients present a mixed picture of symptoms, their personality disorder tends to be a blend of a major personality disorder type with one or more secondary personality disorder types. He identified four adult subtypes of avoidant personality disorder. Others
In 1993, Lynn E. Alden and Martha J. Capreol proposed two other subtypes of avoidant personality disorder:

Diagnosis
ICD
The World Health Organizations ICD-10 lists avoidant personality disorder as anxious (avoidant) personality disorder (F60.6). It is characterized by the presence of at least four of the following:
persistent and pervasive feelings of tension and apprehension;
belief that one is socially inept, personally unappealing, or inferior to others;
excessive preoccupation with being criticized or rejected in social situations;
unwillingness to become involved with people unless certain of being liked;
restrictions in lifestyle because of need to have physical security;
avoidance of social or occupational activities that involve significant interpersonal contact because of fear of criticism, disapproval, or rejection.Associated features may include hypersensitivity to rejection and criticism. It is a requirement of ICD-10 that all personality disorder diagnoses also satisfy a set of general personality disorder criteria. DSM
The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) of the American Psychiatric Association also has an avoidant personality disorder diagnosis (301.82). It refers to a widespread pattern of inhibition around people, feeling inadequate and being very sensitive to negative evaluation. Symptoms begin by early adulthood and occur in a range of situations.