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Dependent Personality: People with a dependent personality routinely surrender major decisions and responsibilities to others and permit the needs of those they depend on to supersede their own. They lack self-confidence and feel intensely insecure about their ability to take care of themselves. They often protest that they cannot make decisions and do not know what to do or how to do it. This behavior is due partly to a reluctance to express their views for fear of offending the people they need and partly to a belief that others are more capable. People with other personality disorders often have traits of a dependent personality, but the dependent traits are usually hidden by the more dominant traits of the other disorder. Sometimes adults with a prolonged illness or physical handicap develop a dependent personality.
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Diagnostic Features:
Dependent Personality Disorder is a condition characterized by an over-reliance on others that leads to submissive and clinging behavior and fears of separation. The dependent and submissive behaviors arise from feeling unable to cope without the help of others. This disorder is only diagnosed when these behaviors become persistent and very disabling or distressing. This diagnosis should be used with great caution, if at all, in children and adolescents, for whom dependent behavior may be developmentally appropriate.
Complications:
Complications of this disorder are increased risk of: depression; alcohol or drug abuse; physical, emotional, or sexual abuse. Occupational functioning is impaired if independent initiative is required. The individual avoids positions of responsibility and becomes anxious when faced with decisions. Social relations tend to be limited to those few people on whom the individual is dependent.
Comorbidity:
Mood Disorders, Anxiety Disorders, Adjustment Disorder, and other Personality Disorders (especially Borderline, Avoidant, and Histrionic) frequently co-occur with this disorder.
Can anyone relate to this type of behaviour?