Dependent Personality Disorder (DPD) is a neurological condition that renders victims unable to function normally due to their need for treatment and their excessive reliance on affirmation from their peers to do seemingly ordinary life choices. It is known that humans normally value the opinions of their peers (Hughes, Leong, Shiv, & Zaki, 2018), however those affected by the disorder lack autonomy to the point of developing potentially harmful symptoms and habits due to related anxiety . look after yourself. Some of these habits outlined in the DSM-IV include “pessimism and self-doubt,” a “[tendency] to discount [one's] abilities and resources,” and an inclination to “call oneself stupid” (American Psychiatric Association, 2000). , page 666). Such habits indicate a poor self-image for the person suffering from DPD, and this disorder leads them to rely increasingly on the approval of others to maintain a sense of belonging. Such a need to belong may lead the victim to force themselves into potentially harmful relationships that may become overprotective and dominant, simply to compensate for the anxiety they may feel about loneliness (DSM-IV-TR, 2000, p. 666). The dangers of these types of relationships go beyond mental health; those with DPD who find themselves within a system that encourages brutality or abuse will refuse to leave and will therefore force themselves to endure violence inflicted on them or potentially feel they must inflict violence on others. Such abuse may include suffering “verbal, physical, or sexual abuse” (DSM-IV-TR, 2000, p. 666), as well as remaining in relationships in which the balance of power is clearly shifted toward the aggressor rather than towards the attacker. victim. Such unfortunate acts are permitted by the afflicted because of the intense need to maintain these relationships – no matter how harmful – perhaps because for them the alternative is far worse. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Dependent personality disorder shares many qualities and has comorbidities with other mood disorders such as borderline and avoidant personality disorders (DSM-IV-TR, 2000, p.667). Comorbidity is defined by Bornstein (1995) as the co-occurrence of symptoms between different disorders, and although he points out that the psychiatric use of the term has a broader definition than medical terminology, the essential definition remains the same (p. 288) . Research has shown that DPD is indeed comorbid with DSM-IV Axis I disorders, and it has been stated that “significant positive correlations can be found between the severity of DPD symptoms and the severity of eating disorder symptoms” ( Bornstein, 1995, page 291). Therefore, it has been shown that the intense need to be cared for and the sense of inadequacy that those with DPD struggle with can coincide with the fatigue and decreased appetite that those suffering from an eating disorder may experience. Furthermore, DPD shares comorbidity with Axis II disorders, namely borderline, avoidant, and schizoid personality disorders (Bornstein, 1995, p. 293). The links between these disorders are quite tangible, with most of these disorders leading victims to fear abandonment and engage in self-destructive behaviors. It is because of these similarities that those charged with diagnosing DPD in individuals must be wary of parallels with other Axis I and II disorders. For example, many personality disorders can be diagnosed through addictive behavior andexcessive dependence on others, however, Dependent Personality Disorder is unique because of the highly submissive behavior patterns exhibited by those who suffer from this condition (DSM-IV-TR, 2000, p. 667). ). Additionally, those with DPD react differently to feelings of abandonment; an example given in the DSM-IV (2000) is that of someone with borderline personality disorder reacting to the loss of a relationship with "feelings of emotional emptiness, anger, and demands" while someone with DPD will react with "increasing appeasement and submission" (p. 667). According to various sources, it appears that the cause of DPD is still a bit of a mystery. However, one potential cause proposed by Ploskin (2017) is that people with this disorder are born with “an innate biological temperament, sometimes referred to as harm avoidance” that causes the person to worry about outcomes that an average person might don't see. These high levels of stress are characteristic of other illnesses such as generalized anxiety disorder, and this shared fear of seemingly ordinary events could potentially explain the shared characteristics of DPD and other Axis I disorders. Ploskin (2017) also highlights the tendency of families of people with DPD to “overly control their children and discourage their independence,” thus creating an environment in which dependence is simply natural and not a product of genetic predisposition. This style of parenting coupled with some of the previously mentioned anxiety-like symptoms could conceivably lead someone to become dependent on authority figures in their life and develop dependent personality disorder. Keeping in line with external influences, it is important to note that the diagnosis of DPD has a lot to do with an individual's culture and surrounding environment. The DSM-IV (2000) states that “age and cultural factors must be considered in evaluating the diagnostic threshold for each criterion” (p. 667). In essence, this means that what is characterized as dependent behavior in an autonomy-promoting society like that of the United States could potentially be seen as normal in more collectivist societies. For example, a behavior that may be considered excessively dependent in an individualistic society but normal in a collectivist society would be to allow one's parents to decide with whom they should engage romantically and possibly marry. Arranged marriages are common in nations such as Pakistan and Afghanistan and therefore cannot be considered overly dependent behavior in these cultures. Therefore, a diagnosis of DPD must indicate that the person's fears of abandonment are exorbitant and unfounded when considering the person's current cultural and personal circumstances (DSM-IV-TR, 2000, p. 667). Beitz & Bornstein (year) propose a guideline for the identification and diagnosis of DPD is guided by the following three principles: "addiction is not always characterized by passivity", "self-assessments do not always give a faithful picture" and "i levels of dependence vary over time and situations” (p. 232). The first principle of dependency serves as a reminder that, although passivity is quite common as a sign of dependency, it is not the only form it takes. Other ways an addicted individual can maintain a relationship he or she deems necessary is through intimidation and threats (Beitz and Bornstein, year, p. 232). This may be especially true when the individual with DPD is a heterosexual male who is dependent on his relationship with his wife or girlfriend, and instead of allowing her to control whether or not she can leave him, he instead uses violent tactics such as physical abuse. to keep her in the relationship and prevent her from leaving. The second principle.).