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Treatment for dpd


Dependent Personality Disorder

Written by WebMD Editorial Contributors

In this Article

  • What Are the Symptoms of DPD?
  • What Causes DPD?
  • How Is DPD Diagnosed?
  • How Is DPD Treated?
  • What Are the Complications of DPD?
  • What Is the Outlook for People With DPD?
  • Can DPD Be Prevented?

 

 

Dependent personality disorder (DPD) is one of the most frequently diagnosed personality disorders. It causes feelings of helplessness, submissiveness, a need to be taken care of and for constant reassurance, and an inability to make everyday decisions without an excessive amount of advice and reassurance from others.

 This personality disorder occurs equally in men and women and usually becomes apparent in young adulthood or later as important adult relationships form.

What Are the Symptoms of DPD?

People with DPD become emotionally overdependent on other people and spend great effort trying to please others. People with DPD tend to display needy, passive, and clinging behavior, and have a fear of separation. Other common characteristics of this personality disorder include:

  • Inability to make decisions, even everyday decisions like what to wear, without the advice and reassurance of others
  • Avoidance of adult responsibilities by acting passive and helpless; dependence on a spouse or friend to make decisions like where to work and live
  • Intense fear of abandonment and a sense of devastation or helplessness when relationships end; a person with DPD often moves right into another relationship when one ends.
  • Oversensitivity to criticism
  • Pessimism and lack of self-confidence, including a belief that they are unable to care for themselves
  • Avoidance of disagreeing with others for fear of losing support or approval
  • Inability to start projects or tasks because of a lack of self-confidence
  • Difficulty being alone
  • Willingness to tolerate mistreatment and abuse from others
  • Placing the needs of their caregivers above their own
  • Tendency to be naive and to fantasize

What Causes DPD?

Although the exact cause of DPD is not known, it most likely involves a combination of biological, developmental, temperamental, and psychological factors. Some researchers believe an authoritarian or overprotective parenting style can lead to the development of dependent personality traits in people who are susceptible to the disorder.

How Is DPD Diagnosed?

A diagnosis of DPD must be distinguished from borderline personality disorder, as the two share common symptoms. In borderline personality disorder, the person responds to fears of abandonment with feelings of rage and emptiness. With DPD, the person responds to the fear with submissiveness and seeks another relationship to maintain their dependency.

If most or all the (above) symptoms of DPD are present, the doctor will begin an evaluation by taking a thorough medical and psychiatric history and possibly a basic physical exam. Although there are no laboratory tests to specifically diagnose personality disorders, the doctor might use various diagnostic tests to rule out physical illness as the cause of the symptoms.

If the doctor finds no physical reason for the symptoms, they might refer the person to a psychiatrist, psychologist, or other health care professional trained to diagnose and treat mental illnesses. Psychiatrists and psychologists use specially designed interview and assessment tools to evaluate a person for a personality disorder.

How Is DPD Treated?

As is the case with many personality disorders, people with DPD generally do not seek treatment for the disorder itself. Rather, they might seek treatment when a problem in their lives -- often resulting from thinking or behavior related to the disorder -- becomes overwhelming, and they are no longer able to cope. People with DPD are prone to developing depression or anxiety, symptoms that might prompt the individual to seek help.

Psychotherapy (a type of counseling) is the main method of treatment for DPD. The goal of therapy is to help the person with DPD become more active and independent, and to learn to form healthy relationships. Short-term therapy with specific goals is preferred when the focus is on managing behaviors that interfere with functioning. It is often useful for the therapist and patient together to pay attention to the role of therapist in order to recognize and address ways in which the patient may form the same kind of passive reliance in the treatment relationship that happens outside of treatment. Specific strategies might include assertiveness training to help the person with DPD develop self-confidence and cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) to help someone develop new attitudes and perspectives about themselves relative to other people and experiences. More meaningful change in someone's personality structure usually is pursued through long-term psychoanalytic or psychodynamic psychotherapy, where early developmental experiences are examined as they may shape the formation of defense mechanisms, coping styles, and patterns of attachment and intimacy in close relationships.

Medication might be used to treat people with DPD who also suffer from related problems such as depression or anxiety. However, medication therapy in itself does not usually treat the core problems caused by personality disorders. In addition, medications should be carefully monitored, because people with DPD become dependent on them or misuse certain prescription drugs.

What Are the Complications of DPD?

People with DPD are at risk for depression, anxiety disorders, and phobias, as well as substance abuse. They are also at risk for being abused because they may find themselves willing to do virtually anything to maintain the relationship with a dominant partner or person of authority.

What Is the Outlook for People With DPD?

With psychotherapy (counseling), many people with DPD can learn how to make more independent choices in their lives.

Can DPD Be Prevented?

Although prevention of the disorder might not be possible, treatment of DPD can sometimes allow a person who is prone to this disorder to learn more productive ways of dealing with situations.

The development of personality structure is a complex process that begins from an early age. Psychotherapy aimed at modifying personality may be more successful when begun early, when the patient is highly motivated for change, and when there is a strong working relationship between the therapist and patient.

Dependent Personality Disorder: Treatment Options

Dependent personality disorder can make being independent challenging. Here are treatments that can manage symptoms and enrich your life.

Even if you’re in a relationship or surrounded by close friends, navigating life as an adult requires independence.

For people living with dependent personality disorder (DPD), dealing with day-to-day decisions and responsibilities is difficult.

If you have DPD, relying on other people to make decisions for you and to assist with individual tasks may feel more comfortable than forging ahead solo. You may fear that you can’t be responsible for your own life or you’ll “mess it up.”

Those fears are symptoms of DPD — and they don’t define you or your personality. You can regain control of your life. There are several treatments available that can help foster self-sufficiency and self-confidence.

Someone with DPD has a pervasive reliance on other people to make decisions or complete daily responsibilities for them. This dependency is paired with frequent severe anxiety at the thought of being alone or having to make a decision alone.

Fear of abandonment is at the heart of DPD, and this can lead to being seen as “clingy,” jumping from relationship to relationship, and avoiding criticism or rejection at all costs. Those with DPD may avoid expressing opinions for fear that they’ll be met with disapproval.

Not being cared for by another person can cause anger or distress. People with DPD may also find that they have codependent behaviors, which also stem from a lack of independence.

There are many possible causes of DPD, including:

  • childhood trauma, neglect, or severe illness that led to reliance on others
  • an abusive relationship
  • cultural factors that emphasize deference to authority
  • biological predisposition to DPD or anxiety

As with all personality disorders, there’s no cure for DPD. But there’s still a lot of reason for hope. Several treatment options can help manage DPD symptoms and encourage independence.

Finding and sticking with the right treatment can help you lead an independent and rewarding life.

There are various treatment options available for DPD. They include therapy, medication, or a combination of both.

Psychodynamic psychotherapy and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) are two of the most popular therapy approaches for treating DPD.

Cognitive behavioral therapy

CBT can help people with DPD work on better coping mechanisms. CBT examines how a person’s thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are connected, and it works through ways to replace harmful and irrational thoughts with more rational ones.

If you have DPD, CBT can help you with your thought patterns surrounding dependence on other people. Thought patterns may be difficult to recognize at first, but a therapist can help guide you through CBT to develop healthier relationship models.

Psychodynamic psychotherapy

Psychodynamic psychotherapy is a longer-term therapy used for the treatment of DPD and other mental health conditions.

Psychodynamic psychotherapy explores childhood events, trauma, abandonment issues, and attachment styles that may be shaping current behaviors and symptoms.

Psychodynamic psychotherapy can help you gain greater insight into your challenges. It can also help you improve your relationships.

Schema therapy, a psychotherapy approach designed to treat personality disorders, is the most effective treatment for DPD, according to one study. Schema therapy aims to help people understand their unhelpful patterns and coping strategies and replace them with helpful ones.

Therapists practicing schema therapy also re-parent clients by meeting their unmet childhood needs — such as giving praise — within a healthy boundary.

Medication

There are no Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved medications for DPD, though some experts believe certain antidepressants may help.

Medications can treat symptoms associated with DPD, such as anxiety and depression. The efficacy of medication should be evaluated on a case-by-case basis and paired with therapy.

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th edition (DSM-5) outlines several symptoms that must be present for a clinical diagnosis of DPD. Symptoms must be long lasting and lead to submissive or clinging behavior, as exhibited by five or more of the signs below:

  • obsessive preoccupation with being abandoned or being unable to care for yourself
  • feeling anxious or helpless when you’re alone
  • trouble making decisions without others involved
  • need for others to take care of even simple responsibilities
  • extreme fear of disapproval or rejection from others
  • difficulty starting tasks or projects without others supporting you
  • quickly seeking another relationship after one ends to avoid being alone

Mental health professionals must use great caution if diagnosing this condition in children or adolescents, as these behaviors may be appropriate for their developmental stage.

The DSM-5 suggests that less than 1% of the population has DPD. Men and women may be equally likely to have DPD, though women are diagnosed more often.

Aside from the symptoms of DPD itself, untreated DPD can also be associated with complications like:

  • anxiety disorders, such as panic disorder, avoidant personality disorder, and obsessive-compulsive personality disorder
  • depression
  • substance use disorder
  • phobias

Since people living with DPD often have more than one mental health condition present, DPD can be difficult to diagnose. Diagnosis is further complicated by other mental health conditions that have some similar symptoms as DPD.

DPD is a Cluster C personality disorder, meaning it’s defined by anxious and fearful thoughts. Other similar conditions include:

  • avoidant personality disorder and obsessive-compulsive personality disorder (Cluster C)
  • borderline personality disorder (BPD) and histrionic personality disorder (HPD) (Cluster B)
  • social anxiety disorder

There’s a crossover in symptoms in individuals with these related conditions. People living with BPD, HPD, and avoidant personality disorder all share a hypersensitivity to rejection. In addition, individuals with BPD and DPD may have abandonment issues.

Anxiety in social situations — seen in social anxiety disorder and DPD — can lead to extreme dependence on others.

Patience and resolve in finding the right mental and medical support team will help on the path to a proper diagnosis — and therefore the most helpful treatment — for DPD.

You can overcome the challenges of living with DPD, and you don’t have to do it alone. There are treatments and support available to help you navigate symptoms.

The sooner you receive treatment for DPD, the less likely you are to develop other mental health conditions, so it’s important to look for a therapist you trust.

Meeting with a therapist can help you process past experiences and build the necessary skills you need to complete tasks on your own.

Your treatment journey will be as unique as you are, and that’s completely normal. You have an independent, rewarding life ahead of you.

To learn more about DPD, consider checking out this podcast by Mike Leary, LPC.

Find a therapist

Here are some places to start if you’re looking for a therapist.

  • Psych Central’s article Find a Therapist: Mental Health Resources for Everyone
  • American Psychiatric Association’s Find a Psychiatrist tool
  • American Psychological Association’s Find a Psychologist tool
  • National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Helplines and Support Tools
  • National Institute of Mental Health’s Helpline DirectoryTrusted Source
  • Therapy in Color, which helps connect People of Color with therapists
  • Therapy for Black Girls, a resource guide for Black women looking for therapy
  • The National Asian American Pacific Islander Mental Health Association, resources for Asian American and Pacific Islander people looking for mental health help
  • Therapy for Latinx, which helps connect Latinx people with therapists

Medical advice for doctors | Remedium.

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DPd (Daratumumab + Pomalidomide + Dexamethasone) - Oncopod

What is CRYSVITA?

CRYSVITA is a prescription medicine used to treat adults and children 6 months of age and older with X-linked hypophosphatemia (XLH).

Important safety information

You should not take CRYSVITA if: