Avoidant and Dependent Personality Disorder From the moment a person is born, their personality begins to take shape. In early childhood, and then through adolescence, the person explores many types of behaviors. Of all the behaviors, or personalities, experienced by the person, one of them will stay with them forever. Some of these behaviors can form personality disorders. “A personality disorder is a type of mental disorder in which you have a rigid and unhealthy pattern of thinking, functioning and behaving. A person with a personality disorder has difficulty perceiving and relating to situations and people. This causes significant problems and limitations in relationships, social encounters, work and school” (“Definitions”). This is the definition of personality disorders described by the Mayo Clinic. Studies have shown that many personality disorders develop in childhood or early adulthood, and people who struggle with these disorders often have difficulty learning and even greater difficulty changing their behavior. People with personality disorders often have difficulty functioning or adapting to society. There are many different types of personality disorders; Two of the most unique personality disorders are avoidant and dependent personality disorders. A person with avoidant personality disorder is someone who feels very shy, inadequate, and is extremely sensitive to rejection. Individuals with this disorder are also more likely to suffer from anxiety disorders. According to the National Institute of Mental Health it is said to be prevalent in approximately 5.2% of the US adult population. This isn't a huge number of people, however it is a serious personality disorder that should not be taken... half way through... when dealing with and treating people who suffer from it. In the coming years, technology will help us start to learn more about them, and we can then learn more effective ways to deal with these disorders. These disorders not only have a detrimental effect on the people who suffer from them, but also affect everyone around them. That's why these disorders have such a detrimental effect on people's lives. Hopefully one day we will know enough about these disorders to prevent them in the first place. "Personality Disorders" Quotes. Definition. Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, January-February. 2014. Web. 06 March 2014."Dependent personality disorder." http://www.apa.org. American Psychological Association, August-September. 07. Network. 06 March 2014.http://psychology.about.com/od/personalitydisorders/a/avoidant.htm