Avoident?

[sbcy]

Does anyone else feel like they're naturally avoident? I can remember even as a kid feeling kind of stressed knowing i had t-ball practice next week at 6:00 even if i liked it. I didn't like feeling locked in. I also tend to avoid social situations due to anxoety/confusion and/or lack of interest. I am very much a creature of habit. Trying new things does NOT happen unless i consciously work at it hard. And by new things, this could be as simple as trying something else on a restaraunt's menu. Unless I have a very detailed plan for what to change, it won't happen. Is this avoidence mostly from ADD/SCT? OCD? GAD? Just my f'ed up personality?? Something else? When I have experience temporary relief of most of my symptoms I noticed i much more flexible I was and more willing to do things. I began to understand what's it's like for others.

[ginniebean]

Even tho I am not PI or SCT I could have written this myself. My guess is this is a common enough experience with adhd.

[Ocyan]

Avoidant... ? Read my signature my friend

[littleodd]

I have avoidant personality disorder since birth I suppose. Have you ever found anything that helped with this?

[AnneM]

SBCY... thanks for the topic. I feel like I also have an avoident personality. I seem to like to know exactly how things will turn out. I can see this may have something to do with my inattentive ADD as I can never be sure if I will remember events, items, etc. ... this causes a great deal of stress for me. I don't need to add to my stress by being socially creative and scheduling an abundance of events...I just dont think I could handle it. I also relate to your feeling "locked in"... if I am at a social event I often fear that I will feel trapped and not be able to get away if I become incredibly bored or unfocused.

Thanks for your post.

[Verile]

I find I universally avoid anything that requires more than minimal effort on my part. That includes cooking, cleaning, talking, etc.

Funny you mention the restaurant menu though. I always order something new.

[sbcy]

Originally Posted by littleodd

I have avoidant personality disorder since birth I suppose. Have you ever found anything that helped with this?

methylcobalamin (temporarily)

pain - when something is more painful to not do..then anyone will do it

[sarek]

All I know is that I always hate obligations and try to avoid them as much as possible, even if I intellectually know its one I will probably enjoy. I have a problem with that feeling of getting 'stuck'
There is nothing that makes me happier than if someone cancels an appointment or meeting, even if I know its just going to get rescheduled.

[fracturedstory]

It's always been hard for me to do something new. I need routine, familiarity.

I have:
Autism
ADHD-C
Pathological Demand Avoidance syndrome (I have such bad anxiety about change or being controlled that I will avoid anything asked of me, even if that meant dropping down on the floor and not moving - I've gone completely mute and still as a child once - probably many times).
Agoraphobia (I never got how 'fear of open spaces' related to social anxiety. I do now).

I used to not go out because I hated socialising because 1)was bad at it, 2)didn't look forward to it like other people. I can pretty much be on my own and be fine. I have my interests.

Now I have such bad anxiety. Paranoia really.

I still avoid doing new things. I have anxiety about doing things I want to do but the fear is not being able to get them done. I still don't try to do things because I fear they will make me tired. Like writing without my medication in bed. Once I was so exhausted from that and I didn't like it. I'm weird.

I get nervous about things, about not being able to do them at all or in time. Just feeling overwhelmed. Or I get over things before I do them. Like I'll be excited for a concert and then not want to go the closer the date got.

Anticipation turns to dread. I'm weird and have some very f***ed up personality issues.

However, Ritalin makes me want to do those things. Makes me want to do something different. Makes me more agreeable with people. I have mild ODD too so it makes me less of a basket case. Am I saying that right? I mean less of a lil b*****d.

Originally Posted by sarek

All I know is that I always hate obligations and try to avoid them as much as possible, even if I intellectually know its one I will probably enjoy. I have a problem with that feeling of getting 'stuck'
There is nothing that makes me happier than if someone cancels an appointment or meeting, even if I know its just going to get rescheduled.

I hate appointments because I have to travel far for them, have to face the elements. Er, environment.

If there are people involved in some planned event I'll dread it.

It disrupts my routine. I do much better without people, or just with the people I lived with and see on my street.