How to Treat Dependent Personality Disorder
Talk to your doctor., Try talk therapy., Undergo cognitive behavior therapy., Go to group therapy., Consider medications., Find a support group.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Talk to your doctor.
Before undergoing treatment for dependent personality disorder (DPD), it may be necessary for the patient to speak with a doctor.
A general physician can perform an examination and run tests to see if there are any underlying causes for the patient’s symptoms.
If there is no medical explanation, then the doctor may refer the patient to a psychiatrist or therapist.Although DPD has some specific treatment options, your particular situation, medical history, and personal circumstances will change the way your treatment options will go. -
Step 2: Try talk therapy.
The best and most used treatment for DPD is talk therapy.In talk therapy, patients have regular sessions with a therapist to work through negative thoughts and feelings.In these sessions, the therapist will help the patient to improve self-esteem and learn to make independent choices.Short-term, focused therapy is ideal for DPD, since long-term therapy can cause a patient with DPD to become dependent on the therapist.If you are not sure how to find a good therapist or psychologist, ask your doctor for a referral.
You can also look into the American Psychological Association’s online locator to help you find one near you.
If you are treating someone with DPD, then make sure that you set clear boundaries.
For example, you might need to explain to a patient with DPD what situations would be appropriate reasons to call and what situations would not be appropriate. , Another helpful method of treatment for DPD is cognitive behavior therapy (CBT).
CBT is a type of psychotherapy that works on the concept that a person’s thoughts control one's actions.During CBT, the therapist helps the patient change thought patterns into more helpful, productive, and independent patterns.
This type of therapy requires more interaction than talk therapy.
Your psychologist will give you homework to do outside of your therapy sessions so you can figure out how to reframe your thinking process to be more independent and healthy, when you are not in a session.
As part of your CBT, your psychologist will also look for your triggers, or those situations that may make you fall back into your dependent behavior.
Your psychologist will help you work past these and figure out ways to desensitize you to these situations. , There may be some cases where group therapy can be helpful for DPD.
A patient with DPD may be put into a group of people with only dependency issues or in one with a mixture of other personality disorders.
Group sessions will help the patient to work through issues and try out adaptive behaviors to become more independent.
Your psychologist will evaluate your situation and decide where you belong.
However, if you have severe impairment that stems from DPD or extreme antisocial tendencies, this type of therapy may not be right for you.
In rare cases, your psychologist may suggest a group session including your family or friends.
However, given you have dependency issues, this is only done in cases where you may benefit from the sessions., Medication may be helpful in some situations if a patient has a co-occurring condition that cannot be managed with other treatment options, such as depression or anxiety.However, medication should only be used when absolutely necessary because there is a greater chance of becoming dependent or abusing the controlled substances.
Be honest with your doctor about your feelings.
If you are depressed or suffering from intense anxiety, then say something. , As a patient with DPD goes through individual therapy, finding a support group can also be helpful.
This will give the patient a place to try out the new behaviors learned in therapy.
Patients can also talk to other people in the group about any challenges they are facing because the other group members will likely be going through similar challenges.
Keep in mind that support groups should not be your only method of treatment.
If you don't learn to work past your dependent issues first, you may transfer your dependency to the members of your support group.Ask your doctor or therapist for a referral to a good support group. -
Step 3: Undergo cognitive behavior therapy.
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Step 4: Go to group therapy.
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Step 5: Consider medications.
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Step 6: Find a support group.
Detailed Guide
Before undergoing treatment for dependent personality disorder (DPD), it may be necessary for the patient to speak with a doctor.
A general physician can perform an examination and run tests to see if there are any underlying causes for the patient’s symptoms.
If there is no medical explanation, then the doctor may refer the patient to a psychiatrist or therapist.Although DPD has some specific treatment options, your particular situation, medical history, and personal circumstances will change the way your treatment options will go.
The best and most used treatment for DPD is talk therapy.In talk therapy, patients have regular sessions with a therapist to work through negative thoughts and feelings.In these sessions, the therapist will help the patient to improve self-esteem and learn to make independent choices.Short-term, focused therapy is ideal for DPD, since long-term therapy can cause a patient with DPD to become dependent on the therapist.If you are not sure how to find a good therapist or psychologist, ask your doctor for a referral.
You can also look into the American Psychological Association’s online locator to help you find one near you.
If you are treating someone with DPD, then make sure that you set clear boundaries.
For example, you might need to explain to a patient with DPD what situations would be appropriate reasons to call and what situations would not be appropriate. , Another helpful method of treatment for DPD is cognitive behavior therapy (CBT).
CBT is a type of psychotherapy that works on the concept that a person’s thoughts control one's actions.During CBT, the therapist helps the patient change thought patterns into more helpful, productive, and independent patterns.
This type of therapy requires more interaction than talk therapy.
Your psychologist will give you homework to do outside of your therapy sessions so you can figure out how to reframe your thinking process to be more independent and healthy, when you are not in a session.
As part of your CBT, your psychologist will also look for your triggers, or those situations that may make you fall back into your dependent behavior.
Your psychologist will help you work past these and figure out ways to desensitize you to these situations. , There may be some cases where group therapy can be helpful for DPD.
A patient with DPD may be put into a group of people with only dependency issues or in one with a mixture of other personality disorders.
Group sessions will help the patient to work through issues and try out adaptive behaviors to become more independent.
Your psychologist will evaluate your situation and decide where you belong.
However, if you have severe impairment that stems from DPD or extreme antisocial tendencies, this type of therapy may not be right for you.
In rare cases, your psychologist may suggest a group session including your family or friends.
However, given you have dependency issues, this is only done in cases where you may benefit from the sessions., Medication may be helpful in some situations if a patient has a co-occurring condition that cannot be managed with other treatment options, such as depression or anxiety.However, medication should only be used when absolutely necessary because there is a greater chance of becoming dependent or abusing the controlled substances.
Be honest with your doctor about your feelings.
If you are depressed or suffering from intense anxiety, then say something. , As a patient with DPD goes through individual therapy, finding a support group can also be helpful.
This will give the patient a place to try out the new behaviors learned in therapy.
Patients can also talk to other people in the group about any challenges they are facing because the other group members will likely be going through similar challenges.
Keep in mind that support groups should not be your only method of treatment.
If you don't learn to work past your dependent issues first, you may transfer your dependency to the members of your support group.Ask your doctor or therapist for a referral to a good support group.
About the Author
Jessica Adams
Creates helpful guides on hobbies to inspire and educate readers.
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