Dependent Personality Disorder (DPD)

Dependent Personality Disorder is characterized by excessive need to be taken care of, leading to submissive, clinging behaviors and fear of separation.

Dependent Personality Disorder (DPD)

Dependent Personality Disorder is characterized by excessive need to be taken care of, leading to submissive, clinging behaviors and fear of separation. Individuals with DPD struggle to make decisions independently and often tolerate mistreatment to maintain support and approval. Chronic dependency can interfere with career development, personal autonomy, and healthy interpersonal relationships. Emotional vulnerability is high, as fear of abandonment drives anxiety and compliance. In Saudi Arabia, family-centric social structures may exacerbate dependency patterns or mask DPD traits. Strong cultural emphasis on respect for elders or family authority may reinforce submissive behaviors, making early identification and intervention challenging.

Symptoms and warning signs

  • Difficulty making everyday decisions without advice or reassurance
  • Excessive need for others to assume responsibility for major life areas
  • Fear of abandonment leading to clingy or submissive behavior
  • Reluctance to express disagreement due to fear of losing support
  • Urgent seeking of new relationships when a close relationship ends

Causes and risk factors

  • Genetic predisposition to anxiety and low self-confidence
  • Early childhood separation, loss, or overprotective parenting
  • Learned dependency from modeling of parental or caregiver behavior
  • Environmental reinforcement of compliant or submissive behaviors

Treatment approaches

  • Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): improving autonomous decision-making, addressing anxiety
  • Assertiveness training: developing skills to express opinions and set boundaries
  • Psychodynamic therapy: exploring underlying fears of abandonment
  • Family or couples therapy: addressing relational dynamics that reinforce dependency

Why Act Center for Dependent Personality Disorder (DPD) in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia?

Our experienced Dependent Personality Disorder therapists in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia provide therapy to foster greater autonomy and self-reliance in decision-making and interpersonal relationships.

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