Avoidant personality disorder

Avoidant personality disorder (AvPD) is a type of personality disorder, a long-term mental illness.
Symptoms.
People diagnosed with avoidant personality disorder are socially inhibited, meaning that they are shy and afraid of social situations. They feel that they are not good people and are afraid of people rejecting them. They are very sensitive to other people saying bad or negative things about them.
Diagnosis.
Psychiatrists and other mental health professionals diagnose people with avoidant personality disorder using a book called the "Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders" (DSM-IV-TR). They look at a person's behaviour and how they are feeling. If the person has four or more of the following signs, the DSM-IV-TR says that they have AvPD.
The symptoms of AvPD are much more serious than ordinary shyness.