That’s one of the most common questions we are asked. Unless you actually have the condition, it is very hard to impossible to know what it is like to have the condition.
We came up with this simple story that we hope helps.
Having Avoidant Personality is like being trapped behind very thick glass. Not ordinary glass mind you, but that weird glass that you find in some bathrooms that you can barely see through. Everything is very distorted so the best you can see are fuzzy shapes and shadowy misshapen figures.
If you suffer from it, no matter how hard you try, you can never reach those on the other side of the glass. These people will never hear your cries, your pain, or know anything about you.
The glass is impenetrable. You can pound on it until your fists are a mass of blood, but no matter how hard you try, you can never feel the loving embrace of your loved ones.
Nothing can get through. You are trapped behind this glass for your entire life just watching the world go by. Even your significant other, if you are fortunate enough to have one, is on the other side of this glass.
This is just a small example of what it is like to suffer from Avoidant Personality.