What causes avoidant personality disorder?
I don’t think there is a known cause of avoidant personality disorder. I would tell you it is associated with childhood shyness, however, childhood shyness is not considered to be a risk factor. It’s definitely an association. In other words, everyone you see with avoidant personality disorder will have been shy as a child; however, the converse is not true. That shyness does not predispose one to develop avoidant personality disorder. A lot of people are shy as children and outgrow it and go on to become outgoing, exuberant adults.
