Dependent Personality Disorder: an Example

by bhthanks

A Character displaying Dependent Personality Disorder (also spelled dependant personality disorder) taken from a novel to help people understand this disorder.

Background

"The Quest" By Libby Lazewnik, is a novel that displays fictional characters with personality disorders.

When reading this story, a person with knowledge of personality disorders can clearly see Three characters with distinct personality disorders in this story.  I analyzed these characters and wrote up this analysis for a Term Paper for a course in Abnormal Psychology, which I studied in Touro College.

Mark Barron shows the symptoms of Dependent Personality Disorder through most of this novel. Below is an explanation of his actions that demonstrate his symptoms of Dependency.

For more information and reference, you can see a link to the referenced novel on this page, as well as a link to the DSM IV, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, for Professionals.

Additionally, I have written an article on this site summarizing the novel, (see: "The Quest": Novel by Libby Lazewnik: Full Plot Summary) and will be posting more articles with an explanation of other characters in the novel that illustrate the symptoms of other personality disorders.

 

The DSM, The Quest, & Abnormal Psychology

Books
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of ...
Amer Psychiatric Pub
$20.88  $20.63
The Quest
Shaar Press
$32.44  $21.71
Abnormal Psychology
McGraw-Hill Humanities/Social Science...
$89.0  $36.0

Sources:

-Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM). Washington, D.C. American Psychiatric Association.

 -Lazewnik, L.   The Quest. Brooklyn, NY: Shaar Press.

 -Nolen- Hoeksema, Susan. Abnormal Psychology. New York: McGraw Hill Companies, Inc.

A Character with Dependent Personality Disorder

Mark Barron shows the symptoms of Dependent Personality Disorder through most of this novel.

Mark Barron feels a deep need to be cared for by his sister.

Since his own thoughts and feelings are displeasing to Carol, he quashes them and listens to what she says.

Since early childhood, his sister had always gotten what she wanted.

He was used to it, and scared of her disapproval, and therefore always gave in to her.

She convinced him into sedating Irena, going along with the plan and keeping silent all the years, although he was unhappy about it.

He submitted to her unreasonable demands, and allowed himself to be exploited by her.

He clung to her and did everything she said because he deeply feared her rejection.

These are all symptoms of Dependant Personality Disorder.

Fortunately, towards the end of the story he helps himself out of this mess when his sister sends him down to California with instructions to kill Irena.

All of these years he had felt guilty about what had happened and now he finally decides to come clean.

He tells Irena the truth, and he moves to a faraway country where he can live in peace, away from his harmful sister and her effect on him.

This illustrates how a person afflicted with DPD can eventually overcome it.

Dependent personality disorder wiki

Dependent personality disorder, formerly known as asthenic personality disorder, is a personality disorder that is characterized by a pervasive psychological dependence on other people. This personality disorder is a long-term condition in which people depend too much on others to ...
Updated: 12/28/2011, bhthanks
 
Thank you! Would you like to post a comment now?
6

Comments

Only logged-in users are allowed to comment. Login

You might also like

How to Avoid or Overcome The Fear of Surgery

Surgery is an amazing tool preventing many life threatening events from derai...

Conversion Disorder in Children | Result of Suppressing Emotions

More and more children in modern world develop conversion disorder as consequ...


Disclosure: This page generates income for authors based on affiliate relationships with our partners, including Amazon, Google and others.
Loading ...
Error!