What is the difference between social anxiety disorder and avoidant personality disorder?

I'm 17 years old. My whole life I have been EXTREMELY shy. However, I have always had friends, but wouldnt talk to a lot of people unless I felt "safe" with them if that makes sense. I always thought I had social anxiety disorder...and with that information I was to become more outgoing because I learned from the disorder.

But I was reading up on this "avoidant personality disorder" and i was shocked because it sounds like social anxiety. I do avoid lots of situations, ie i used to avoid school some days, because I feel too anxious to school. And due to my anxious worrying, I am now worrying obsessively over the fact that i could have this personality disorder. That would just break my heart if i had a "personality flaw" !

Can someone explain the difference because they sound the same to me...?

I should also mention that I do have a job, but I do get very anxious in the job but I don't avoid it. I have been avoiding some of my friends lately but only because i got really bad acne and i didnt want my friends to see me .:(

Well, according to the DSM, which is basically the encyclopedia of mental illness, they classify disorders into Axes, or categories. Axis I, which are generally acute disorders, also called clinical disorders. They are generally believed to be more 'treatable' mental conditions, and are often treated with medication. Axis II conditions, are considered to be underlying personality traits, developed over the course of the patients growth and development. They are considered more difficult to change, and are more often treated with longer-term psychotherapy. There are 5 axes altogether. Some insurance policies will only reimburse for treatment of Axis I disorders, with the dubious rationale that they are more likely 'biologically based' than are Axis II conditions.

Social anxiety disorder is Axis I; Avoidant personality disorder (along with about 5 other personality disorders) are Axis II.

Having said all that, as you noticed, they sound pretty similar. A lot of the distinctions in the DSM are pretty arbitrary, and they almost entirely based on theory. Anti-psychiatry critics are quick to point out the numerous shortcomings of it as a scientific volume. Basically the DSM is an attempt to give names to groupings of symptoms that patients report, and those names, or diagnoses, include things like, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, borderline personality disorder, etc, etc. Of course since it's mostly based upon subjective reporting by patients, there's a lot of gray area. Where does one begin and the other end? The names are artificial. What is real, are the symptoms which you experience, and that's really what matters. When dealing with your therapist or psych, focus less on the 'name' than on what's happening to you (although it might be interesting to see what they think about this question). And your treatment should focus on helping your symptoms, and not revolve around whether you're Axis I or Axis II.

One of the worst aspects of mental health care is the vocabulary. People get so hung up on, and argue about, and stigmatize, based on the words and labels, when they really should focus on the people and the symptoms. As you experienced, just the terminology change from an "anxiety disorder" to a "personality disorder" caused you to worry and lose self-esteem. But nothing really changed! They're both just made-up names for the collection of symptoms you feel. Labels are for jars, not for people. You're fine. But you have these social/avoidance issues. You can work on them and get past them. Good luck.

Social phobia (DSM-IV 300.23), also known as social anxiety disorder or social anxiety, is a diagnosis within psychiatry and other mental health professions referring to excessive anxiety in social situations causing relatively extreme distress and impaired ability to function in at least some areas of daily life. The diagnosis can be of a specific disorder (when only some particular situations are feared) or a generalized disorder. Generalized social anxiety disorder typically involves a persistent, intense, and chronic fear of being judged by others and of potentially being embarrassed or humiliated by their own actions. These fears can be triggered by perceived or actual scrutiny by others. While the fear of social interaction may be recognized by the person as excessive or unreasonable, considerable difficulty can be encountered overcoming it. Approximately 13.3 percent of the general population may meet criteria for social anxiety disorder at some point in their lifetime, according to the highest survey estimate, with the male to female ratio being 1:1.5.[1]

Physical symptoms often accompanying social anxiety disorder include excessive blushing, sweating (hyperhidrosis), trembling, palpitations, nausea, and stammering. Panic attacks may also occur under intense fear and discomfort. An early diagnosis may help in minimizing the symptoms and the development of additional problems such as depression. Some sufferers may use alcohol or other drugs to reduce fears and inhibitions at social events.

A person with the disorder may be treated with psychotherapy, medication, or both. Research has shown cognitive behavior therapy, whether individually or in a group, to be effective in treating social phobia. The cognitive and behavioral components seek to change thought patterns and physical reactions to anxious situations. Prescribed medications includes two classes of antidepressants: selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs). Attention given to social anxiety disorder has significantly increased in the US since 1999 with the approval and marketing of drugs for its treatment.

and
Avoidant personality disorder (APD or AvPD) [1] or Anxious personality disorder (APD) [2], is a personality disorder characterized by a pervasive pattern of social inhibition, feelings of inadequacy, extreme sensitivity to negative evaluation and avoidance of social interaction. People with avoidant personality disorder often consider themselves to be socially inept or personally unappealing, and avoid social interaction for fear of being ridiculed, humiliated, or disliked. They typically present themselves as loners and report feeling a sense of alienation from society.

Avoidant personality disorder usually is first noticed in early adulthood, and is associated with perceived or actual rejection by parent or peers during childhood. Whether the feeling of rejection is due to the extreme interpersonal monitoring attributed to people with the disorder is still disputed