Dependent personality disorder

Definition:

An inability to function without significant reliance on a forceful or dominant person providing direction.

Causes, incidence, and risk factors:

The cause of this disorder is not known. There do not appear to be biological factors. The disorder usually appears in early or middle adulthood. People with this disorder do not trust their own ability to make decisions, and feel that others have better ideas. They may be devastated by separation and loss, and they may go to great lengths, even suffering abuse, to stay in a relationship.