Avoidance responses are typical to people with borderline personality disorder, which is bought about from abandonment and child abuse with punitive parenting (Young, 2005). Avoidant strategies are employed to episodes of anxiety (Laidlaw, Thompson, Gallagher-Thompson, & Dick-Siskin, 2003, p. 100). Clients also avoid stressful situations, for emotional protection from feeling distressed, and cognitive avoidance from ideas, or images when depressed (Moore & Garland, 2003, pp. 28-29). Avoidance behaviour is associated across the spectrum of mental disorders, because negative reinforcement cycles persist (Sommers-Flanagan & Sommers-Flanagan, 2004, p. 238). Clients feel relief from anxiety, fear, or distress, thus escape behaviour is a form of relief (Sommers-Flanagan & Sommers-Flanagan, 2004, p. 238). Avoidance is also related to dishonest relationships or is caused through an unwillingness or difficulty in understanding psychological content (Smelser, Baltes, 200, p.29-30). Once the client embraces the difficulty of the therapeutic process, avoidance can be transformed into observation and openness (Smelser, Baltes, 200, p.29-30).
This dimension should not be mistaken for avoidance-goal based treatment that is often used in A&OD rehabilitation, where clients goal is to avoid alcohol or drug use. Avoidance-goal based treatment concentrated on statements such as I must stop my un-healthy habits, or To stop being confused about my feelings (Elliot & Church, 2002). This style of treatment is suggested to have negative implications for the client (Elliot & Church, 2002). Whereas approach based treatment is preferred for the clients goal setting, which focuses on building on the self, with statements such as I can achieve a healthy life style, or To understand myself and my feelings (Elliot & Church, 2002).
