Avoidance Behavior
The behavioural pattern of deliberately avoiding feared situations, thoughts, or feelings to manage short-term anxiety — which maintains and expands the fear over time.
Quick answer
Avoidance behavior (singular variant) describes the pattern of deliberately steering away from feared situations, stimuli, or internal experiences to reduce short-term anxiety — the primary maintaining mechanism of anxiety disorders and PTSD. ICD-10: F40–F43; ICD-11: 6B00–6B40. See also 'Avoidance Behaviors' — this entry covers the same clinical content.
Recognition
Do any of these feel familiar?
People often avoid situations that remind them of the trauma, which can limit daily activities.
What is Avoidance Behavior?
The behavioural pattern of deliberately avoiding feared situations, thoughts, or feelings to manage short-term anxiety — which maintains and expands the fear over time.
Approaches Commonly Explored
Commonly explored for conditions related to Avoidance Behavior, grouped by mechanism — select your subtype above to highlight the most relevant path.
How to use these approaches
Most people begin with Stabilise approaches, then progress toward Resolve and Sustain.
Nervous system regulation, brain function, and neural pathways.
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