Beta blockers in Avoidant Personality Disorder are used to address:

• A. Autonomic symptoms such as anxiety-related physical symptoms
• B. Core personality disturbance
• C. Hallucinations
• D. Memory impairment

Answer: (A)

Beta blockers address the bodily signs of anxiety. In Avoidant Personality Disorder, social anxiety often comes with autonomic arousal—heart racing, trembling, sweating, and other physical symptoms that heighten distress and reinforce avoidance. By blocking adrenergic receptors, beta blockers dampen these physiological responses, helping the person feel steadier and participate more in social situations. They don’t change the enduring personality pattern itself, nor do they treat hallucinations or memory problems, which aren’t central features of this condition. So the benefit is specifically reducing autonomic anxiety symptoms rather than altering core personality traits or unrelated cognitive symptoms.