It was discussed in an appendix of the revised DSM-III-R in 1987,[1]: 371 but was never formally admitted into the manual.
The distinction was not seen as clinically valuable because of its significant overlap with other personality disorders (borderline, avoidant and dependent).
[4] Self-defeating personality disorder is: Historically, masochism has been associated with submissiveness.
This disorder became politically controversial when associated with domestic violence, which was considered to be mostly caused by males.
[6][7] In spite of its exclusion from DSM-IV in 1994, it continues to enjoy widespread currency amongst clinicians as a construct that explains many facets of human behaviour.