Introduction to Personality Disorders

What is a Personality Disorder?
The term "Personality Disorder" implies there is something not-quite-right about someone's personality. However, the term "personality disorder" simply refers to a diagnostic category of psychiatric disorders characterized by a chronic, inflexible, and maladaptive pattern of relating to the world. This maladaptive pattern is evident in the way a person thinks, feels, and behaves. The most noticeable and significant feature of these disorders is their negative effect on interpersonal relationships. A person with an untreated personality disorder is rarely able to enjoy sustained, meaningful, and rewarding relationships with others, and any relationships they do form are often fraught with problems and difficulties.
To be diagnosed with a "personality disorder" does not mean that someone's personality is fatally flawed or that they represent some freak of nature. In fact, these disorders are not that uncommon and are dee...More
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What is a Personality Disorder?
- Personality disorders are characterized by a chronic inflexible pattern of relating to the world that appears in the way a person thinks, feels, and behaves.
- A person with an untreated personality disorder is rarely able to enjoy ongoing, meaningful, and rewarding relationships with others, and any relationships they do form often have many problems and difficulties.
- This pattern consists of problematic behaviors and traits, starting early in life, observed across many different situations, over a long period of time, that cause significant distress.
- The defining features of a personality disorder are: a) rigid and distorted thinking, b) problems with emotional response patterns (feelings), c) impulse control problems/behaviors, and d) significant problems relating to and with others.
- When people have distorted ways of thinking about themselves and others and have difficulty controlling their emotions and their impulses, it will affect the way they handle conflict with others, and the way other people will react to them.
What types of Personality Disorders are there?
- There are 10 Personality Disorders that are split into 3 Clusters.
- Cluster A includes Paranoid, Schizoid, and Schizotypal Personality Disorders, which share features of social awkwardness, social withdrawal and distorted thinking.
- Cluster B includes Borderline Personality Disorder, Narcissistic Personality Disorder, Histrionic Personality Disorder, and Antisocial Personality Disorder, which share problems with impulse control and emotional regulation.
- Cluster C includes Avoidant, Dependent, and Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorders, which share a high level of anxiety.
For more information
For information on symptoms of Cluster A disorders
For information on symptoms of Cluster B disorders
For information on symptoms of Cluster C disorders
What are the causes of Personality Disorders?
- There are 2 main factors that contribute to the development of a personality disorder.
- These are 1) biological factors, meaning people's genetic make-up and temperament, and 2) social and environmental factors, meaning people's life experiences, particularly early childhood experiences.
- These two areas interact in complex ways to influence the development of personality and therefore, a person's vulnerability to the development of a personality disorder.
- The influence of biology on behavior is often revealed in temperament, or the inborn personality disposition of a person. Some children are born with milder, calmer dispositions while others are more anxious and irritable.
- Traumatic or adverse childhood experiences have been identified as risk factors that increase the likelihood a personality disorder may develop. This can include physical, sexual, or emotional abuse and neglect, the death of a parent; the separation or divorce of parents; poor family communication; a harsh and controlling parenting style; or bullying.
What are the treatments for Personality Disorders?
- Research about the treatment of personality disorders is still somewhat beginning and most of what is known about the treatment of a specific personality disorder cannot be generalized or applied to all personality disorders.
- There is little, if any, research information on treatment of Paranoid Personality Disorder, Schizoid Personality Disorder, or Schizotypal Personality Disorder. People with these disorders tend to be distrustful and avoid relationships with others, which may prevent them from seeking treatment.
- Only a few studies have been conducted on treatment of Avoidant Personality Disorder. There is some indication that cognitive-behavioral therapy can be an effective treatment.
- There is very limited research on the treatment of Narcissistic Personality Disorder. It appears that they may benefit from psychotherapy, but the data also suggests that people with this disorder are extremely likely to drop out of treatment, which makes definite research answers difficult to obtain.
- For Antisocial Personality Disorder, the general recommendation is a treatment that combines medication and psychotherapy, particularly cognitive-behavioral therapy, but experts are guarded about the prognosis for the treatment of this disorder.
- There is a large amount of research on the treatment of Borderline Personality Disorder. The high rates of self-injury and other self-destructive behaviors, combined with chaotic interpersonal relationships may cause people with this disorder to seek treatment more frequently. There is sufficient research evidence to suggest that certain types of psychotherapy, particularly transference-focused psychotherapy, dialectical behavior therapy, and mentalization-based therapy are very effective in treating Borderline Personality Disorder.
- Medications are sometimes used in the treatment of personality disorders. They don't necessarily "cure" personality disorders, but can help with some symptoms that may interfere with, slow down, or disrupt treatment.
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Resources
Articles
- What is a Personality Disorder?
- Introduction to Personality Disorders
- What is Personality?
- Flexibility: The Key to a Healthy Personality
- Why Don't People Know They Have a Personality Disorder?
- The Definition of a Personality Disorder
- Defining Features of Personality Disorders: Distorted Thinking Patterns
- Examples of Personality Disorders With Distorted Thinking Patterns
- Defining Features of Personality Disorders: Problematic Emotional Response Patterns
- Defining Features of Personality Disorders: Impulse Control Problems
- The Most Significant, Defining Featured of Personality Disorders: Interpersonal Difficulties
- Interpersonal Difficulties Continued
- Summary of What is a Personality Disorder
- Treatment - Antisocial Personality Disorder
- Treatment - Borderline Personality Disorder
- Treatment - Dependent Personality Disorder
- Treatment - Histrionic Personality Disorder
- Treatment - Narcissistic Personality Disorder
- Treatment - Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder
- Treatment - Paranoid Personality Disorder
- Treatment - Schizoid Personality Disorder
- Treatment - Schizotypal Personality Disorder
- Treatment - Avoidant Personality Disorder
- Diagnosis of Personality Disorders
- The History of the Psychiatric Diagnostic System
- The History of the Psychiatric Diagnostic System Continued
- DSM-5: The Ten Personality Disorders: Cluster A
- DSM-5: The Ten Personality Disorders: Cluster B
- DSM-5 The Ten Personality Disorders: Cluster C
- Problems with the Diagnostic System for Personality Disorders
- Problems with the Current Diagnostic System Continued
- Alternative Diagnostic Models for Personality Disorders: The DSM-5 Dimensional Approach
- Alternative Diagnostic Models for Personality Disorders Continued
- Kernberg's Dimensional Approach: An Alternative Classification System
- The Dimension of Personality Organization
- The Three Levels of Personality Organization
- Linking Two Personality Dimensions Differentiates Personality Disorders
- Co-occurrence of Personality Disorders with Other Disorders
- Co-Occurence of Personality Disorders
- Co-Occurence of Personality Disorders Continued
- Why Do Personality Disorders Frequently Occur With Other Disorders?
- Causes of Personality Disorders
- What Causes Personality Disorders?
- Biological Factors Related to the Development of Personality Disorders (Nature)
- Early life Experiences and the Development of Personality Disorders (Nurture):
- The Bio-Psycho-Social Model of Human Behavior
- Object Relations Theory of Personality Disorders
- Object Relations Theory Continued
- Attachment Theory of Personality Disorder
- Attachment Theory Expanded: Mentalization
- Cognitive-Behavioral Theory of Personality Disorders
- Cognitive-Behavioral Theory Expanded: The Dialectical Behavioral Approach
- Cognitive-Behavioral Theory Expanded: Schema Theory
- Other Explanations of Personality Disorders: Structural Analysis of Social Behavior (SASB)
- Structural Analysis of Social Behavior (SASB) Continued
- Biological Explanations of Personality Disorder
- Biological Explanations Continued
- Treatment of Personality Disorders
- The Treatment of Personality Disorders
- Types of Treatment for Personality Disorders
- Transference Focused Psychotherapy (TFP) for Personality Disorders
- Transference Focused Psychotherapy (TFP) Continued
- Mentalization-Based Treatment (MBT) for Personality Disorders
- Mentalization-Based Treatment (MBT) Continued
- Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Personality Disorders (CBT)
- Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy Continued
- Dialectical Behavior Therapy for Personality Disorders (DBT)
- Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) Continued
- Schema Therapy for Personality Disorders
- Schema Therapy Continued
- Medications for Treating Personality Disorder
- Medication Treatments Continued
- Treatment complications: Co-occurring Disorders
- A Dual-Diagnosis Approach to Personality Disorder Treatment
- Personality Disorders Summary and Conclusion
- Personality Disorders References and Resources
- What is a Personality Disorder?
News
Links
Videos
- Rethinking BPD: A Clinician's View
- Rethinking BPD: A Patient's View
- NAMI's Ask the Doctor Call--Borderline Personality Disorder
- "Back From the Edge" - Borderline Personality Disorder
- What is Borderline Personality Disorder?
- Personality Disorders
- What is Antisocial Personality Disorder?
- What is Narcissistic Personality Disorder?
- Dependent Personality Disorder
- What is Paranoid Personality Disorder?
- 1 more
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