Personality Disorder

By theguideto

Personality disorders are mental disorders that greatly affect a person’s behavior, performance at school and work, social life, and general well-being. People who suffer from personality disorders often have a distorted self-image and perception of society, difficulty establishing interpersonal relationships, difficulty expressing appropriate emotions and problems in controlling impulses.

All personality disorders vary in degree and symptoms. While some people lead productive and happy lives with a mental disorder, some patients are confined to mental health institutions or committed to lifelong medications like antidepressants, and other drugs prescribed by their psychiatrists.

Kinds of Personality Disorders

There are ten kinds of personality disorders defined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders (DSV-IV-TR). They are:

Odd or eccentric disorders (Cluster A)

Paranoid personality disorder: suspiciousness and mistrust of other people
Schizoid personality disorder: apathy, indifference, and near-total lack of empathy
Schizotypal personality disorder: odd behavior and ideas, a tendency towards solitude

Dramatic, emotional or erratic disorders (Cluster B)

Antisocial personality disorder: disregard for the welfare and well-being of others
Borderline personality disorder: a long-term personality disorder characterized by other personality disorders
Histrionic personality disorder: extremely high emotionality and demand for attention
Narcissistic personality disorder: extreme self-confidence

Anxious or fearful disorders (Cluster C)

Avoidant personality disorder: extreme feelings of inadequacy and social inhibition
Dependent personality disorder: pervasive need for other people and an inability to live an independent life
Obsessive-compulsive personality disorder: rigid adherence to rules, orderliness, and morality

Symptoms and Causes

For an individual to be diagnosed with a personality disorder, he or she must have behavior that is deviant from the norms and rules of acceptable behavior of society. This behavioral pattern must be rigid and inflexible, and it should interfere with his or her roles and responsibilities in society. For a behavioral pattern to be considered a personality disorder, it should not be caused by a physical injury (like a blow to the head or an accident) or by substance abuse.

Causes for personality disorders vary. Most of the time, personality disorders develop from childhood experiences like neglect, shame, physical and emotional abuse. Patients with personality disorders generally do not suffer from symptoms consistent with psychosis, like hallucinations, disorganized thoughts, or delusions.

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Personality Disorder

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