Personality Disorders

 

 

Personality Disorders

Ed Geraty LCSW-C

INSITEintegrative.com

 

Personality Disorders are long-standing patterns of thinking and behavior that lead to problems in interpersonal relationships and may cause impairment or distress in the person with the disorder.

A personality disorder may reflect a potentially disruptive combination of personality traits, such as low agreeableness or high narcissism, that make it more difficult for someone to get along smoothly with others in life or dispose the person to treat others poorly. In practice, however, personality disorders are typically defined in terms of sets of signs and symptoms that reflect the harm or difficulty stemming from a person’s way of being. The hallmark of a personality disorder seems to be that the individual cannot see these thoughts, emotions, and behaviors in themselves. There is generally an inability to be able to be self aware (see these aspects of themselves). 

What is the difference between personality disorder and personality trait?

The main difference between a personality trait and a personality disorder is one of severity and consistency. A personality trait is a habitual pattern of thinking, feeling, and behaving. You might consistently have this trait, but it might not affect all of your life, and it is possible that it will change. An example is a trait of introversion.

Personality traits can, to some degree, be changed. Personality traits like being outgoing for example are a little more plastic, meaning that a person could be aware that they are outgoing and that is unlikely but could change over time,  But personality disorders, on the other hand, are more established.

Everyone has some of these personality traits to some degree. The question is the degree of severity and consistency and how much these ways of thinking, feeling and acting control your life.

After reading about each of these personality disorders, rate each on them on degree of severity and consistency between 1 (none) and 10 (all the time). Which have the highest scores? This is not a definitive assessment but simply food for thought.

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders includes 10 personality disorders, grouped into three clusters.

Paranoid,

Schizotypal

Schizoid

Antisocial

 Borderline

 Histrionic

Narcissistic

Avoidant

 Dependent

Obsessive-Compulsive

 

Cluster A: Paranoid, Schizoid, and Schizotypal Personality Disorders

Cluster A personality disorders are characterized by odd or eccentric patterns of thinking. These may include persistent suspiciousness of or disinterest in other people or strange beliefs that are not better attributed to a psychotic disorder such as schizophrenia.

 

What is Paranoid Personality Disorder?

Paranoid Personality Disorder involves a distrust of other people in various areas of one’s life. Potential signs include irrational suspicions that one is being manipulated by others, that others are untrustworthy, or that others are communicating hidden threats or insults. Rate 1 to 10  ______

 

What is Schizoid Personality Disorder?

Schizoid Personality Disorder is a pattern of detachment from social relationships in general and limited emotional expression in social settings. It may involve a lack of desire for close relationships, an overwhelming preference for solitude, or a lack of apparent concern about others’ praise or criticism. . Rate 1 to 10  ______

 

What is Schizotypal Personality Disorder?

Schizotypal Personality Disorder involves a discomfort with and limited capacity for having close relationships along with cognitive or perceptual abnormalities—which may include magical beliefs (such as in telepathy) that influence behavior, false beliefs that events are directly related to them, or social anxiety due to paranoid fears. Rate 1 to 10  ______

 

Cluster B: Antisocial, Borderline, Histrionic, and Narcissistic Personality Disorders

Cluster B personality disorders are marked by unstable emotional states and erratic behavior. For those with such disorders, the propensity to lash out or to try to manipulate others, along with other behaviors, can cause major disruption in interpersonal relationships.

 

What is Antisocial Personality Disorder?

Antisocial Personality Disorder is a pattern of disregard for others’ rights, which can show up in behaviors such as repeated criminal activity, fighting, or lying, a tendency to act impulsively and failure to plan ahead, and a lack of remorse. Psychopathy and sociopathy, while not defined in exactly the same way, are related personality concepts. Rate 1 to 10  ______

 

What is Borderline Personality Disorder?

Borderline Personality Disorder is defined by instability in a person’s relationships, sense of self, and emotional state, as well as impulsivity (such as in risky sexual behavior or drug use). People with this disorder may have a history of troubled relationships and swing between extreme positive and negative views of other people.  Rate 1 to 10  ______

 

What is Histrionic Personality Disorder?

Histrionic Personality Disorder is marked by excessive attention-seeking and emotional expression. This may involve inappropriate, provocative behavior, theatricality, and a discomfort with not being the focus of attention.  Rate 1 to 10  ______

 

What is Narcissistic Personality Disorder?

Someone with Narcissistic Personality Disorder shows, in a variety of areas of life, a grandiose sense of self and need for admiration, along with a lack of empathy. It may involve arrogant behavior, exploitativeness, and a belief that one deserves special treatment. Though defined differently, it is related to the personality trait of narcissism. Rate 1 to 10  ______

 

Cluster C: Avoidant, Dependent, and Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorders

Cluster C personality disorders involve ingrained ways of thinking and relating to others that are colored by anxiety and fear.

 

What is Avoidant Personality Disorder?

Someone with Avoidant Personality Disorder tends to resist getting close to other people (which can include romantic partners) and fears the negative evaluations of others. The potential for rejection or embarrassment and perceived inadequacy may be frequent concerns.  Rate 1 to 10  ______

 

What is Dependent Personality Disorder?

Dependent Personality Disorder involves an excessive need to be taken care of by others—to have others make decisions or assume responsibility, for example—that leads to fear of separation. Someone with this disorder may struggle to disagree with a partner or act in a submissive way so as not to jeopardize a relationship.  Rate 1 to 10  ______

 

What is Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder?

Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder is marked by perfectionism and a demand for order and control, which can manifest in a counterproductive fixation on rules and details and a devotion to work that crowds out other parts of one’s life. It is distinct from obsessive-compulsive disorder, which is not a personality disorder.  Rate 1 to 10  ______

 

Highest scores __________________________________________   lowest scores __________________________________________________