Personality disorder
Life Desk :
Personality disorders are a group of mental illnesses that involve long-term patterns of unhealthy thoughts and behaviors.
The behaviors can cause serious problems with relationships and work.
People who are affected by this have trouble in dealing with daily stress and problems. Also, they have stormy relationships with other people and often blame others for their problems. The cause of this problem is unknown. But, genes and childhood may exhibit a role.
Types of Personality Disorder
There are various types of personality disorders. As per the latest version of DSM-5, personality disorders are grouped into three main clusters based on similar characteristics and symptoms. Many people with one personality disorder may also have signs and symptoms of at least one additional type of personality disorder.
Cluster A:
Paranoid personality disorder
Schizoid personality disorder
Schizotypal personality disorder
Cluster B:
Antisocial personality disorder
Borderline personality disorder
Histrionic personality disorder
Narcissistic personality disorder
Cluster C:
Avoidant personality disorder
Dependent personality disorder
Obsessive-compulsive personality disorder.
What are the Causes of Personality Disorder?
Personality is a combination of thoughts, emotions and behaviors that makes one unique. Causes concerning personality disorders are not completely understood. However, it is thought that personality disorders may be due to:
Interaction of negative early life and genetic factors
Causes of Personality Disorder – Genetic Factors
Disruptions in attachment between parents and infants
Lack of positive caregiving in early childhood
People with borderline personality disorder may have high rates of childhood abuse, trauma or neglect.
What are the Symptoms of Personality Disorder?
Each kind of personality disorder has a list of unique symptoms and behaviors. Hallmark of personality disorder is long term and pervasive thought pattern, emotions and behaviors, which cause distress and interfere with the ability to cope in different areas of life. People have different kinds of personality disorder as below:
Cluster A: Characterized by “odd or eccentric” in thoughts or behaviors. It includes paranoid personality disorder, schizoid personality disorder and schizotypal personality disorder. For a disorder to be diagnosed, it’s not necessary to show all signs and symptoms.
Paranoid Personality Disorder: People with this type of disorder are often suspicious and mistrustful of others. Also, interpret other people’s motives as harmful and can be hostile or emotionally detached.
Schizoid Personality Disorder: It causes lack of interest in social relationships and unemotional response towards social interactions.
Schizotypal Personality Disorder: People with this type may have peculiar dress, thinking, beliefs, speech or behavior. May show flat emotions or inappropriate emotional responses, inadequate suspicious response to others and belief that certain casual incidents or events have hidden messages especially meant for them, and have trouble forming close relationships.
Schizotypal Personality Disorder
Cluster B: It is characterized as dramatic, over emotional or have unpredictable thinking or behavior. They are classified into antisocial personality disorder, borderline personality disorder, histrionic personality disorder and narcissistic personality disorder. For a disorder to be diagnosed, it’s not necessary to show all signs and symptoms listed.
Antisocial Personality Disorder: People with this disorder show- disregard for the law or for the rights of others with a lack of any guilt, repeated violation of others right, impulsive behavior, consistently irresponsible, aggressive or violent behavior, persistent lying, stealing, conning others.
Histrionic Personality Disorder: People with this disorder are constant attention seekers, highly dramatic and emotional or sexually proactive for gaining attention, speak dramatically with strong emotions, but lack facts and details to back up, easily influenced by others, shallow and rapidly changing emotions and excessively concerned about physical appearance.
Borderline Personality Disorder: Its main features include – impulsive and risky behavior like having unsafe sex, gambling or binge eating, unstable or fragile self-image, unstable and intense relationships, mood swings on reaction to interpersonal stress, suicidal behavior or threat for self-injury, frequent intent displays of anger, intense fear of being alone or abandoned and have ongoing feelings of emptiness.
Narcissistic Personality Disorder: People of this type exhibit – belief that they are special and more important than others, failure in recognizing others needs and feelings, exaggerate their achievements or talents, expect constant praise and admiration, are arrogant, often take advantage of others, envy of others or belief that others envy them.
Narcissistic Personality Disorder
Cluster C: Its general features include anxiousness and fearful thoughts and behavior. They are further classified as avoidant personality disorder, dependent personality disorder and obsessive-compulsive personality disorder. For a disorder to be diagnosed, it’s not necessary to show all signs and symptoms listed.
Avoidant Personality Disorder: People with this disorder are too sensitive to criticism or rejection, feel inadequate, inferior or unattractive, avoid work activities which require interpersonal contact, avoid new activities or meeting strangers, shy in social situations and interpersonal relationships, have fear of disapproval, embarrassment or ridicule
Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder: People with this disorder are preoccupied with details, orderliness and rules, extremely perfectionist, neglect friends and enjoyable activities for excessive commitment to work or project, rigid and stubborn, inflexible about morality, ethics or values, tight, miserly control over budget and spending money, inability to discard broken or worthless objects.
Dependent Personality Disorder: This is characterized by – excessive dependence on others and feeling the need to be taken care of, submissive or clingy behavior toward others, difficult starting or doing projects on own due to lack of self-confidence, and requiring too much advice and reassurance from others for making even small decisions, difficult in agreeing with others due to fear of disapproval, urgent need of starting new relationship on end of close one.
(To be continued)
Personality disorders are a group of mental illnesses that involve long-term patterns of unhealthy thoughts and behaviors.
The behaviors can cause serious problems with relationships and work.
People who are affected by this have trouble in dealing with daily stress and problems. Also, they have stormy relationships with other people and often blame others for their problems. The cause of this problem is unknown. But, genes and childhood may exhibit a role.
Types of Personality Disorder
There are various types of personality disorders. As per the latest version of DSM-5, personality disorders are grouped into three main clusters based on similar characteristics and symptoms. Many people with one personality disorder may also have signs and symptoms of at least one additional type of personality disorder.
Cluster A:
Paranoid personality disorder
Schizoid personality disorder
Schizotypal personality disorder
Cluster B:
Antisocial personality disorder
Borderline personality disorder
Histrionic personality disorder
Narcissistic personality disorder
Cluster C:
Avoidant personality disorder
Dependent personality disorder
Obsessive-compulsive personality disorder.
What are the Causes of Personality Disorder?
Personality is a combination of thoughts, emotions and behaviors that makes one unique. Causes concerning personality disorders are not completely understood. However, it is thought that personality disorders may be due to:
Interaction of negative early life and genetic factors
Causes of Personality Disorder – Genetic Factors
Disruptions in attachment between parents and infants
Lack of positive caregiving in early childhood
People with borderline personality disorder may have high rates of childhood abuse, trauma or neglect.
What are the Symptoms of Personality Disorder?
Each kind of personality disorder has a list of unique symptoms and behaviors. Hallmark of personality disorder is long term and pervasive thought pattern, emotions and behaviors, which cause distress and interfere with the ability to cope in different areas of life. People have different kinds of personality disorder as below:
Cluster A: Characterized by “odd or eccentric” in thoughts or behaviors. It includes paranoid personality disorder, schizoid personality disorder and schizotypal personality disorder. For a disorder to be diagnosed, it’s not necessary to show all signs and symptoms.
Paranoid Personality Disorder: People with this type of disorder are often suspicious and mistrustful of others. Also, interpret other people’s motives as harmful and can be hostile or emotionally detached.
Schizoid Personality Disorder: It causes lack of interest in social relationships and unemotional response towards social interactions.
Schizotypal Personality Disorder: People with this type may have peculiar dress, thinking, beliefs, speech or behavior. May show flat emotions or inappropriate emotional responses, inadequate suspicious response to others and belief that certain casual incidents or events have hidden messages especially meant for them, and have trouble forming close relationships.
Schizotypal Personality Disorder
Cluster B: It is characterized as dramatic, over emotional or have unpredictable thinking or behavior. They are classified into antisocial personality disorder, borderline personality disorder, histrionic personality disorder and narcissistic personality disorder. For a disorder to be diagnosed, it’s not necessary to show all signs and symptoms listed.
Antisocial Personality Disorder: People with this disorder show- disregard for the law or for the rights of others with a lack of any guilt, repeated violation of others right, impulsive behavior, consistently irresponsible, aggressive or violent behavior, persistent lying, stealing, conning others.
Histrionic Personality Disorder: People with this disorder are constant attention seekers, highly dramatic and emotional or sexually proactive for gaining attention, speak dramatically with strong emotions, but lack facts and details to back up, easily influenced by others, shallow and rapidly changing emotions and excessively concerned about physical appearance.
Borderline Personality Disorder: Its main features include – impulsive and risky behavior like having unsafe sex, gambling or binge eating, unstable or fragile self-image, unstable and intense relationships, mood swings on reaction to interpersonal stress, suicidal behavior or threat for self-injury, frequent intent displays of anger, intense fear of being alone or abandoned and have ongoing feelings of emptiness.
Narcissistic Personality Disorder: People of this type exhibit – belief that they are special and more important than others, failure in recognizing others needs and feelings, exaggerate their achievements or talents, expect constant praise and admiration, are arrogant, often take advantage of others, envy of others or belief that others envy them.
Narcissistic Personality Disorder
Cluster C: Its general features include anxiousness and fearful thoughts and behavior. They are further classified as avoidant personality disorder, dependent personality disorder and obsessive-compulsive personality disorder. For a disorder to be diagnosed, it’s not necessary to show all signs and symptoms listed.
Avoidant Personality Disorder: People with this disorder are too sensitive to criticism or rejection, feel inadequate, inferior or unattractive, avoid work activities which require interpersonal contact, avoid new activities or meeting strangers, shy in social situations and interpersonal relationships, have fear of disapproval, embarrassment or ridicule
Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder: People with this disorder are preoccupied with details, orderliness and rules, extremely perfectionist, neglect friends and enjoyable activities for excessive commitment to work or project, rigid and stubborn, inflexible about morality, ethics or values, tight, miserly control over budget and spending money, inability to discard broken or worthless objects.
Dependent Personality Disorder: This is characterized by – excessive dependence on others and feeling the need to be taken care of, submissive or clingy behavior toward others, difficult starting or doing projects on own due to lack of self-confidence, and requiring too much advice and reassurance from others for making even small decisions, difficult in agreeing with others due to fear of disapproval, urgent need of starting new relationship on end of close one.
(To be continued)
