Personality Disorders
Each of us has a unique personality - the result of both biology (genes) and life experiences. Your personality develops over many years. It's a crucial part of who you are and how you interact with others.
Your personality helps to define how you see yourself. It also helps shape how you see the world, the people in it, your experiences and the people in your life.
A Personality Disorder (PD) is a type of mental illness in which your way of thinking, of seeing the world, understanding your experiences and relating to other people is dysfunctional. Living with a personality disorder causes a lot of stress for you and the people in your life.
A person with PD copes with people and situations in ways that undermine their success. These traits or symptoms may be mild, moderate or severe. A person with mild characteristics of PD can live with little or no negative consequences. Stressful situations can make the negative coping skills more pronounced. This interferes with a person’s emotional and/or mental health and overall well-being.
A person with PD may have difficulties with:
- Self image
- Relationships with friends, family, partners and co-workers
- Showing an appropriate range of emotion
- How they see other people
- How they understand situations and experience the world
- Impulse control
Symptoms of Personality Disorders
- Difficulty getting along with other people. May be irritable, demanding, hostile, fearful or manipulative.
- Patterns of behaviour deviate markedly from society's expectations and remain consistent over time.
- Disorder affects thought, emotion, interpersonal relationships and impulse control.
- The pattern is inflexible and occurs across a broad range of situations.
- Pattern is stable or of long duration, beginning in childhood or adolescence.
Types of Personality Disorders
Personality disorders based on similar traits are grouped into three “clusters”. The PDs in each cluster represent patterns of traits that are similar to one another. Within the clusters, each PD has a trait that is unique.
Any or all of us might display some of these traits at some point in our lives. It’s the severity of these traits, and the number of them being displayed at the same time, that defines a personality disorder.
Cluster "A” PDs are characterized by odd, eccentric thinking or behaviour.
- Paranoid PD. A person with this PD consistently mistrusts others. They believe people around them want to harm them.
- Schizoid PD. A person with this PD finds is difficult to relate to other people. They have a limited range of emotional expression.
- Schizotypal PD A person with this PD is very uncomfortable with close interpersonal relationships. They also have odd or distorted thoughts, beliefs and perceptions.
Cluster "B” PDs are characterized by people who are highly emotional or dramatic. They tend to react impulsively.
- Antisocial PD. A person with this PD consistently ignores and violates the rights of other people
- Borderline PD. A person with this PD has a pattern of forming unstable relationships, intense changes in mood, unstable self image, high anxiety, chronic worry, intense panic, and impulsive behaviour.
- Histrionic PD. A person with this PD is always dramatic and highly emotional, particularly in social situations.
- Narcissistic PD. A person with this PD feels overly important. They need a great deal of admiration, and shows no empathy for others.
Cluster "C” PDs are characterized by anxious, fearful, and cautious thinking or behaviour.
- Avoidant PD. A person with this PD is extremely shy, feels consistently inadequate, and is extremely sensitive to criticism.
- Dependant PD: A person with this PD always needs to be directed to make decisions, clings to others, and has an extreme need to be taken care of by others.
- Obsessive-Compulsive PD: A person with this PD needs things to be orderly. They have an extreme need to be in control.
Causes of PDs
The origins of PDs vary greatly depending on the specific one. In general, however, there are many elements that contribute to the development of a PD.
These include:
- Early life experiences (e.g. childhoood trauma)
- Learned behaviour
- Social environment
- Biology
- Genetics
For example, the combination of traumatic life experiences such as neglect or abuse, along with genetic factors may make some people more likely to develop a PD.
Treatment
Treatment of a PD depends on the type of PD, its severity and a person’s life situation. There is some evidence that treatment can help reduce the stress caused by the symptoms of a PD. Identifying and reducing the intensity of the symptoms can have a significantly improve a person’s quality of life.
Depending on the PD, a combination of individual or group psychotherapy, along with medication can be helpful in some cases. The greatest hurdle in treating a person with a PD can be their lack of insight into their difficulty relating to others. As a result, establishing a therapeutic relationship with a mental health professional can often be quite difficult for them. This can reduce their chances of getting effective treatment. In addition, treatment of a PD can be labour and time intensive for both patient and professional. That can make it difficult for both therapist and patient to make the commitment.
Sources:
The Diagnositc Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV). American Psychiatric Publishing, Inc.; 4th Edition, (2000).
The Mayo Clinic
Psych Central
Personality Disorders
Each of us has a unique personality - the result of both biology (genes) and life experiences. Your personality develops over many years. It's a crucial part of who you are and how you interact with others.
Your personality helps to define how you see yourself. It also helps shape how you see the world, the people in it, your experiences and the people in your life.
A Personality Disorder (PD) is a type of mental illness in which your way of thinking, of seeing the world, understanding your experiences and relating to other people is dysfunctional. Living with a personality disorder causes a lot of stress for you and the people in your life.
A person with PD copes with people and situations in ways that undermine their success. These traits or symptoms may be mild, moderate or severe. A person with mild characteristics of PD can live with little or no negative consequences. Stressful situations can make the negative coping skills more pronounced. This interferes with a person’s emotional and/or mental health and overall well-being.
A person with PD may have difficulties with:
- Self image
- Relationships with friends, family, partners and co-workers
- Showing an appropriate range of emotion
- How they see other people
- How they understand situations and experience the world
- Impulse control
Symptoms of Personality Disorders
- Difficulty getting along with other people. May be irritable, demanding, hostile, fearful or manipulative.
- Patterns of behaviour deviate markedly from society's expectations and remain consistent over time.
- Disorder affects thought, emotion, interpersonal relationships and impulse control.
- The pattern is inflexible and occurs across a broad range of situations.
- Pattern is stable or of long duration, beginning in childhood or adolescence.
Types of Personality Disorders
Personality disorders based on similar traits are grouped into three “clusters”. The PDs in each cluster represent patterns of traits that are similar to one another. Within the clusters, each PD has a trait that is unique.
Any or all of us might display some of these traits at some point in our lives. It’s the severity of these traits, and the number of them being displayed at the same time, that defines a personality disorder.
Cluster "A” PDs are characterized by odd, eccentric thinking or behaviour.
- Paranoid PD. A person with this PD consistently mistrusts others. They believe people around them want to harm them.
- Schizoid PD. A person with this PD finds is difficult to relate to other people. They have a limited range of emotional expression.
- Schizotypal PD A person with this PD is very uncomfortable with close interpersonal relationships. They also have odd or distorted thoughts, beliefs and perceptions.
Cluster "B” PDs are characterized by people who are highly emotional or dramatic. They tend to react impulsively.
- Antisocial PD. A person with this PD consistently ignores and violates the rights of other people
- Borderline PD. A person with this PD has a pattern of forming unstable relationships, intense changes in mood, unstable self image, high anxiety, chronic worry, intense panic, and impulsive behaviour.
- Histrionic PD. A person with this PD is always dramatic and highly emotional, particularly in social situations.
- Narcissistic PD. A person with this PD feels overly important. They need a great deal of admiration, and shows no empathy for others.
Cluster "C” PDs are characterized by anxious, fearful, and cautious thinking or behaviour.
- Avoidant PD. A person with this PD is extremely shy, feels consistently inadequate, and is extremely sensitive to criticism.
- Dependant PD: A person with this PD always needs to be directed to make decisions, clings to others, and has an extreme need to be taken care of by others.
- Obsessive-Compulsive PD: A person with this PD needs things to be orderly. They have an extreme need to be in control.
Causes of PDs
The origins of PDs vary greatly depending on the specific one. In general, however, there are many elements that contribute to the development of a PD.
These include:
- Early life experiences (e.g. childhoood trauma)
- Learned behaviour
- Social environment
- Biology
- Genetics
For example, the combination of traumatic life experiences such as neglect or abuse, along with genetic factors may make some people more likely to develop a PD.
Treatment
Treatment of a PD depends on the type of PD, its severity and a person’s life situation. There is some evidence that treatment can help reduce the stress caused by the symptoms of a PD. Identifying and reducing the intensity of the symptoms can have a significantly improve a person’s quality of life.
Depending on the PD, a combination of individual or group psychotherapy, along with medication can be helpful in some cases. The greatest hurdle in treating a person with a PD can be their lack of insight into their difficulty relating to others. As a result, establishing a therapeutic relationship with a mental health professional can often be quite difficult for them. This can reduce their chances of getting effective treatment. In addition, treatment of a PD can be labour and time intensive for both patient and professional. That can make it difficult for both therapist and patient to make the commitment.
Sources:
The Diagnositc Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV). American Psychiatric Publishing, Inc.; 4th Edition, (2000).
The Mayo Clinic
Psych Central