Personality Disorders

Prepared by: Chilou Benitez

Overview
• A personality disorder is a type of mental disorder in which you have a
rigid and unhealthy pattern of thinking, functioning and behaving. A person
with a personality disorder has trouble perceiving and relating to situations
and people. This causes significant problems and limitations in
relationships, social activities, work and school.

• In some cases, you may not realize that you have a personality disorder
because your way of thinking and behaving seems natural to you. And you
may blame others for the challenges you face.

• Personality disorders usually begin in the teenage years or early adulthood.

There are many types of personality disorders. Some types may become
less obvious throughout middle age.
Causes of Personality Disorder
• Personality is the combination of thoughts, emotions and behaviors that
makes a person unique. It's the way you view, understand and relate to the
outside world, as well as how you see yourself. Personality forms during
childhood, shaped through an interaction of:

• Genes. Certain personality traits may be passed on to the person by his or her
parents through inherited genes. These traits are sometimes called temperament.
• Environment. This involves the surroundings the person grew up in, events that
occurred, and relationships with family members and others.

• Personality disorders are thought to be caused by a combination of these

genetic and environmental influences. A person’s genes may make him or
her vulnerable to developing a personality disorder, and a life situation may
trigger the actual development.
Symptoms
• Types of personality disorders are grouped into three clusters, based
on similar characteristics and symptoms. Many people with one
personality disorder also have signs and symptoms of at least one
additional personality disorder. It's not necessary to exhibit all the
signs and symptoms listed for a disorder to be diagnosed.
Three Clusters of Personality Disorder
• Cluster A Personality Disorder
• Paranoid Personality Disorder
• Schizoid Personality Disorder
• Schizotypal Personality Disorder
• Cluster B Personality Disorder
• Antisocial Personality Disorder
• Borderline Personality Disorder
• Histrionic Personality Disorder
• Narcissistic Personality Disorder
• Cluster C Personality Disorder
• Avoidant Personality Disorder
• Dependent Personality Disorder
• Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder
Cluster A Personality
Disorders
Cluster A Personality Disorders
• Cluster A personality disorders are characterized by odd, eccentric
thinking or behavior. They include paranoid personality disorder,
schizoid personality disorder and schizotypal personality disorder.
Cluster A: Paranoid Personality Disorder
• Pervasive distrust and suspicion of others and their motives
• Unjustified belief that others are trying to harm or deceive you
• Unjustified suspicion of the loyalty or trustworthiness of others
• Hesitancy to confide in others due to unreasonable fear that others will use
the information against you
• Perception of innocent remarks or nonthreatening situations as personal
insults or attacks
• Angry or hostile reaction to perceived slights or insults
• Tendency to hold grudges
• Unjustified, recurrent suspicion that spouse or sexual partner is unfaithful
Cluster A: Schizoid Personality Disorder
• Lack of interest in social or personal relationships, preferring to be
alone
• Limited range of emotional expression
• Inability to take pleasure in most activities
• Inability to pick up normal social cues
• Appearance of being cold or indifferent to others
• Little or no interest in having sex with another person
Cluster A: Schizotypal Personality Disorder
• Peculiar dress, thinking, beliefs, speech or behavior
• Odd perceptual experiences, such as hearing a voice whisper your
name
• Flat emotions or inappropriate emotional responses
• Social anxiety and a lack of or discomfort with close relationships
• Indifferent, inappropriate or suspicious response to others
• "Magical thinking" — believing you can influence people and events
with your thoughts
• Belief that certain casual incidents or events have hidden messages
meant only for you
Cluster B Personality
Disorders
Cluster B Personality Disorders
• Cluster B personality disorders are characterized by dramatic, overly
emotional or unpredictable thinking or behavior. They include
antisocial personality disorder, borderline personality disorder,
histrionic personality disorder and narcissistic personality disorder.
Cluster B: Antisocial Personality Disorder
• Disregard for others' needs or feelings
• Persistent lying, stealing, using aliases, conning others
• Recurring problems with the law
• Repeated violation of the rights of others
• Aggressive, often violent behavior
• Disregard for the safety of self or others
• Impulsive behavior
• Consistently irresponsible
• Lack of remorse for behavior
Cluster B: Borderline Personality Disorder
• Impulsive and risky behavior, such as having unsafe sex, gambling or binge
eating
• Unstable or fragile self-image
• Unstable and intense relationships
• Up and down moods, often as a reaction to interpersonal stress
• Suicidal behavior or threats of self-injury
• Intense fear of being alone or abandoned
• Ongoing feelings of emptiness
• Frequent, intense displays of anger
• Stress-related paranoia that comes and goes
Cluster B: Histrionic Personality Disorder
• Constantly seeking attention
• Excessively emotional, dramatic or sexually provocative to gain
attention
• Speaks dramatically with strong opinions, but few facts or details to
back them up
• Easily influenced by others
• Shallow, rapidly changing emotions
• Excessive concern with physical appearance
• Thinks relationships with others are closer than they really are
Cluster B: Narcissistic Personality Disorder
• Belief that you're special and more important than others
• Fantasies about power, success and attractiveness
• Failure to recognize others' needs and feelings
• Exaggeration of achievements or talents
• Expectation of constant praise and admiration
• Arrogance
• Unreasonable expectations of favors and advantages, often taking
advantage of others
• Envy of others or belief that others envy you
Cluster C Personality
Disorders
Cluster C Personality Disorder
• Cluster C personality disorders are characterized by anxious, fearful
thinking or behavior. They include avoidant personality disorder,
dependent personality disorder and obsessive-compulsive personality
disorder.
Cluster C: Avoidant Personality Disorder
• Too sensitive to criticism or rejection
• Feeling inadequate, inferior or unattractive
• Avoidance of work activities that require interpersonal contact
• Socially inhibited, timid and isolated, avoiding new activities or
meeting strangers
• Extreme shyness in social situations and personal relationships
• Fear of disapproval, embarrassment or ridicule
Cluster C: Dependent Personality Disorder
• Excessive dependence on others and feeling the need to be taken care of
• Submissive or clingy behavior toward others
• Fear of having to provide self-care or fend for yourself if left alone
• Lack of self-confidence, requiring excessive advice and reassurance from
others to make even small decisions
• Difficulty starting or doing projects on your own due to lack of self-
confidence
• Difficulty disagreeing with others, fearing disapproval
• Tolerance of poor or abusive treatment, even when other options are
available
• Urgent need to start a new relationship when a close one has ended
Cluster C: Obsessive-compulsive
Personality Disorder
• Preoccupation with details, orderliness and rules
• Extreme perfectionism, resulting in dysfunction and distress when
perfection is not achieved, such as feeling unable to finish a project
because you don't meet your own strict standards
• Desire to be in control of people, tasks and situations, and inability to
delegate tasks
• Neglect of friends and enjoyable activities because of excessive
commitment to work or a project
• Inability to discard broken or worthless objects
• Rigid and stubborn
• Inflexible about morality, ethics or values
• Tight, miserly control over budgeting and spending money
When to seek help
• If a person have any signs or symptoms of a personality disorder, they
need to see a doctor(psychiatrist) or other primary care professional
or a mental health professional. Untreated, personality disorders can
cause significant problems in one’s life that may get worse without
treatment.
Risk Factors
• Although the precise cause of personality disorders is not known,
certain factors seem to increase the risk of developing or triggering
personality disorders, including:
• Family history of personality disorders or other mental illness
• Abusive, unstable or chaotic family life during childhood
• Being diagnosed with childhood conduct disorder
• Variations in brain chemistry and structure
Complications
• Personality disorders can significantly disrupt the lives of both the
affected person and those who care about that person. Personality
disorders may cause problems with relationships, work or school, and
can lead to social isolation or alcohol or drug abuse.
See the person. Not the illness.
Mental Health Matters.