Personality Disorders

A person with borderline personality disorder (one of the most common types) tends to have disturbed ways of thinking, impulsive behavior, and problems controlling their emotions.

They may have intense but unstable relationships and worry about people abandoning them.

A person with antisocial personality disorder will typically get easily frustrated and have difficulty controlling their anger.

They may blame other people for problems in their life, and be aggressive and violent, upsetting others with their behavior.

Someone with a personality disorder may also have other mental health problems, such as depression and substance abuse.

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.

There are 10 specific types of personality disorders. Personality disorders are long-term patterns of behavior and inner experiences that differ significantly from what is expected. The pattern of experience and behavior begins by late adolescence or early adulthood and causes distress or problems in functioning. Without treatment, personality disorders can be long-lasting. 

Currently psychiatrists tend to use a system of diagnosis that identifies ten types of personality disorder.

1. Suspicious

   1. Paranoid Personality Disorder

   2. Schizoid Personality Disorder
      

   3. Schizotypal Personality Disorder

   4. Antisocial Personality Disorder

2. Emotional & Impulsive

   1. Borderline Personality Disorder

   2. Narcissistic Personality Disorder

3. Anxious

   1. Avoidant Personality Disorder

   2. Dependent Personality Disorder

   3. Obsessive-compulsive Personality Disorder

Paranoid Personality Disorder

Paranoid personality disorder (PPD) is a type of eccentric personality disorder. An eccentric personality disorder means that the person’s behavior may seem odd or unusual to others. An individual with paranoid personality behavior is very suspicious of other people. They mistrust the motives of others and believe that others want to harm them. Additional hallmarks of this condition include being reluctant to confide in others, bearing grudges, and finding demeaning or threatening subtext in even the most innocent of comments or events. A person with PPD can be quick to feel anger and feel hostile toward others.PPD usually appears in early adulthood.

Someone with PPD may have other conditions that can feed into their PPD. For example, depression and anxiety can affect a person’s mood. Mood changes can make someone with PPD more likely to feel paranoid and isolated.

Other symptoms include:

• believing that others have hidden motives or are out to harm them

• doubting the loyalty of others

• being hypersensitive to criticism

• having trouble working with others

• being quick to become angry and hostile

• becoming detached or socially isolated

• being argumentative and defensive

• having trouble seeing their own problems

• having trouble relaxing

Schizoid Personality Disorder

Schizoid personality disorder is one of a group of conditions called "Cluster 'A' " or eccentric personality disorders. People with these disorders often appear odd or peculiar. People with schizoid personality disorder also tend to be distant, detached, and indifferent to social relationships. They generally are loners who prefer solitary activities and rarely express strong emotion. Although their names sound alike and they might have some similar symptoms, schizoid personality disorder is not the same thing as schizophrenia. Many people with schizoid personality disorder are able to function fairly well, although they tend to choose jobs that allow them to work alone, such as night security officers, library, or lab workers.

People with schizoid personality disorder often are reclusive, organizing their lives to avoid contact with other people. Many never marry or may continue to live with their parents as adults. Other common traits of people with this disorder include the following:

• They do not desire or enjoy close relationships, even with family members.

• They choose solitary jobs and activities.

• They take pleasure in few activities, including sex.

• They have no close friends, except first-degree relatives.

• They have difficulty relating to others.

• They are indifferent to praise or criticism.

• They are aloof and show little emotion.

• They might daydream and/or create vivid fantasies of complex inner lives

Schizotypal Personality Disorder

People with schizotypal personality disorder are often described as odd or eccentric and usually have few, if any, close relationships. They generally don't understand how relationships form or the impact of their behavior on others. They may also misinterpret others' motivations and behaviors and develop significant distrust of others.

These problems may lead to severe anxiety and a tendency to avoid social situations, as the person with schizotypal personality disorder tends to hold peculiar beliefs and may have difficulty with responding appropriately to social cues.

Schizotypal personality disorder typically is diagnosed in early adulthood and is likely to endure across the lifespan, though treatment, such as medications and therapy, can improve symptoms.

Schizotypal personality disorder typically includes five or more of these signs and symptoms:

• Being a loner and lacking close friends outside of the immediate family

• Flat emotions or limited or inappropriate emotional responses

• Persistent and excessive social anxiety

• Incorrect interpretation of events, such as a feeling that something that is actually harmless or inoffensive has a direct personal meaning

• Peculiar, eccentric or unusual thinking, beliefs or mannerisms

• Suspicious or paranoid thoughts and constant doubts about the loyalty of others

• Belief in special powers, such as mental telepathy or superstitions

• Unusual perceptions, such as sensing an absent person's presence or having illusions

• Dressing in peculiar ways, such as appearing unkempt or wearing oddly matched clothes

• Peculiar style of speech, such as vague or unusual patterns of speaking, or rambling oddly during conversations

Signs and symptoms of schizotypal personality disorder, such as increased interest in solitary activities or a high level of social anxiety, may be seen in the teen years. The child may be an underperformer in school or appear socially out of step with peers, which may result in teasing or bullying.

Antisocial Personality Disorder

Antisocial personality disorder is a particularly challenging type of personality disorder characterised by impulsive, irresponsible and often criminal behaviour. Someone with antisocial personality disorder will typically be manipulative, deceitful and reckless, and won't care for other people's feelings.

Like other types of personality disorder, antisocial personality disorder is on a spectrum, which means it can range in severity from occasional bad behaviour to repeatedly breaking the law and committing serious crimes.

A person with antisocial personality disorder may:

• exploit, manipulate or violate the rights of others

• lack concern, regret or remorse about other people's distress

• behave irresponsibly and show disregard for normal social behaviour

• have difficulty sustaining long-term relationships

• be unable to control their anger

• lack guilt, or not learn from their mistakes

• blame others for problems in their lives

• repeatedly break the law

A person with antisocial personality disorder will have a history of conduct disorder during childhood, such as truancy (not going to school), delinquency (for example, committing crimes or substance misuse), and other disruptive and aggressive behaviours.

Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) 

We can all experience difficulties with our relationships, self-image, and emotions. But you might get a diagnosis of BPD/EUPD if these feel consistently unstable or intense and cause you significant problems in daily life. feel very worried about people abandoning you, and either do anything to stop that happening or push them away have very intense emotions that can change quickly

Borderline personality disorder is an illness marked by an ongoing pattern of varying moods, self-image, and behavior. These symptoms often result in impulsive actions and problems in relationships. People with borderline personality disorder may experience intense episodes of anger, depression, and anxiety that can last from a few hours to days. People with borderline personality disorder may experience mood swings and display uncertainty about how they see themselves and their role in the world. As a result, their interests and values can change quickly.

People with borderline personality disorder also tend to view things in extremes, such as all good or all bad. Their opinions of other people can also change quickly. An individual who is seen as a friend one day may be considered an enemy or traitor the next. These shifting feelings can lead to intense and unstable relationships.

Other signs or symptoms may include:

• Efforts to avoid real or imagined abandonment, such as rapidly initiating intimate (physical or emotional) relationships or cutting off communication with someone in anticipation of being abandoned

• A pattern of intense and unstable relationships with family, friends, and loved ones, often swinging from extreme closeness and love (idealization) to extreme dislike or anger (devaluation)

• Distorted and unstable self-image or sense of self

• Impulsive and often dangerous behaviors, such as spending sprees, unsafe sex, substance abuse, reckless driving, and binge eating. Please note: If these behaviors occur primarily during a period of elevated mood or energy, they may be signs of a mood disorder—not borderline personality disorder

• Self-harming behavior, such as cutting

• Recurring thoughts of suicidal behaviors or threats

• Intense and highly changeable moods, with each episode lasting from a few hours to a few days

• Chronic feelings of emptiness

• Inappropriate, intense anger or problems controlling anger

• Difficulty trusting, which is sometimes accompanied by irrational fear of other people’s intentions

• Feelings of dissociation, such as feeling cut off from oneself, seeing oneself from outside one’s body, or feelings of unreality

Histrionic Personality Disorder

Most people enjoy being given compliments or positive feedback about their actions. But if you depend very heavily on being noticed, or are seeking approval so much that this affects your day-to-day living, you might get a diagnosis of histrionic personality disorder.

Histrionic personality disorder is one of a group of conditions called "Cluster B" or "dramatic" personality disorders. People with these disorders have intense, unstable emotions and distorted self-images. For people with histrionic personality disorder, their self-esteem depends on the approval of others and does not arise from a true feeling of self-worth. They have an overwhelming desire to be noticed, and often behave dramatically or inappropriately to get attention. The word histrionic means "dramatic or theatrical."

This disorder is more common in women than in men and usually is evident by adolescence or early adulthood.

In many cases, people with histrionic personality disorder have good social skills; however, they tend to use these skills to manipulate others so that they can be the center of attention.

A person with this disorder might also:

• Be uncomfortable unless he or she is the center of attention

• Dress provocatively and/or exhibit inappropriately seductive or flirtatious behavior

• Shift emotions rapidly

• Act very dramatically, as though performing before an audience, with exaggerated emotions and expressions, yet appears to lack sincerity

• Be overly concerned with physical appearance

• Constantly seek reassurance or approval

• Be gullible and easily influenced by others

• Be excessively sensitive to criticism or disapproval

• Have a low tolerance for frustration and be easily bored by routine, often beginning projects without finishing them or skipping from one event to another

• Not think before acting

• Make rash decisions

• Be self-centered and rarely show concern for others

• Have difficulty maintaining relationships, often seeming fake or shallow in their dealings with others

Threaten or attempt suicide to get attention

Narcissistic Personality Disorder

It is human nature to be aware of our own needs, to express them, and to want others to be aware of our abilities and achievements. These are not bad traits. However, if these thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are very extreme and cause problems in relating to others, you may get a diagnosis of narcissistic personality disorder.

The word narcissism gets tossed around a lot in our selfie-obsessed, celebrity-driven culture, often to describe someone who seems excessively vain or full of themselves. But in psychological terms, narcissism doesn’t mean self-love—at least not of a genuine sort. It’s more accurate to say that people with narcissistic personality disorder (NPD) are in love with an idealized, grandiose image of themselves. And they’re in love with this inflated self-image precisely because it allows them to avoid deep feelings of insecurity. But propping up their delusions of grandeur takes a lot of work—and that’s where the dysfunctional attitudes and behaviors come in.

Narcissistic personality disorder involves a pattern of self-centered, arrogant thinking and behavior, a lack of empathy and consideration for other people, and an excessive need for admiration. Others often describe people with NPD as cocky, manipulative, selfish, patronizing, and demanding. This way of thinking and behaving surfaces in every area of the narcissist’s life: from work and friendships to family and love relationships.

People with narcissistic personality disorder are extremely resistant to changing their behavior, even when it’s causing them problems. Their tendency is to turn the blame on to others. What’s more, they are extremely sensitive and react badly to even the slightest criticisms, disagreements, or perceived slights, which they view as personal attacks. For the people in the narcissist’s life, it’s often easier just to go along with their demands to avoid the coldness and rages. However, by understanding more about narcissistic personality disorder, you can spot the narcissists in your life, protect yourself from their power plays, and establish healthier boundaries.

Avoidant Personality Disorder

We all have things, places or people we don't like, or which make us anxious. But if these things cause so much anxiety that you struggle to maintain relationships in your life, you may get a diagnosis of avoidant personality disorder (sometimes also called anxious personality disorder).

Avoidant personality disorder (AVPD) is an enduring pattern of behavior related to social inhibition, feelings of inadequacy, and sensitivity to rejection that causes problems in work situations and relationships.

AVPD is often associated with other mental health conditions like anxiety disorders and social phobia. People with the disorder show a pattern of avoidance due to fear of rejection or disapproval, which they experience as extremely painful. The disorder affects about two and one-half percent of the population, with roughly equal numbers of men and women being afflicted.

The following is a list of common symptoms associated with avoidant personality disorder:

• Social inhibition

• Feelings of inadequacy

• Hypersensitivity to negative evaluation

• Anxiety about saying or doing the wrong thing

• A need to be well-liked1

• Avoiding situations due to fear of rejection

• Avoiding intimate relationships or sharing intimate feelings

• Avoiding social situations or events

• Avoiding interaction in work settings or turning down promotions

• Avoiding conflict (being a "people-pleaser")

• Low self-esteem1

• Lack of assertiveness

• Extreme self-consciousness

• Viewing oneself as socially inept or inferior3

• Lack of trust in others

• Self-isolation2

• Failure to initiate social contact

• Anhedonia (lack of pleasure in activities)

• Anxiety in social situations

• Avoiding making decisions

• Vigilant for signs of disapproval or rejection

• Easily hurt by criticism or disapproval

• No close friends/lacking a social network

• Unwilling to take risks or try new things

• Fearful and tense demeanor

• Misinterpreting neutral situations as negative

Dependent Personality Disorder

It is natural to need other people to care for us or give us reassurance sometimes. A healthy balance involves being able to both depend on others as well as being independent from others sometimes. However, if feelings and thoughts about needing others become so overwhelming that they impact your daily life and relationships, you may get a diagnosis of dependent personality disorder.

Dependent personality disorder (DPD) is one of the most frequently diagnosed personality disorders. It occurs equally in men and women, usually becoming apparent in young adulthood or later as important adult relationships form.

People with DPD become emotionally overdependent on other people and spend great effort trying to please others. People with DPD tend to display needy, passive, and clinging behavior, and have a fear of separation. Other common characteristics of this personality disorder include:

• Inability to make decisions, even everyday decisions like what to wear, without the advice and reassurance of others

• Avoidance of adult responsibilities by acting passive and helpless; dependence on a spouse or friend to make decisions like where to work and live

• Intense fear of abandonment and a sense of devastation or helplessness when relationships end; a person with DPD often moves right into another relationship when one ends.

• Oversensitivity to criticism

• Pessimism and lack of self-confidence, including a belief that they are unable to care for themselves

• Avoidance of disagreeing with others for fear of losing support or approval

• Inability to start projects or tasks because of a lack of self-confidence

• Difficulty being alone

• Willingness to tolerate mistreatment and abuse from others

• Placing the needs of their caregivers above their own

• Tendency to be naive and to fantasize

Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder (OCPD)

Obsessive-compulsive personality disorder (OCPD) is separate from obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), which describes a form of behavior rather than a type of personality.

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a common, chronic, and long-lasting disorder in which a person has uncontrollable, reoccurring thoughts (obsessions) and/or behaviors (compulsions) that he or she feels the urge to repeat over and over.

People with OCD may have symptoms of obsessions, compulsions, or both. These symptoms can interfere with all aspects of life, such as work, school, and personal relationships.

Obsessions are repeated thoughts, urges, or mental images that cause anxiety. Common symptoms include:

• Fear of germs or contamination

• Unwanted forbidden or taboo thoughts involving sex, religion, or harm

• Aggressive thoughts towards others or self

• Having things symmetrical or in a perfect order

Compulsions are repetitive behaviors that a person with OCD feels the urge to do in response to an obsessive thought. Common compulsions include:

• Excessive cleaning and/or handwashing

• Ordering and arranging things in a particular, precise way

• Repeatedly checking on things, such as repeatedly checking to see if the door is locked or that the oven is off

• Compulsive counting

Not all rituals or habits are compulsions. Everyone double checks things sometimes. But a person with OCD generally:

• Can't control his or her thoughts or behaviors, even when those thoughts or behaviors are recognized as excessive

• Spends at least 1 hour a day on these thoughts or behaviors

• Doesn’t get pleasure when performing the behaviors or rituals, but may feel brief relief from the anxiety the thoughts cause

• Experiences significant problems in their daily life due to these thoughts or behaviors

Some individuals with OCD also have a tic disorder. Motor tics are sudden, brief, repetitive movements, such as eye blinking and other eye movements, facial grimacing, shoulder shrugging, and head or shoulder jerking. Common vocal tics include repetitive throat-clearing, sniffing, or grunting sounds.

However, similarly to OCD, OCPD involves problems with perfectionism, the need for control, and significant difficulty being flexible in how you think about things.

Research suggests that genetics, abuse and other factors contribute to the development of obsessive-compulsive, narcissistic, or other personality disorders. Even a single strong relationship with a relative, teacher or friend can offset negative influences, say, psychologists.