Talk to a specialist from the comfort of home.
The difference between a personality disorder and a normal response to a situation is the intensity of the response.
Talk to a specialist from the comfort of home.
The difference between a personality disorder and a normal response to a situation is the intensity of the response.
What is Personality Disorder?
Our characteristics, traits, and coping mechanisms help us develop patterns that we use to interact with our social environment. These patterns constitute a large part of one’s personality. As we grow into adults, our personality becomes more aligned with the demands and expectations of our society. But some of us may have trouble taking up the roles society expects us to take. When someone’s personality becomes inflexible and they are unable to change it, they are said to have a personality disorder.
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Personality Disorders
Personality disorders used to be known as character disorders and are a form of brain disorder where the person experiences chronic difficulties with their thoughts and perceptions. The behavior of individuals with personality disorders is often confusing, unpredictable, exasperating, and unacceptable to others.
Those suffering from personality disorders do not realize that they are suffering from a disorder. It’s also quite common for people to not change their behavior. For instance, if a person loses a close relationship because of their sense of “superiority” and condescending manner, they may be suffering from Narcissistic Personality Disorder. They would feel no remorse or apprehension about their actions and would most likely lose more opportunities and relationships.
The difference between a personality disorder and a normal response to a situation is the intensity of the response. For instance, sadness and disappointment is a normal response to being fired from a job but rage is not. Rage could be a sign of an underlying personality disorder.
Causes
Like our personality, personality disorders begin during childhood and adolescence and solidify during adulthood. There is plenty of data that personality traits are hereditary which may point towards genetic influence as a cause of personality disorders.
Traumatic experiences, though less likely, can also lead to personality disorders. More commonly, interpersonal factors like neglect and abuse, especially in the family can be the cause of personality disorders.
Social influences also play a part in the development of personality disorders. Factors like classical and vicarious conditioning, social and observational learning, and errors in our mindsets or way of thinking called schemas can all influence personality disorders.
Types of Personality Disorders
The fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) states 10 personality disorders. Many of these personality disorders share common symptoms which is why they are grouped categories: cluster A, B, and C. It’s not uncommon for a person to be diagnosed with more than one personality disorders. This phenomenon is called comorbidity.
Cluster A (Odd, bizarre, eccentric)
People suffering from Cluster A personality disorders often exhibit withdrawn, distant, and cold behavior. They are described as emotionally distressed, suspicious, and distrustful. Following are the disorders grouped as Cluster A:
Paranoid PD
The defining characteristic of paranoid PD is a pervasive distrust and suspicion. People suffering from paranoid PD feel as if others want to hurt or take advantages of them even if there is no evidence of such intentions. They are always on guard for perceived attacks by others. Prevalence rates are 0.5–2.5 percent and the disorder is more likely to be seen in men than in women.
Schizoid PD
People with schizoid PD are often detached from others and prefer being alone. They enjoy activities that do not require participation from others. Key features of schizoid PD include impaired social relationships, inability and lack of desire to form attachments to others. Less than 1 percent of people have schizoid and it’s more common in men.
Schizotypal PD
Schizotypal PD is defined by peculiar thought patterns. Schizotypal people might think differently, experience social and interpersonal problems, exhibit eccentric behavior, and experience cognitive distortions, especially in speech and perception. It’s more common than other disorders with 3 percent of the people being schizotypal. It’s also called borderline schizophrenia or latent schizophrenia.
Cluster B (Dramatic, erratic)
People with Cluster B personality disorders are described as moody, emotional, attention-seeking, dramatic, and difficult. These individuals often have trouble getting to know others. Following are the disorders grouped as Cluster B:
Antisocial PD
Antisocial PD is the most common form of personality disorder, affecting 3 percent of men and 1 percent of women. It’s characterized by the lack of moral and ethical development, that is, people with antisocial PD often disregard what society thinks of them or wants from them. In order to be diagnosed with antisocial PD, the person must have shown signs of misconduct as a child. Other symptoms include the inability to rules, guidelines, or simple directions, deceitfulness, and shameless manipulation of others.
Borderline PD
Borderline PD is defined by sudden and extreme changes in mood. People with borderline PD are impulsive, always bored, and sometimes suicidal. It’s hard to be friends with someone suffering from borderline PD because of their uncontrollable mood changes. Even if they want to develop and maintain relationships, they often end up pushing people away. It’s also one of the most common disorders seen by physicians.
Histrionic PD
Histrionic PD is defined by extreme emotionality and attention-seeking behavior. People with histrionic PD will often over-dramatize things, be concerned with their looks, tend to get frustrated and irritated easily. Co-occurrence of histrionic PD is very high with other disorders like borderline, antisocial, narcissistic, and dependent personality disorders. The prevalence rate is 2-3 percent and both men and women are affected equally.
Narcissistic PD
People with narcissistic PD have a persistent feeling of grandiose, superiority, and lack of empathy. While people with histrionic PD only want attention, people with narcissistic PD want admiration as well. They consider themselves special and demand special treatment from everyone. Because they think of themselves so highly, they believe that only some, similarly acclaimed and successful people can understand them. Narcissistic PD is not as common with prevalence rate ofs less than 1 percent.
Cluster C (Fearful, anxious)
People with Cluster C disorders are described as tense, anxious, or uptight, and are often worried. Following are the disorders grouped as Cluster C:
Avoidant PD
People with Avoidant PD avoid social interactions due to an irrational but powerful fear of humiliation, criticism, and derogation. They are hypersensitive to social rejection and almost never initiate relationships on their own. They often feel inadequate or less than others. People with avoidant PD will also misinterpret harmless comments as mean criticism. Common responses to being criticized are crying and blushing. It’s seen equally in less than 1 percent of both genders.
Dependent PD
People with dependent PD show signs of discomfort when the idea of separation comes up. They do not like being alone and doubt that they can take care of themselves. Due to this, they are often described as clingy, indecisive, and submissive. It affects 2 percent of the general population and both genders are affected equally.
Obsessive-compulsive PD
Obsessive-compulsive PD is characterized by a person’s intense need for perfection. They follow rules and orders excessively – something that may seem trivial to everyone else. They often miss deadlines and do not complete projects on time since they are rarely satisfied and always trying to achieve perfection. Other key features of obsessive-compulsive PD include lack of expressiveness and warmth, difficulty in relaxing and having fun. It affects 1 percent of the population and out of those, 2 out of every 3 are male.
Diagnosis and Treatment
Personality disorders are a big part of an individual’s identity which is why they can be hard to diagnose and thus can go untreated for long periods of time. Even if others identify a personality disorder in the person, the person themselves may not accept that anything is wrong with them. Another factor that makes diagnosis difficult is the comorbidity of personality disorders (the co-occurrence of multiple disorders together).
Like other mental illnesses, personality disorders can by taking different approaches depending on the disorder, severity, and the patient themselves.
There is the biological approach where the patient is treated by targetting the neurotransmitters in the brain that help the brain communicate with different parts. Two neurotransmitters, in particular, have been found to cause personality disorder symptoms: dopamine and serotonin. Physicians prescribe medications like selective-serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) to control the levels of activity in the brain.
The psychological approach includes using cognitive-behavioral psychotherapy or CBT to treat various subtypes of personality disorders. Using CBT, therapists:
1. increase the patient’s awareness of behaviors
2. attempt to change their behaviors
3. change the structure of the patient’s personality
4. minimize interpersonal problems
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