Personality Disorders
Overview
Personality disorders are a group of mental health conditions characterised by enduring patterns of behavior, cognition, and inner experience that deviate significantly from what is expected based on an individual's culture. These patterns are inflexible and pervasive across many situations, leading to distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning.
There are ten specific personality disorders classified into three clusters in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5): Cluster A (odd or eccentric disorders), Cluster B (dramatic, emotional, or erratic disorders), and Cluster C (anxious or fearful disorders).
Key Features
Cluster A: Odd or Eccentric Behavior
Paranoid Personality Disorder (PPD): Key features include pervasive distrust and suspicion of others, interpreting benign remarks or events as threatening, reluctance to confide in others, and holding grudges.
Schizoid Personality Disorder (SPD): Key features include detachment from social relationships, limited range of emotional expression, preference for solitary activities, and indifference to praise or criticism.
Schizotypal Personality Disorder (STPD): Key features include eccentric behavior, odd beliefs or magical thinking, unusual perceptual experiences, social anxiety and paranoia, and difficulty forming close relationships.
Cluster B: Dramatic, Emotional, or Erratic Behavior
Antisocial Personality Disorder (ASPD): Key features include disregard for and violation of the rights of others, persistent patterns of irresponsible or criminal behavior, deceitfulness, impulsivity, and lack of remorse.
Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD): Key features include instability in relationships, self-image, and emotions, frantic efforts to avoid real or imagined abandonment, impulsive behaviors, recurrent suicidal behavior, and intense and unstable interpersonal relationships.
Histrionic Personality Disorder (HPD): Key features include excessive emotionality and attention-seeking behavior, discomfort when not the center of attention, shallow or rapidly shifting emotions, and impressionistic speech.
Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD): Key features include grandiosity, a need for admiration, a lack of empathy, a sense of entitlement, and a preoccupation with fantasies of unlimited success, power, beauty, or love.
Cluster C: Anxious or Fearful Behavior
Avoidant Personality Disorder (AvPD): Key features include social inhibition, feelings of inadequacy, hypersensitivity to negative evaluation, avoidance of social activities or interactions, and reluctance to take risks or try new things.
Dependent Personality Disorder (DPD): Key features include excessive reliance on others to meet one's emotional and physical needs, difficulty making decisions without reassurance or advice from others, fear of abandonment, and submissive or clingy behavior.
Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder (OCPD): Key features include preoccupation with orderliness, perfectionism, and control, excessive devotion to work or productivity, rigid adherence to rules and routines, and difficulty discarding worthless objects.
Other Personality Disorders:
Depressive Personality Disorder: Although not formally recognised in the DSM-5, depressive personality traits can be present, characterised by pervasive sadness, negativity, low self-esteem, and social withdrawal.
Passive-Aggressive Personality Disorder: Also not formally recognised in the DSM-5, passive-aggressive personality traits involve passive resistance to demands for adequate social and occupational performance, with negative attitudes and behaviors such as procrastination, forgetfulness, and stubbornness.
How We Can Help
It's important to note that personality disorders are complex and often co-occur with other mental health conditions. A thorough assessment by a qualified mental health professional is essential for accurate diagnosis and effective treatment planning.
Psychotherapy: Psychotherapy, or talk therapy, is a cornerstone of treatment for personality disorders. Psychologists use various therapeutic approaches, such as cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), psychodynamic therapy, and schema therapy, to address maladaptive thought patterns, dysfunctional behaviors, and problematic interpersonal dynamics associated with personality disorders.
Skills Training: Psychologists provide skills training to help individuals develop coping strategies and adaptive skills to manage their symptoms more effectively. This may include emotion regulation skills, interpersonal effectiveness skills, distress tolerance skills, and problem-solving skills, among others.
Mindfulness-Based Interventions: Mindfulness-based interventions, such as mindfulness meditation and mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT), can be helpful in reducing distress and improving emotion regulation in individuals with personality disorders. Psychologists teach mindfulness techniques to help individuals cultivate present-moment awareness, nonjudgmental acceptance, and self-compassion.
Social Skills Training: For individuals with difficulties in interpersonal relationships, psychologists provide social skills training to improve communication, assertiveness, empathy, and conflict resolution skills. By learning and practicing these skills, individuals can develop healthier and more fulfilling relationships with others.
Supportive Counselling: Psychologists offer supportive counselling to provide emotional support, validation, and encouragement to individuals with personality disorders. Through supportive therapy, individuals can explore their thoughts and feelings in a safe and nonjudgmental space, gain insight into their experiences, and develop coping strategies to navigate life's challenges.
Living with a personality disorder can be challenging, but with the right help and support, it is possible to live a more balanced life. Our team of experienced psychologists are ready to guide you on this journey. Reach out today, and take that first step towards understanding and managing your unique patterns of thinking and behaving.