Four core features of personality disorders include inflexible, extreme and distorted thinking patterns (thoughts), problematic emotional response patterns (feelings), problems with impulse control (behavior), and substantial interpersonal problems (behavior) (APA, 2013).
Antisocial personality disorder (ASPD) Borderline personality disorder (BPD) Histrionic personality disorder. Narcissistic personality disorder.
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.
Technically, according to DSM-5*, a person can receive more than one personality disorder diagnosis. People who are diagnosed with a personality disorder most often qualify for more than one diagnosis. A person with a severe personality disorder might meet the criteria for four, five or even more disorders!
But antisocial personality disorder is one of the most difficult types of personality disorders to treat. A person with antisocial personality disorder may also be reluctant to seek treatment and may only start therapy when ordered to do so by a court.
Causes. It's not clear exactly what causes personality disorders, but they're thought to result from a combination of the genes a person inherits and early environmental influences – for example, a distressing childhood experience (such as abuse or neglect).
What is Personality Disorder? If there is one learning point to take from this chapter above all others, it is the 3 Ps – the need for personality disorder to be Problematic, Persistent and Pervasive.
Diagnosis of a personality disorder requires the following: A persistent, inflexible, pervasive pattern of maladaptive traits involving ≥ 2 of the following: cognition (ways or perceiving and interpreting self, others, and events), affectivity, interpersonal functioning, and impulse control.
Over the centuries, these basic categories have gone by several names and designations, but for our purposes, they're known as the director, the socializer, the thinker, and the supporter. As shorthand, though, we refer to those types of personality as A, B, C, and D, respectively.
The Big Five personality traits are extraversion (also often spelled extroversion), agreeableness, openness, conscientiousness, and neuroticism. Each trait represents a continuum. Individuals can fall anywhere on the continuum for each trait. The Big Five remain relatively stable throughout most of one's lifetime.
According to a major study, the most prevalent personality disorder is obsessive-compulsive personality disorder. The second most common is narcissistic personality disorder, followed by borderline personality disorder.
Diagnosis of a personality disorder requires the following: A persistent, inflexible, pervasive pattern of maladaptive traits involving ≥ 2 of the following: cognition (ways or perceiving and interpreting self, others, and events), affectivity, interpersonal functioning, and impulse control.
Some general signs of people with a personality disorder include: Their behavior is inconsistent, frustrating and confusing to loved ones and other people they interact with. They may have issues understanding realistic and acceptable ways to treat others and behave around them.
MRI studies have demonstrated that people with BPD have reduced volume in the frontal lobe, bilateral hippocampus, bilateral amygdala (a reduced volume that has not always been replicated in MRI studies), left orbitofrontal cortex, right anterior cingulate cortex, and right parietal cortex and increased putamen volume.
It generally begins in early adolescence. Zanarini et al reported that 32.8% of BPD self-injurers began before age 12, as 30.2% began as adolescents and 37% began as adults.
Talk to them compassionately and calmly – when someone is experiencing difficult thoughts and feelings, their behaviour may be unexpected or upsetting, and you may feel unsettled. Try to understand what they're experiencing and what's affecting their thoughts, feelings and behaviour – this can help you to stay calm.
Explains borderline personality disorder (BPD), also known as emotionally unstable personality disorder (EUPD). Includes what it feels like, causes, treatment, support and self-care, as well as tips for friends and family.
Approach them very gently when they are in a stable mood. Don't specifically mention BPD if you can help it—just tell them their behavior is worrisome to you because you love them and want them to be happy. Offer your support every step of the way.
Personality disorders are enduring patterns of behavior, but some can change.
Big 5 personality characteristics (extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, emotional stability, and intellectual imagination; Goldberg, 1992) and narcissism (Raskin and Terry, 1988; Gentile et al., 2013) are included as personality indicators.