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An Introduction to Personality Disorders

Personality disorders are a form of mental disorders that have rigid patterns and last for a long period of time. They typically effect thought and behavior. Many of these disorders can cause problems and impairment of a persons function because of their inflexibility and pervasiveness.

Description of a Personality Disorder

A personality disorder is defined by the American Psychiatric Association as being a recurring pattern that effects a persons experience or behavior. The effects are abnormal in any of the following area: thinking, mood, personal relations and impulse control.

Through a persons personality they show their character by the way they think, feel and behave. In some people this behavior becomes inflexible and antisocial. This is when an individual is usually diagnosed with a personality disorder of some kind.
At the start most personality disorders are either a personal development or character problem that eventually develops into a personality disorder around the period of adolescence.

Personality disorders are not an illness even though they do cause emotional, intellectual and perceptual disruptions. Those with personality disorders experience a life that is not positive, proactive or fulfilling.

Types of Personality Disorders

Today psychologists have identified at least ten distinct personality disorders:

• Antisocial Personality Disorder is described as a lack of regard for any moral or legal standards. People suffering from this disorder typically cannot get along with other and have trouble abiding by the rules of society. Most of the time these types of individuals are referred to as psychopaths or sociopaths.
• Avoidant Personality Disorder is a condition that exhibit’s a social inhibition. A person typically feels inadequate and becomes highly sensitive to criticism from another individual.
• Borderline Personality Disorder is someone who does not know their own identity. People suffering from this condition typically experience rapid changes in their mood, unstable interpersonal relationship, impulsive attitudes and a self image that is unstable.
• Dependent Personality Disorder is those who need other people to an extreme degree. A person with this disorder may be effected to the point that they cannot make a decision or any independent action on their own without the support of another person. These people typically have a fear of being separated and show a submissive behavior. They also typically lack decisiveness and self-confidence in their abilities.
• Histrionic Personality Disorder is someone who suffers from extreme emotional reactions that border on hysteria. They emotions may also suddenly and rapidly shift during everyday behavior.
• Narcissistic Personality Disorder are those who live a fantasy behavior. They typically have a lack of empathy, a impulsive need to be admired by others, cannot see other people’s viewpoints and are extremely sensitive to other people’s opinions.
• Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder is those who are effected by perfectionism. They are often preoccupied with patterns of thought and action.
• Paranoid Personality Disorder is those who have an extreme distrust of other individuals. This can often include belief and reasoning. People with this condition will often feel other people are exploiting, harming or trying to deceive them. They are often unforgiving and hold grudges and typically look for hidden meanings.
• Schizoid Personality Disorder are people with a extremely limited range of emotion. They cannot express or experience a wide variety of emotions and are often indifferent to social relationships.
• Schizotypal Personality Disorder describes people who have peculiar patterns of thinking. Typically people with this disorder will have odd beliefs. Appearance, behavior, style and thought are effected by their eccentricities.

Treatment of Personality Disorders

Those who suffer from personality disorders are very difficult to treat with therapy since they often block all effective means of communication. Based on the official definition of personality disorders they appear to be untreatable. However, if an individual is willing to be in control of their lives and works to change and control their life then it is possible to overcome personality disorders. While therapies and medications will help the condition it is really up to the person to come to terms with their condition and decide to make the necessary changes.

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