Personality Disorders By: Allyssa Tamblingson

What is personality?  Personality is a term psychologists use to define the unique attitudes, behaviors, and emotions that characterize a person.  A personality disorder is a disorder characterized by a set of maladaptive behavior patterns that keep a person from functioning appropriately in society.

Antisocial Personality Disorder  A disorder in which individuals show no regard for the moral and ethical rules of society or the rights of others.  Although they appear quite intelligent and likeable, they turn out to be manipulative and deceptive.  They lack and guilt or anxiety about their wrongdoing. They also feel no remorse for those they have physically hurt.  People that have this disorder are often impulsive and lack the ability to withstand frustration.  Things that can cause this are an inability to experience emotions appropriately or problems in family relationships.

OCD Personality Disorder  Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder is characterized by a preoccupation with orderliness, perfectionism, and mental and interpersonal control, at the expense of flexibility, openness, and efficiency.  People like this are overly concerned with certain thoughts and performing certain behaviors.  They are preoccupied with details, rules, lists, order, organization, or schedules  They are very stubborn and are perfectionists.

Narcissistic Personality Disorder  Narcissistic personality disorder is a personality disturbance characterized by an exaggerated sense of self importance.  Those with this disorder expect special treatment from others while at the same time disregarding others feelings.  The main attribute of the narcissistic personality is an inability to experience empathy for others.

Borderline Personality Disorder  This is a disorder in which individuals have difficulty developing a secure sense of who they are.  They tend to rely on relationships with others to define their identity.  People with this disorder have difficulty trusting others and controlling their anger.  Their emotions lead to impulsive and self-destructive behavior.  They often feel empty and alone.  One reason for this behavior is that they may have a background in which others discounted or criticized their emotional reactions and have not learned to regulate them.

Paranoid Personality Disorder  Paranoid personality disorder is a psychiatric condition in which a person has a long-term distrust and suspicion of others, but does not have a full-blown psychotic disorder.  People with this disorder are concerned that other people have hidden motives and expectations that they will be exploited by others.  They have an inability to work together with others.  They also show signs of social isolation, detachment, and hostility.  The causes of paranoid personality disorder are unknown. The disorder appears to be more common in families with psychotic disorders such as schizophrenia and delusional disorder, which suggests genes may be involved. However, environmental factors may play a role, as well.

Schizoid Personality  Schizoid personality disorder is a psychiatric condition in which a person has a lifelong pattern of indifference to others and social isolation.  A person with schizoid personality disorder may appear aloof and detached.  They avoid social activities that involve emotional intimacy with other people.  They do not want or enjoy close relationships, even with family members.  This disorder may be related to schizophrenia and it shares many of the same risk factors.

Schizotypal Personality Disorder  Schizotypal personality disorder is a mental health condition in which a person has trouble with relationships and disturbances in thought patterns, appearance, and behavior.  People with this disorder may find discomfort in social situations.  They have inappropriate displays of feelings.  They have no close friends.  They display odd behavior or appearance.  They also have odd beliefs, fantasies, speech, or preoccupations.  Genes are thought to be involved in the cause of this disorder because this condition is more common in relatives of schizophrenics.

Histrionic Personality Disorder  Histrionic personality disorder is a condition in which people act in a very emotional and dramatic way that draws attention to themselves.  People with this disorder actor look overly seductive.  They are easily influenced by other people.  They are overly concerned with their looks.  They are overly dramatic, emotional, and sensitive to criticism or disapproval.  They believe that relationships are more intimate than they actually are.  People with this disorder blame failure or disappointment on others.  Both genes and early childhood events are thought to contribute. It occurs more often in women than in men, although it may be diagnosed more often in women because attention-seeking and sexual forwardness are less socially acceptable for women.

Avoidant Personality Disorder  Avoidant personality disorder is a mental health condition in which a person has a lifelong pattern of feeling very shy, inadequate, and sensitive to rejection.  People with this disorder may:  Be easily hurt when people criticize or disapprove of them  Hold back too much in intimate relationships  Be reluctant to become involved with people  Avoid activities or jobs that involve contact with others  Be shy in social situations out of fear of doing something wrong  Make potential difficulties seem worse than they are  About 1% of the population has avoidant personality disorder. Both males and females have the condition equally. The cause is unknown.

Dependent Personality Disorder  Dependent personality disorder is a long-term condition in which people depend too much on others to meet their emotional and physical needs.  Symptoms of dependent personality disorder may include:  Avoiding being alone  Avoiding personal responsibility  Becoming easily hurt by criticism or disapproval  Becoming overly focused on fears of being abandoned  Becoming very passive in relationships  Feeling very upset or helpless when relationships end  Having difficulty making decisions without support from others  Dependent personality disorder usually begins in childhood. The causes of this disorder are unknown. It is one of the most common personality disorders, and is equally common in men and women.

Bibliography  Feldman, Robert S. Understanding Psychology. 9th ed. New York: McGraw- Hill, Print.