Personality Disorders

Broad types of Personality Disorders:

Cluster A personality disorders:

Keywords: Odd or eccentric thinking or behavior.

Paranoid:

• A generally suspicious nature with a distrust of others or their motives.
• A feeling that there are conspiracies against them.
• Taking offense to remarks or comments.
• Reluctance to trust or confide in others.
• Holding on to grudges for long.
• Fixed ideas that their partner is unfaithful.

Schizoid:

• Seclusion, isolation from others, avoidance of society, preferring to be alone.
• Limited emotional expression.
• Inability to be a part of normal social interactions.
• Lack of joy in most activities.
• Seeming cold and distant.
• Lack of sexual interest.

Schizotypal:

• Strange and peculiar thinking, speech, behavior or conduct.
• Delusion of hearing voices, smelling odors, seeing objects or images.
• Delusion of an ability to influence others with their thoughts alone.
• Lack of empathy or inappropriate emotional responses.

Cluster B personality disorders:

Keywords: Overreaction, overly emotional and unpredictable behavior.

Antisocial personality disorder:

• Lack of regard for others’ feelings or needs.
• Lack of moral feeling or remorse. Criminal tendencies like stealing, cheating others, lying etc.
• Aggression, violence often violating the rights of others.
• Lack of regard for safety of self or others.
• Irresponsible and impulsive actions.

Borderline personality disorder:

• Changeable mood, impulsive and risky behavior.
• Lack of clarity about self image.
• Feeling of being unfulfilled, empty or abandoned.
• Intense anger with threats to harm self.
• Intense or unstable relationships.

Histrionic personality disorder:

• Constant attention seeking by being dramatic, provocative, disruptive or emotional.
• Prone to being influenced easily by others. Especially relevant in the times of social media.
• Shallow and changeable emotions.
• Too concerned about what others think of them, especially physical appearance.
• Being clingy or having a wrong perception of closeness to others.

Narcissistic personality disorder:

• A feeling of superiority over others.
• Tendency to show off, boast their talents, wealth, appearance.
• Lack of regard for others’ feelings.
• Constant need for being praised.
• Arrogance.
• Often using others to get what they think they clearly deserve.
• Excessively competitive behavior.

Cluster C Personality Disorders:

Avoidant personality disorder:

• Feeling of being inferior, unattractive or inadequate.
• Oversensitive to rejection or criticism due to an underlying lack of confidence.
• Being too shy, timid and inhibited socially.
• Fear of ridicule, rejection or disapproval.

Dependent personality disorder:

• Excessive dependence on others. Almost like a child.
• Clinging for support to people, with a childlike submission.
• Fear of being left on their own.
• Lack of self confidence with a need for frequent reassurance and support.
• Inability to make decisions.
• Difficulty starting projects due to lack of confidence.
• Inability to stand up for themselves. Tolerating abusive treatment despite having options available.
• Need to be in a relationship. Hurry to start a new one quickly once the current one ends.

Obsessive-compulsive personality disorder:

• Inability to function normally due to fixed ideas and thoughts.
• Excessive need for orderliness, rules or attention to trivial details.
• Setting unrealistic expectations and feeling incapable of achieving them.
• Need to be in control of people and situations. Inability to delegate tasks.
• Neglecting social and leisure activities due to overcommitment to projects or work.
• Being too stubborn or rigid. Inflexibility about moral or ethical issues.
• Being too miserly and needing strict budgeting.

Implications of Personality Disorders:

Personality disorders can significantly disrupt the lives of both the affected person and those who care about that person. Personality disorders may cause problems with relationships, work or school, and can lead to social isolation or alcohol or drug abuse.