PERSONALITY DISORDERS

PERSONALITY DISORDERS

A personality disorder is a way of thinking, feeling, or behaving that deviates from the expectations of the culture, causes distress or problems functioning, and lasts over time.

Mental disorders, including personality disorders, are described and classified by the APA in the DSM. We are currently in edition 5 of the DSM.

Personality disorders are grouped in what the DSM 5 calls clusters.

Cluster A is characterized as odd personality disorders.

• paranoid - irrational suspicion and mistrust of others; sees the motivations of others as harmful in intent

• schizoid - lack of interest and detachment from social relationships, apathy, restricted emotional expressions

• schizotypal - extreme discomfort interacting socially, distorted thinking and perception

Poll

Who do you think might have shown symptoms of paranoid personality?

• Barack Obama

• Saddam Hussein

• George Bush

Poll

What about schizotypal personality?

• Willy Wonka

• Mickey Mouse

• Donald Duck

Cluster B is characterized as dramatic personality disorders.

• antisocial - disregard for and violation of the rights of others, lack of empathy, manipulative, impulsive

• borderline - abrupt mood swings, instability in relationships, can lead to self harm and extreme impulsivity

• histrionic - attention-seeking behavior and excessive emotional responses

• narcissistic - grandiosity, need for admiration, lack of empathy

Poll

Which character shows histrionic tendencies?

Cluster C is characterized as anxious personality disorders.

• avoidant - social inhibition, feelings of social inadequacy, extreme sensitivity to negative evaluation

• dependent - psychological need to be cared for by others

• obsessive-compulsive - rigid conformity to rules, perfectionism, control - leads to exclusion of relationships - is NOT the same as OCD

Poll

Who showed/shows avoidant behaviors?

Personality disorders are treated with medication and therapy. The genetic ties for these types of disorders are not as clearly established by science as with other psychological disorders.