Personality Disorders

Personality Disorders
a different type of disorder...
What are they?
• long lasting
• inflexible
• start during adolescence or early
adulthood
• suicide rate is 3x higher in people
with personality disorders
What causes them?
• many have experienced poor
parenting, rejection, abuse, lack of
love.
• could be a genetic link
• low serotonin levels in Antisocial
Personality Disorder (APD)
Are they treatable?
• Because they are such long term
patters of behavior, it is difficult and
may take years.
• Therapy is slow and difficult for major
personality disorders
• Talk therapy and communities are
helpful.
• drugs are not used to treat them.
PARANOID
• suspicious
• argumentative, paranoid
• lookout for trickery and abuse
• jealous/blames others
• cold and humorless
SCHIZOID
• has few friends, “loner”
• indifferent to praise/criticism
• unable to form close relationships
• no warm or tender feelings for others
Antisocial (Sociopath)
• breaks rules and laws
• takes advantage of others for personal
gain
remorse
or guilt
• feels little
Serial
killers
and
rapists
and charming
• appears friendly
• often intelligent
• could be due to a lack of anxiety
Schizotypal
• Aloof and indifferent like schizoid
• magical thinking
• superstitious beliefs
• unusual words and peculiar ideas
• is a very mild form of schizophrenia
Borderline
• very unstable relationships
• erratic emotions, self-damaging
behavior
• impulsive
• unpredictable aggressive and sexual
behavior
• monophobia, easily angered
Histrionic
• overly dramatic, attention seeker
• easily angered, seductive
• dependent on others, vain, shallow
and manipulative
• displays intense but often false
emotions
Narcissistic
• grandiose, craves admiration from
others
• extremely self centered, feel that they
are privileged and special
• expects favors from others
• emotions are not erratic
Compulsive
• Perfectionists, preoccupied with
details, rules, schedules
• more concerned with work than
pleasure
• serious and formal
• can’t express tender feelings
Passive-Aggressive
• indirectly expresses anger by being
forgetful and stubborn
• procrastinates
• can’t admit to feeling angry
• habitually late
Avoidant
(not on sheet)
• avoidance of social situations
• fears disapproval or inadequacy
• fear the social relationship rather
than the social situation
Dependent
(not on sheet)
• clinging and submissive behavior
towards others
• fear of separation
• need to be taken care of
Personality Disorder
Party
• Donna = histrionic
• William = schizotypal
• Sherry = borderline
• Winston = narcissistic
• Peter = compulsive
• Doreen = paranoid
• Margie = passive-aggressive
• Harold = schizoid