psychology

Treatment The treatment that's best for you depends on your particular personality disorder, its severity and your life situation. Often, a team approach is needed to make sure all of your psychiatric, medical and social needs are met. Because personality disorders are long-standing, treatment may require months or years. Your treatment team may include your primary doctor or other primary care provider as well as a: Psychiatrist Psychologist or other therapist Psychiatric nurse Pharmacist Social worker If you have mild symptoms that are well-controlled, you may need treatment from only your primary doctor, a psychiatrist or other therapist. If possible, find a mental health professional with experience in treating personality disorders. Psychotherapy, also called talk therapy, is the main way to treat personality disorders. Psychotherapy During psychotherapy with a mental health professional, you can learn about your condition and talk about your moods, feelings

Complications of personality disorder: Self-harm: Self-harm is common if you have borderline personality disorder (BPD). People self-harm to help manage feelings that are triggered by specific events or strong negative emotions. It can also act as a way of coping with distressing events and communicating the stress that they feel. Use of alcohol and drugs: People with personality disorders can find that they use drugs or drink alcohol to cope with difficult emotions and feelings. This is sometimes known as dual diagnosis. Drinking alcohol or using drugs can lead to: doing things that you might not do normally (loss of inhibition) behaving impulsively (acting on the spur of the moment), and poor physical health. Antisocial personality disorder and borderline personality disorder have the strongest links with alcohol and drugs. If you use drugs or drink alcohol heavily, you may find that some specialist personality disorder services will say that you need to cut down

Causes of personality disorders: Research suggests that genetics, abuse and other factors contribute to the development of obsessive-compulsive, narcissistic or other personality disorders. In the past, some believed that people with personality disorders were just lazy or even evil. But new research has begun to explore such potential causes as genetics, parenting and peer influences:   Genetics: Researchers are beginning to identify some possible genetic factors behind personality disorders. One team, for instance, has identified a  malfunctioning gene  that may be a factor in obsessive-compulsive disorder. Other researchers are exploring genetic links to aggression, anxiety and fear — traits that can play a role in personality disorders. Childhood trauma:  Findings from one of the largest studies of personality disorders, the  Collaborative Longitudinal Personality Disorders Study , offer clues about the role of childhood experiences. One study found

What Are the Signs of a Personality Disorder? Personality disorders are classified in three types of behaviors: eccentric behavior, dramatic or erratic behavior, and anxious or fearful behavior. Displaying atypical behaviors can be a sign of a disorder, but professional evaluation will offer a more accurate diagnosis. Emotional Symptoms of Personality Disorders The emotional symptoms of personality disorders vary between disorders and express themselves to varying degrees with each person, according to the Mayo Clinic. For example, people with avoidant personality disorder have an extreme aversion of conflict, allowing others to take advantage of them. Other symptoms can include poor impulse control and a propensity for substance abuse. Physical Symptoms of Personality Disorders Personality disorders affect the mind, but they can drive people to neglect their physical health as well. Someone affected by  schizophrenia  or a similar condition, for example, may neglect persona

Obsessive compulsive personality disorder: Obsessive–compulsive personality disorder  ( OCPD ) is a  personality disorder  characterized by a general pattern of concern with orderliness,  perfectionism , excessive attention to details, mental and interpersonal  control , and a need for control over one's environment, at the expense of flexibility,  openness to experience , and efficiency.  Workaholism  and  miserliness  are also seen often in those with this personality disorder. Persons affected with this disorder may find it hard to relax, always feeling that time is running out for their activities, and that more effort is needed to achieve their goals. They may plan their activities down to the minute—a manifestation of the compulsive tendency to keep control over their environment and to dislike unpredictable events as elements beyond their control. Developmental coarse: Because personality disorders describe long-standing and enduring patterns of behavior, they are mos

Dependent personality disorder: Dependent personality disorder  ( DPD ), formerly known as  asthenic personality disorder , is a  personality disorder  that is characterized by a pervasive psychological dependence on other people. This personality disorder is a long-term condition in which people depend on others to meet their emotional and physical needs, with only a minority achieving normal levels of independence. Individuals with dependent personality disorder have great difficulty making everyday decisions (such as what shirt to wear or whether to carry an umbrella) without an excessive amount of advice and reassurance from others. These individuals tend to be passive and allow other people (often a single other person) to take the initiative and assume responsibility for most major areas of their lives. Adults with this disorder typically depend on a parent or spouse to decide where they should live, what kind of job they should have, and which neighbors to befriend. Adolesc

Cluster C personality disorder: Cluster C is called the anxious, fearful cluster.  It includes the Avoidant, Dependent, and Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorders.  These three personality disorders share a high level of anxiety. Avoidant personality disorder: Avoidant personality disorder  ( AvPD ) is a  Cluster C   personality disorder . Those affected display a pattern of severe  social anxiety ,  social inhibition , feelings of inadequacy and  inferiority ,  extreme sensitivity to negative evaluation , and avoidance of  social interaction despite a strong desire for intimacy. The behavior is usually noticed by early adulthood and occurs in most situations. People with AvPD often consider themselves to be  socially  inept or personally unappealing and avoid social interaction for fear of being ridiculed,  humiliated ,  rejected  or disliked. They generally avoid becoming involved with others unless they are certain they will be liked. As the name suggests, the main  cop

Narcissistic personality disorder: Narcissistic personality disorder  ( NPD ) is a  personality disorder  in which there is a long-term pattern of abnormal behavior characterized by  exaggerated feelings of self-importance , an excessive need for  admiration , and a lack of  understanding of others' feelings .  People affected by it often spend a lot of time thinking about achieving  power  or success, or about their  appearance .  They often take advantage of the  people around them             People with narcissistic personality disorder believe they are superior or special, and often try to associate with other people they believe are unique or gifted in some way. This association enhances their self-esteem, which is typically quite fragile underneath the surface. Individuals with NPD seek excessive admiration and attention in order to know that others think highly of them. Individuals with narcissistic personality disorder have difficulty tolerating criticism or defeat, and

Histrionic personality disorder: Histrionic personality disorder (HPD) is characterized by a long-standing pattern of attention seeking behavior and extreme emotionality. Someone with histrionic personality disorder wants to be the center of attention in any group of people, and they feel uncomfortable when they are not. While often lively, interesting, and sometimes dramatic, they have difficulty when people aren’t focused exclusively on them. People with this disorder may be perceived as being shallow, and may engage in sexually seductive or provocative behavior to draw attention to themselves.          HPD is diagnosed four times as frequently in  women  as men.  It affects 2–3% of the general population and 10–15% in inpatient and outpatient mental health institutions . Symptoms: In many cases, people with histrionic personality disorder have good social skills; however, they tend to use these skills to manipulate others so that they can be the center of attention.