Personality Disorders
A personality disorder is a type of mental disorder that causes a person to have rigid and unhealthy patterns of thinking, functioning, and behaving. Those with personality disorders can have difficulty perceiving and relating to situations and people. This can cause significant stress on relationships, social activities, work, and school. Often times people with personality disorders often suffer from depression and anxiety as well. This can lead to self-medicating and the eventual abuse of alcohol and drugs. Substance use disorder is diagnosed in roughly half of individuals with personality disorder.
While the exact cause of personality disorders is unknown, family history and life events and relationships can all play a role. For example, people with a history of abuse, trauma, neglect, or being bullied have an increased risk of having a personality disorder.
Types of Personality Disorders
These disorders affect both male and females, but some personality disorders are more common in men.For instance, nearly 90 percent of antisocial personality disorder diagnoses are among men.
Personality disorders are often grouped into three clusters – Cluster A, Cluster B, and Cluster C – according to similar symptoms and characteristics. It is common for people with one type of personality disorder to have signs of at least one other personality disorder.
Types of personality disorders include:
Paranoid personality disorder
Schizoid personality disorder
Schizotypal personality disorder
Antisocial personality disorder
Borderline personality disorder
Narcissistic personality disorder
Avoidant personality disorder
Dependent personality disorder
Obsessive-compulsive personality disorder
Treating Personality Disorders
There is no singular path or simple solution for treating personality disorders. If you are concerned that you or someone you care about has a personality disorder please schedule a session soon. Counseling is often very helpful for both the individual with the personality disorder and the people who love and live with them.