Personality Disorders

When we look at personality it is important to define exactly what personality means. 

Personality is a way that an individual thinks, feels, and behaves that make them different from others. Personality is developed or influenced by their individual experiences, their environment, and inherited characteristics or traits. Overall an individual’s personality stays the same over time. An individual with a personality disorder deviates from the norms in their culture, creates problems for the individual in functioning, and lasts over time. Personality disorders typically affect at least two of the following four:

1. The way a person thinks about themselves or other individuals
2. The way an individual respond emotionally
3. The way an individual relates to others
4. The way an individual control their behaviors.

There are 10 specific types of personality disorders:

1. Antisocial personality disorder: an individual with this disorder can be dismissive of other people’s rights, may repeatedly lie, may be impulsive, and may dismiss social norms.
2. Avoidant personality disorder: an individual with this disorder may have extreme shyness, feelings of inadequacy, and sensitivity to criticism. This individual is usually socially inept.
3. Borderline personality disorder: an individual with this disorder may go to great lengths to avoid being abandoned, have repeated suicide attempts, intense anger, feelings of emptiness.
4. Dependent personality disorder: an individual with this disorder has the need to be taken care of, they are submissive, and exhibit clingy behavior. 
5. Histrionic personality disorder: an individual with this disorder may have excessive emotion and attention seeking behaviors. An individual with this disorder needs to be the center of attention and can use their looks to draw attention to them.  
6. Narcissistic personality disorder: an individual with this disorder may have an inflated sense of self-importance, feel entitlement, take advantage of others, and lack empathy.
7. Obsessive-compulsive personality disorder: a pattern of preoccupation with orderliness, perfection, and control. 
8. Paranoid personality disorder: an individual with this disorder is suspicious of others and sees them as mean or spiteful. 
9. Schizoid personality disorder: an individual with this disorder typically does not seek close relationships, chooses to be alone, and appears to not care about praise or criticism from others.
10. Schizotypal personality disorder: an individual with this disorder may have odd beliefs, odd behavior and/or speech, significant social anxiety, and distorted thinking 

Personality disorders are diagnosed by mental health professionals.

There are no medications that specifically treat a personality disorder.  Therapy can help an individual obtain insight and education about the disorder. Therapy can also allow an individual to manage and cope with the disorder to improve symptoms, reduce behaviors that are creating problems, and improve relationships. There are holistic approaches, supplements, and medications that can treat some symptoms of the disorder. Individuals under the age of 18 are not diagnosed with personality disorders because their personality is still developing. Many individuals that have personality disorders do not even realize they have one and may not see a problem.  Individuals can have more than one personality disorder.