Personality disorders

What are personality disorders?

Personality disorders are names given to explain and categorise patterns of thought, behaviours and feelings. Personality disorders usually cause a great deal of distress to the individual and others around them because they affect a person's ability to function normally.

Personality disorders are chronic, which means they usually start in childhood and continue throughout a person's life. These problems affect many aspects of the person’s life including work, play and relationships with themselves and others.

However, this does not mean every part of their life is bad, or unhappy, just that their thoughts, feelings and behaviours may influence the way they think, feel and experience things.

What are the different types of personality disorders, and how are they classified?

There are 10 personality disorders that are divided into three clusters.

• Cluster A is signified by odd or eccentric behaviour and includes paranoid, schizoid, and schizotypal personality disorders.
• Cluster B is determined by dramatic, emotional or erratic behaviour and involves antisocial, borderline, histrionic, and narcissistic personality disorders.
• Cluster C is classified as anxious or fearful behaviours and includes avoidant, dependent, and obsessive-compulsive personality disorders.

Read on for more info.

Cluster A: (Odd or eccentric behaviour)

• Paranoid – People with this personality disorder are extremely mistrustful and suspicious of other people without reason. They do not confide in anyone and expect others to do harm to them.
• Schizoid – People show a limited range of emotions and seem detached from social relationships. Other people may find them cold and indifferent as they don’t allow them to get close to them.
• Schizotypal – People who seem to have suspicious or odd beliefs about the world and those around them. They usually isolate themselves and behave in ways that seem unusual to others.

Cluster B: (Dramatic, emotional or erratic behaviour)

• Antisocial – People who experience this type of personality disorder tend to fail to comply with social norms. They perform actions others would find inappropriate, such as stealing. There is also a tendency for people to be irresponsible, impulsive, and deceitful, and are often seen as self-centred and manipulative.
• Borderline – People with borderline personality disorder lack stability in moods and relationships. They also usually have poor self-esteem. These individuals often feel empty and are at a great risk of suicide.
• Histrionic – People with this disorder are usually seen as ‘actors’ and tend to be overly dramatic in nearly everything they do, and with every person they deal with.
• Narcissistic – Individuals who experience this personality disorder consider themselves different from others and deserving of special treatment. They think highly of themselves, which is usually beyond their real abilities.

Cluster C: (Anxious or fearful behaviour)

• Avoidant – People who have avoidant personality disorder are excessively sensitive to the opinions of other people, and as a result avoid social relationships. They usually have low self-esteem and a fear of rejection, which causes them to reject the attention most other people desire.
• Dependent – Individuals with this personality disorder rely on others to let them make decisions for them, from everyday decisions to major ones. This is often the result of fear of being abandoned, which is usually unreasonable.
• Obsessive-compulsive – People have an addiction to things being done perfectly or 'the right way'. This preoccupation usually prevents them from completing most things.
  It is important to note that obsessive-compulsive personality disorder differs from obsessive-compulsive disorder, which is an anxiety disorder. The obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviours are not the same as in obsessive-compulsive disorder.

What to do if you think you or a friend or family member have a personality disorder?

If you or a friend or family member suffers from a personality disorder you might be feeling confused, upset, angry and alone. It is hard, even for professionals, to diagnose these disorders so it is important to talk to someone about how you are feeling, rather than worrying on your own.

A doctor, psychologist or counsellor can help you identify the things that are worrying you and work through these issues with you to help get things back on track. You can find out more about how these people can help you in the Who can help you section.

If you are finding it hard to talk about how you are feeling, this fact sheet on talking to a counsellor for the first time might be helpful

It can be really hard to think about some of these confusing issues, and even more difficult to cope with some of these symptoms. Although the information can be scary, it is definitely possible to get better, and have a very happy and successful life.

How are personality disorders treated?

Personality disorders are generally diagnosed by a psychiatrist, and are managed with the help of a mental health professional, which could be a psychiatrist, psychologist or counsellor.

The most effective treatments usually involve:

• psychological therapy
• support by family, friends and the community
• sometimes medication (depending on which type of personality disorder you have).

Important note

People often feel there is a stigma associated with having a personality disorder. People with any type of personality disorder do not ‘choose’ to feel the way they do, and are in no way responsible for developing their illness. Their feelings are very real.

Having a personality disorder does not mean you have a bad personality. It is difficult to suffer from any mental disorder, and a personality disorder is no exception.



Acknowledgement

Thanks to Dr Anna Sidis Clinical Psychologist, Brain and Mind Research Institute (BMRI) for reviewing this fact sheet.

If you'd like some more info on personality disorders and how they might effect you, why not check out some more ReachOut.com fact sheets and stories on the subject...

• Borderline personality disorder(Fact sheet)
• Dialectical behaviour therapy (DBT)(Fact sheet)
• Hi, I have BPD, Hold the straight jacket (Story)