Personality Disorders

Antisocial Personality Disorder (APD) is characterized by a consistent pattern of impulsive, reckless, irresponsible, and manipulative behaviors often resulting in significant relational and legal problems. Others typically describe individuals diagnosed with APD as having no regard for right and wrong. Individuals with APD are prone to violent outbursts, and frequently having drug or alcohol problems. While in years past APD was thought to be untreatable, recently developed psychotherapeutic techniques have been demonstrated to be effective in assisting individuals with APD to manage their behaviors. A thorough psychological assessment is important to ensure accurate diagnosis.

Avoidant Personality Disorder is characterized by an enduring pattern of avoiding social interaction due to intense feelings of inadequacy and resulting fears of criticism and rejection. While these individuals desire to have close relationships with others, they are often reluctant to do so unless numerous and clear signs of uncritical acceptance and nurturance are obvious.

Borderline Personality Disorder is a condition characterized by a consistent pattern of tumultuous interpersonal relationships, unstable self-image, inability to control one’s emotions, and impulsivity. In terms of their relationships, individuals with this condition often rapidly shift between extremes of admiration and hatred with the people in their lives and will often make repeated frantic efforts to avoid real or imagined abandonment. Due to the difficulty that they have controlling their emotions and impulsivity, individuals with this condition are prone to emotional outbursts, engage in potentially self-damaging behaviors (i.e. spending money, sexual indiscretion, drug use, reckless driving), and suicidal threats and/or behavior.

Dependent Personality Disorder is a condition in which an individual has demonstrated a consistent pattern of needy and clinging behavior due to unrealistic fears of abandonment beginning in early adulthood. For individuals with this condition, their perceived need to be taken care of and resulting submissiveness in relationships causes problems in several areas, including: difficulty making everyday decisions without significant reassurance from others (having others choose what they will wear to work, whether to carry an umbrella or not), a need for others to assume responsibility for most major areas of life (having other choose where to live, work, what to eat), and a tendency to urgently seek out another relationship immediately following the end of another.

Histrionic Personality Disorder is characterized by a consistent pattern of excessive emotionality and a constant need to be the center of attention in nearly all social situations and are often described by others as “putting on a show” or “being on stage.” Individuals with this condition often demonstrate rapidly shifting and shallow emotions, use their physical appearance to draw attention to themselves, frequently behave seductively towards others, tend to be easily influenced by others, and often describe their relationships with others as being more intimate than they really are.

The defining features of Narcissistic Personality Disorder are greatly inflated sense of self-importance, a constant need for admiration by others, and a general disregard for the feelings of others. As a result, individuals with this condition seem arrogant; often overestimate their abilities; seem preoccupied with fantasies of power, beauty, and brilliance; have unreasonable expectations of favorable treatment by others; and take advantage of others for personal gain.

Disorder- Individuals with Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder display a consistent pattern of perfectionism, excessive attention to detail, and a lack of flexibility regarding their personal beliefs (that are not attributable to religious or cultural affiliation). Individuals with this condition often: are preoccupied with organization (lists, schedules, rules) to a degree that interferes with their ability to accomplish tasks), hoard objects that do not have any sentimental or functional value, will delegate work to others unless the person submits to his or her exact way of doing things, and are perceived by others as being rigid and stubborn.

The hallmark feature of Paranoid Personality Disorder (PPD) is a pervasive distrust and suspiciousness towards others that has been prominent since early adulthood. Individuals with this condition are often preoccupied by fears (often unwarranted) that others intend to do them harm, are prone to doubt the trustworthiness of those that are close to them, read hidden meaning into even benign statements and events, and bear grudges against others for even minor personal offenses.

Schizoid Personality Disorder is characterized by a consistent pattern beginning in early adulthood of indifference toward interpersonal relationships that goes beyond normal social awkwardness or aloofness. As a result of their social detachment, individuals with this condition often fail to develop close relationships, do not enjoy social gatherings, and are usually perceived by others to be “loners.”

The two defining features of Schizotypal Personality Disorder are discomfort in close relationships accompanied by various odd beliefs and behaviors. This pattern must be evident by early adulthood. Common to this condition are ideas of reference (believing that events have a special connection to that person), excessive superstitious beliefs, belief that one has special or supernatural powers (i.e. ability to control the thoughts and actions of others, mindreading ability).