Personality Disorders
Personality is an individuals’ way of feeling, thinking, and behaving that makes them unique from other people. A personality is often dictated by certain experiences, an individuals’ surroundings, and inherited traits.
Normally, the personality that an individual develops will remain the same over a long period. However, when someone displays signs and behaviors that deviate from their personality, this may cause distress or problems maintaining a normal life. When this happens, the diagnosis is normally a personality disorder.
What Is a Personality Disorder?
There are 10 specific forms of personality disorders. Overall, these disorders are defined as long-term patterns of behavioral experiences that are much different than expected. Normally these patterns begin in the teenage years or early adulthood and cause heavy periods of stress. IF left untreated, these disorders may be long-lasting.
Normally, personality disorders affect at least two of these areas:
- The way an individual thinks about themselves and others
- The way individuals respond to situations emotionally
- How they relate to other people
- Their ability to control their behavior
Several types of personality disorders exist and are listed in the following section.
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Common Types of Personality Disorder
There are several common types of personality disorders, each including its own unique symptoms and area of life it affects.
Antisocial Personality Disorder
This includes a pattern of ignoring or violating the rights of other individuals. When antisocial personality disorder is present, individuals won’t conform to social norms and may repeatedly lie or deceive other people and act impulsively.
Avoidant Personality Disorder
This is highlighted by a pattern of shyness and feelings of inadequacy. Individuals with this form of personality disorder may also respond poorly to criticism. Normally, they won’t become involved with people unless they are positive they will be liked and are obsessed with being rejected.
Borderline Personality Disorder
This particular type of disorder includes instability in personal relationships, strong emotions, poor self-image, and acting impulsively. Individuals with this form of personality disorder will employ certain tactics to avoid being abandoned, may have attempted suicide, and display intense feelings of anger or emptiness.
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Dependent Personality Disorder
This is a pattern of needing to be taken care of or displaying clingy behavior. Individuals may have difficulty making decisions without being reassured. They may also feel uncomfortable or unhappy when they’re alone and become unable to care for themselves.
Histrionic Personality Disorder
This includes excessive emotion and attention-seeking behavior. Individuals suffering from this personality disorder are uncomfortable when the attention isn’t on them and use their physical appearance to garner attention. They may also display rapidly shifting and exaggerated emotions.
Narcissistic Personality Disorder
This type of disorder includes the need for admiration and a lack of empathy for other people. Individuals may have an inflated sense of self-importance and entitlement and may commonly take advantage of others.