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※ ~Types of Personality Disorders~ ※
Reminder: This is not a place for self-diagnosis. Some of these symptoms you see in yourself and others, but remember you must be diagnosed by an actual doctor.
Paranoid Personality Disorder:
PPD is a type of psychological personality disorder characterized by an extreme level of distrust and suspicion of others. Paranoid personalities are generally difficult to get along with, and their combative and distrustful nature often elicits hostility in others. The negative social interactions that result from their behavior then serve to confirm and reinforce their original pessimistic expectations. Needless to say, those with PPD are unlikely to form many close relationships and are typically perceived as cold and distant. They are quick to challenge the loyalty of friends and loved ones and tend to carry long grudges.
According to the DSM-IV-TR (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders), a patient must fit at least four of the following criteria in order to be diagnosed with PPD:
Unfounded suspicion that others are exploiting, harming, or deceiving him or her.
Preoccupation with unjustified doubts about the loyalty of friends or associates.
Reluctance to confide in others because of unwarranted fear that the information will be used against him or her.
Finds hidden demeaning or threatening meanings into benign remarks or events.
Persistently bears grudges and is unforgiving.
Frequently perceives attacks on his or her character and is quick to react angrily or to counterattack.
Unjustified suspicions regarding fidelity of spouse or sexual partner.
The prevalence of Paranoid Personality Disorder has been estimated to be as high as 4.5% of the general population and occurs more commonly in males.
Schizoid Personality Disorder
Individuals with schizoid personality are characteristically detached from social relationships and show a restricted range of expressed emotions. Their social skills, as would be expected, are weak, and they do not typically express a need for attention or approval. They may be perceived by others as somber and aloof, and often are referred to as "loners."
According to the DSM-IV-TR (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders), a patient must fit the following criteria in order to be diagnosed with Schizoid Personality Disorder. A pervasive pattern of detachment from social relationships and a restricted range of expression of emotions in interpersonal settings, beginning by early adulthood and as indicated by four (or more) of the following:
Neither desires nor enjoys close relationships, including being part of a family.
Almost always chooses solitary activities.
Has little, if any, interest in having sexual experiences with another person.
Takes pleasure in few, if any, activities.
Lacks close friends or confidantes other than first-degree relatives.
Appears indifferent to the praise or criticism of others.
Shows emotional coldness, detachment, or flattened affectivity.
SDP is less common than other personality disorders, at least in clinical settings. Its incidence is estimated at less than 1% - 3% of the general population. A precise assessment of prevalence is difficult to provide, because of several changes in diagnostic criteria as well as the unlikelihood that those with SPD will seek treatment. Men are diagnosed more frequently than are women, and also seem to suffer more severe expression of the disorder.
Shizotypal Personality Disorder
Schizotypal personalities are characterized by odd forms of thought, perception and beliefs. They may have bizarre mannerisms, an eccentric appearance, and speech that is excessively elaborate and difficult to follow. However, these cognitive distortions and eccentricities are only considered to be a disorder when the behaviors become persistent and very disabling or distressing. In social interactions, schizotypals may react inappropriately, not react at all, or talk to themselves. They may believe that they have extra sensory powers or that they are connected to unrelated events in some important way. However, they tend to avoid intimacy and typically have few close friends. Although schizotypals may marry and hold down jobs, they are prone to feel nervous around strangers.
According to the DSM-IV-TR (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders), a patient must fit the following criteria in order to be diagnosed with Schizotypal Personality Disorder. Pervasive pattern of social and interpersonal deficits marked by acute discomfort with, and reduced capacity for, close relationships as well as by cognitive or perceptual distortions and eccentricities of behavior, beginning by early adulthood and present in a variety of contexts, as indicated by five (or more) of the following:
Ideas of reference.
Odd beliefs or magical thinking that influences behavior and is inconsistent with subcultural norms.
Unusual perceptual experiences, including bodily illusions.
Odd thinking and over-elaborate speech.
Suspiciousness or paranoid thought process.
Inappropriate or constricted affect (externally displayed emotion or mood).
Behavior or appearance that is odd, eccentric, or peculiar.
Lack of close friends other than first-degree relatives.
Excessive social anxiety that does not diminish with familiarity and tends to be associated with paranoid fears.
This disorder occurs more frequently in individuals who have an immediate family member with Schizophrenia or other Psychotic Disorders. The incidence of schizotypal personality is estimated at 3% of the general population and appears to be slightly prevalent among men than women.
Antisocial Personality Disorder
APD (also called ASPD) is a psychological personality disorder characterized by lack of empathy or conscience, a difficulty controlling impulses and manipulative behaviors. This disorder is sometimes also referred to as psychopathy or sociopathy, however, Antisocial Personality Disorder is the clinical terminology used for diagnosis. The term antisocial personality is commonly misunderstood as referring to someone who has poor social skills, but usually the opposite is true. Psychopaths can be charming, and are adept at focusing their cold, calculating efforts solely on self-gratification, typically at the expense of others.
According to the DSM-IV-TR (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders), in order to be diagnosed with Antisocial Personality Disorder, a patient must have a persistent history of disregard for and violation of the others’ rights, occurring since age 15, evidenced by three (or more) of the following seven traits:
Failure to conform to social norms (evidenced by repeated unlawful behaviors).
Deceitfulness, repeated lying, use of aliases, or manipulating others for personal profit or pleasure.
Impulsivity or failure to plan ahead.
Irritability and aggressiveness (repeated physical fights or assaults).
Reckless disregard for safety of self or others.
Consistent irresponsibility (such as repeated failure to sustain consistent work behavior or honor financial obligations).
Lack of remorse, indifferent to or rationalizing having hurt, mistreated, or stolen from another.
The National Comorbidity Survey, using DSM-III-R criteria, found that 5.8% of males and 1.2% of females showed evidence of a lifetime risk for the disorder. However the prevalence in penitentiaries has been estimated to be much higher. Antisocial personality disorder also shows an elevated prevalence among patients in alcohol or other drug abuse treatment programs than in the general population.
Borderline Personality Disorder
People with this disorder are prone to unpredictable outbursts of anger, which sometimes manifest in self-injurious behavior. Borderlines are highly sensitive to rejection, and fear of abandonment may result in frantic efforts to avoid being left alone, such as suicide threats and attempts. Those suffering from BPD are also prone to other impulsive behaviors, such as excessive spending, binge eating, risky sex, and drug and alcohol abuse. They often exhibit additional psychiatric problems, particularly bipolar disorder, depression, anxiety, and other personality disorders. Symptoms typically begin in early adulthood, and once present, can interfere with relationships, work performance, long-term planning, and the individual's sense of self-identity. The disorder is also referred to as Emotional Regulation Disorder (ERD), which many feel more accurately describes the true nature of the illness.
According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, a patient must fit the following criteria in order to be diagnosed with BPD. A pervasive pattern of instability of interpersonal relationships, self-image, and affect, marked by impulsivity beginning by early adulthood, as indicated by five (or more) of the following:
Frantic efforts to avoid real or imagined abandonment.
Pattern of unstable and intense interpersonal relationships.
Identity disturbance: markedly and persistently unstable self-image.
Impulsivity in at least two areas that are potentially self-damaging (e.g., spending, sex, substance abuse, reckless driving, binge eating).
Recurrent suicidal behavior, gestures, or threats, or self-mutilating behavior.
Affective instability due to a marked reactivity of mood (extreme changes in mood typically lasting a few hours and only rarely more than a few days).
Chronic feelings of emptiness.
Inappropriate, intense anger or difficulty controlling anger.
Transient, stress-related paranoid ideation or severe dissociative symptoms.
Borderline Personality Disorder affects approximately 2% of the general population. About 10% of those seen in outpatient mental health clinics, and 20% of psychiatric inpatients are diagnosed borderline, with women being three times more likely to have the disorder than men. There appears to be a genetic component to the disease, as BPD is nearly five times more common among immediate family members of those with the disorder than in the general population.
Histrionic Personality Disorder
To be histrionic is to behave melodramatically—over the top. People with the psychological disorder HPD, have a personality based on histrionic behavior; constantly displaying an excessive level of emotionality. Histrionics crave the limelight and constantly seek attention and approval. They tend to dominate conversations using grandiose language and frequent interruptions. Those with HPD can be manipulative—negative attention being better than no attention at all.
HPD is only diagnosed when the characteristic behaviors are pervasive and disabling. According to the DSM-IV-TR (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders), a patient must fit at least five of the following criteria in order to be diagnosed with Histrionic Personality Disorder:
Uncomfortable in situations when not the center of attention.
Social interactions often characterized by inappropriate sexually provocative behavior.
Rapidly shifting and shallow expression of emotions.
Consistently uses physical appearance to draw attention to self.
Style of speech that lacks detail and is excessively emotional.
Shows self-dramatization, theatricality, and exaggerated expression of emotion.
Easily influenced by others or circumstances.
Considers relationships to be more intimate than they actually are.
HPD has been estimated to occur in 2% to 3% of the general population and is more common among women.
Narcissistic Personality Disorder
NPD is a type of psychological personality disorder characterized primarily by grandiosity, need for admiration, and lack of empathy. Narcissism occurs in a spectrum of severity, but the pathologically narcissistic tend to be extremely self-absorbed, intolerant of others’ perspectives, insensitive to others’ needs and indifferent to the effect of their own egocentric behavior. It is not uncommon for persons with this disorder to frequently compare themselves to the accomplished, well-known and well-to-do. They feel entitled to great praise, attention, and deferential treatment by others. Those with NPD crave the limelight and are quick to abandon situations in which they are not the center of attention. Defects of empathy may cause narcissists to misperceive other people's speech and actions, causing them to believe that they are well-liked and respected despite a history of negative personal interactions. Those with Narcissistic Personality Disorder are often ambitious and capable, but are unable cope with setbacks, disagreements or criticism. These emotional limitations, along with lack of empathy, make it difficult for such individuals to work well with others and to build a successful career.
According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV-TR), a patient must exhibit five or more of the following traits in order to be diagnosed with NPD:
Grandiose sense of self-importance.
Preoccupation with fantasies of unlimited success, power, brilliance, beauty, or ideal love.
Belief that he or she is "special" and unique and can only be understood by, or should associate with, other special or high-status people (or institutions).
Need for excessive admiration.
Sense of entitlement.
Takes advantage of others to achieve his or her own ends.
Lack of empathy.
Envious of others or believes that others are envious of him or her.
Arrogant, haughty behaviors or attitudes.
According to DSM IV, Narcissistic Personality Disorder occurs in less than 1% of the general population, and shows no difference in prevalence along any ethnic, social, cultural, economic, or professional lines, although the disorder is 50 to 75 percent more prevalent in men than in women.
Avoidant Personality Disorder
Those with AvPD experience an intense level of social anxiety. Extremely self-conscious, they tend to avoid social situations and gravitate to jobs that involve little interpersonal contact. Avoidants often feel inadequate or inferior to others and are hypersensitive to rejection. Unlike individuals with schizoid personality disorder, those with AvPD do crave social relationships but feel that social acceptance is unattainable.
AvPD is only diagnosed when the characteristic behaviors are pervasive and disabling. According to the DSM-IV-TR (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders), a patient must fit at least four of the following criteria in order to be diagnosed with Avoidant Personality Disorder:
Avoids activities involving interpersonal contact.
Unwilling to get involved due with people unless certain of being liked.
Shows restraint in intimate relationships due to a fear of shame or ridicule.
Marked preoccupation of being rejected or criticized by others.
Inhibited in new social situations because of feelings of inadequacy.
Views self as socially inept, personally unappealing, or inferior to others.
Reluctant to take personal risks or engage in new activities, for a fear of being embarrassed.
Estimates of the prevalence of Avoidant Personality Disorder in the general population have ranged from 0.5% to 2.5%.
Dependent Personality Disorder
DPD is a psychological personality disorder characterized by neediness. Dependent personalities want to be taken care of, cling to those they depend on, and often rely on others to make decisions for them. They have a strong fear of rejection and may become suicidal when faced with a disintegrating relationship. Those with DPD require excessive reassurance and advice, and are commonly over-sensitive to criticism or disapproval.
DPD is only diagnosed when the characteristic behaviors are pervasive and very disabling. According to the DSM-IV-TR (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders), a patient must fit at least five of the following criteria in order to be diagnosed with Dependent Personality Disorder:
Difficulty making everyday decisions without an excessive amount of advice.
Needs others to assume responsibility for most major areas of his or her life.
Difficulty expressing disagreement with others.
Difficulty initiating projects or doing things on his or her own.
Goes to excessive lengths to obtain nurturance and support from others.
Exaggerated fears of being unable to care for him or herself.
Urgently seeks another relationship when a close relationship ends.
Preoccupied with fears of being left to take care of him or herself.
DPD is more often found in females, and is estimated to occur in about 0.5% of the general population.
Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder
Although Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder (OCPD) is similar in name to Obsessive-Compulsive Anxiety Disorder (OCD), these are two completely separate and distinct psychological disorders. People suffering from Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder, also called Anankastic Personality Disorder, are so focused on order and perfection that their lack of flexibility interferes their ability to get things done, and to enjoy life in general. Little is accomplished because, whatever the task, for those with OCPD, it is never good enough. These individuals become mired in detail and are often unable to see the big picture; a textbook example of not being able to see the forest for the trees. The standards that those with OCPD set for themselves and others are impossibly high, and they are prone to damage personal relationships by being critical of those who don’t live up to their lofty ideals. There are few moral gray areas for someone with full-blown OCPD; actions and beliefs are either right or wrong, with no room for compromise. They can also be workaholics, preferring the control of working alone, as they are afraid that work completed by others will not be done correctly.
The DSM-IV-TR describes the criteria that must be met to arrive at a diagnosis of Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder. Although a person may exhibit any or all of the characteristics, it is not considered a disorder unless these issues impede his or her ability to lead a normal life. A patient must exhibit at least four of the following traits:
Preoccupation with details, rules, lists, order, organization, or schedules to the extent that the major point of the activity is lost.
Perfectionism that interferes with task completion.
Excessive devotion to work and productivity to the exclusion of leisure activities and friendships (not accounted for by obvious economic necessity).
Being overconscientious, scrupulous, and inflexible about matters of morality, ethics, or values (not accounted for by cultural or religious identification).
Inability to discard worn-out or worthless objects even when they have no sentimental value.
Reluctance to delegate tasks or to work with others unless they submit to exactly his or her way of doing things.
A miserly spending style toward both self and others; money is viewed as something to be hoarded for future catastrophes.
Rigidity and stubbornness.
Others that are Reclassified but Included in Thread
What many people know as “Multiple Personality Disorder” is now called “Dissociative Identity Disorder.” It is no longer considered to be a personality disorder, but rather a dissociative disorder. This category includes:
Dissociative amnesia: Memory loss that's more extensive than normal forgetfulness and can't be explained by a physical or neurological condition is the main symptom of this condition. Sudden-onset amnesia following a traumatic event, such as a car accident, is rare. More commonly, conscious recall of traumatic periods, events or people in your life — especially from childhood — is simply absent from your memory.
Dissociative identity disorder: This condition, formerly known as multiple personality disorder, is characterized by "switching" to alternate identities when you're under stress. In dissociative identity disorder, you may feel the presence of one or more other people talking or living inside your head. Each of these identities may have name, personal history and characteristics, including marked differences in manner, voice, gender and even such physical qualities as the need for corrective eyewear. There often is considerable variation in each alternate personality's familiarity with the others. People with dissociative identity disorder typically also have dissociative amnesia. This is very rare, and is hard to diagnose even for professionals.
Dissociative fugue: People with this condition dissociate by putting real distance between themselves and their identity. For example, you may abruptly leave home or work and travel away, forgetting who you are and possibly adopting a new identity in a new location. People experiencing dissociative fugue may be very capable of blending in wherever they end up. A fugue episode may last only a few hours or, rarely, as long as many months. Dissociative fugue typically ends as abruptly as it begins. When it lifts, you may feel intensely disoriented, depressed and angry, with no recollection of what happened during the fugue or how you arrived in such unfamiliar circumstances.
Depersonalization disorder: This disorder is characterized by a sudden sense of being outside yourself, observing your actions from a distance as though watching a movie. It may be accompanied by a perceived distortion of the size and shape of your body or of other people and objects around you. Time may seem to slow down, and the world may seem unreal. Symptoms may last only a few moments or may come and go over many years.
Others that Appear to Effect Personality, but are not PD:
Bipolar Disorder: The deep mood swings of bipolar disorder may last for weeks or months, causing great disturbances in the lives of those affected, and those of family and friends, too. Today, a growing volume of research suggests that bipolar disorder occurs across a spectrum of symptoms, and that many people aren't correctly diagnosed. Left untreated, bipolar disorder generally worsens, and the suicide rate is high among those with bipolar disorder. But with effective treatment, you can live an enjoyable and productive life despite bipolar disorder.
Schizophrenia: Schizophrenia is a chronic, severe, and disabling brain disorder that has been recognized throughout recorded history. People with schizophrenia may hear voices other people don't hear or they may believe that others are reading their minds, controlling their thoughts, or plotting to harm them. These experiences are terrifying and can cause fearfulness, withdrawal, or extreme agitation. People with schizophrenia may not make sense when they talk, may sit for hours without moving or talking much, or may seem perfectly fine until they talk about what they are really thinking. Because many people with schizophrenia have difficulty holding a job or caring for themselves, the burden on their families and society is significant as well.
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, OCD, is an anxiety disorder and is characterized by recurrent, unwanted thoughts (obsessions) and/or repetitive behaviors (compulsions). Repetitive behaviors such as handwashing, counting, checking, or cleaning are often performed with the hope of preventing obsessive thoughts or making them go away. Performing these so-called "rituals," however, provides only temporary relief, and not performing them markedly increases anxiety.
Social Anxiety Disorder: A person with social anxiety disorder is afraid that he or she will make mistakes and be embarrassed or humiliated in front of others. The fear may be made worse by a lack of social skills or experience in social situations. The anxiety can build into a panic attack. As a result of the fear, the person endures certain social situations in extreme distress or may avoid them altogether. In addition, people with social anxiety disorder often suffer "anticipatory" anxiety -- the fear of a situation before it even happens -- for days or weeks before the event. In many cases, the person is aware that the fear is unreasonable, yet is unable to overcome it. People with social anxiety disorder suffer from distorted thinking, including false beliefs about social situations and the negative opinions of others. Without treatment, social anxiety disorder can negatively interfere with the person's normal daily routine, including school, work, social activities, and relationships.
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