Psychological Personality Disorders

What is a psychological personality disorder?

Psychological Personality disorders are the group of mental health conditions characterized by atypical and inflexible patterns of feeling, thinking, and behaving. These behaviors and inner experiences may differ from the expectations of culture in which a person lives.

 

Approximately 9% of adults in the U.S. have a few types of personality disorder, and around 6% of the global population deal with a personality disorder.

 

Borderline personality disorder (BPD) and antisocial personality disorder are most commonly diagnosed personality disorders.

 

5 common causes of psychological personality disorder

 

The exact cause of psychological personality disorders isn’t known. Anyhow, it’s believed that obsessive-compulsive, narcissistic or other personality disorders may be triggered by genetics, abuse and environmental factors, most noticeably childhood trauma.

 

In the past, it was believed that people having personality disorders were just even evil or lazy. But new research has begun to explore some potential causes as parenting, genetics, and peer influences.

 

5 causes of psychological personality disorders may include:

 

Genetics

Genes that you inherit from your parents can make you more exposed to developing  personality disorder as there is some evidence that the disorder can run in families.

 

Problem with brain chemicals

It is thought that many people with personality disorder have something wrong with neurotransmitters in their brain, commonly serotonin.

 

Neurotransmitters are chemical messengers used by the brain to transmit signals between the brain cells. Changed levels of serotonin have been linked to aggression, depression, and difficulty in controlling destructive urges.

 

Childhood trauma

A study showed a relation between childhood traumas and development of psychological personality disorders. People with personality disorder, such as, had especially higher rates of childhood sexual trauma. People with these disorders have issues with trust and intimacy, both of which can be related to childhood trauma and abuse.

 

Verbal abuse

In one study, individuals who experienced verbal abuse as child were three times more likely to have obsessive-compulsive or paranoid, narcissistic, borderline personality disorders in adulthood.

 

Environmental factors

A variety of environmental factors pretend to be common among people with psychological personality disorder. These include:

 

• Being a victim of physical, emotional, or sexual abuse

• Being susceptible to long-term distress or fear as a child

• Being neglected by the 1 or both parents

• Growing up with a family member who had a serious mental health disorder, such as drink, drug misuse and bipolar disorder

 

There is a relation between high reactivity in children and personality disorders, including sensitivity to:

• Noise

• Light

• Texture

• Other stimuli

 

Symptoms of personality disorder

There are 10 common symptoms of personality disorder, including:

• Issues with self-esteem

• Problems while maintaining close relationships

• Difficulty with empathy

• Trouble with boundaries

• Inconsistent values

• Problematic parenting styles

• Difficulty in regulating emotions

• Problems with managing stress

• Low self-awareness

• Difficulty at work

 

Types of personality disorders

There are different types of psychological personality disorders. They’re commonly grouped into three clusters on the basis of similar symptoms and  characteristics. Some people can have signs and symptoms of more than one personality disorder.

 

List of 10 personality disorders includes:

 

Cluster A: Suspicious

 

• Paranoid personality disorder

People with paranoid personality disorder can be suspicious of their moves and distrustful of others.

 

• Schizoid personality disorder

People having schizoid personality disorder may display less interest in developing personal relationships or participating in social interactions. They can have difficulty exposing social cues, resulting in them to seem emotionally distant.

 

• Schizotypal personality disorder

People having schizotypal personality disorder constantly believe that they may influence events and other people with their thoughts. They can misinterpret behaviors, which leads to unsuitable emotional responses. They avoid having intimate relationships.

Cluster B: Emotional and impulsive

 

• Antisocial personality disorder

Individuals with antisocial personality disorder tend to treat or manipulate others without expressing guilt for their actions. They usually engage in dishonest behavior such as stealing and lying, and they can be susceptible to heavy drug and alcohol use.

 

• Borderline personality disorder

People with borderline personality disorder may feel abandoned and empty, regardless of community support or family. They have episodes of paranoia and often face difficulty dealing with stressful events. They are also prone to engage in impulsive and risky behavior, such as gambling and binge drinking.

 

• Histrionic personality disorder

People with histrionic personality disorder continuously try to get more attention by being provocative or dramatic. They are commonly easily influenced by others and are sensitive to disapproval or criticism.

 

• Narcissistic personality disorder

People with narcissistic personality disorder generally believe that they are more important than other people. They tend to overemphasize their achievements and may brag about their success or attractiveness. Other symptoms may include a need for admiration but lack sympathy for other people.

 

Cluster C: Anxious

 

• Avoidant personality disorder

People with avoidant personality disorder commonly face feelings of unattractiveness, inferiority, and inadequacy. They may dwell upon criticism from other people and avoid making new friends or avoid participating in new activities.

 

• Dependent personality disorder

People with this dependent personality disorder depend on other people to fulfill their physical and emotional needs. People with dependent personality disorder regularly need assurance while making decisions and commonly avoid being alone. They are more likely to tolerate verbal and physical abuse.

 

• Obsessive-compulsive personality disorder

People with this type of  psychological personality disorder have an immense need for order. They strongly stick to rules and regulations, and they feel extremely anxious when perfection is not achieved. They often neglect personal relationships while focusing on a project to make it perfect.

 

Personality disorder diagnosis

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5), is a reference that healthcare providers and mental health professionals use to assist diagnose mental health conditions. Each personality disorder has a criteria that must be met for diagnosis.

 

A mental health professional will ask you questions on the basis of  these criteria to evaluate the type of personality disorder. In order to diagnose a condition, the feelings and behaviors must be consistent throughout many life circumstances.

 

They should also create significant impairment and distress in at least two of following areas:

• the way you interpret or perceive yourself and other people

• the way you act while dealing with others

• The relevance of your emotional responses

• how perfectly you can control your impulses

 

In a few cases, your primary care doctor may perform blood tests to decide  whether a medical problem is producing your symptoms. In some cases, they ask for a screening test for drugs or alcohol if they think substances are responsible for your symptoms.

 

Personality disorder treatment

Personality disorder treatment may vary depending on type and the severity of your psychological personality disorder. It commonly includes psychotherapy and medications.

 

Psychotherapy

Talk therapy or psychotherapy can help in managing personality disorders. During the psychotherapy, you and a therapist commonly discuss your condition, as well as your thoughts and feelings. This may help you to understand  and manage your symptoms and behaviors that may interfere with your daily life.

 

There are various types of psychotherapy. Dialectical behavior therapy consists of individual and group sessions where individuals learn how to tolerate stress and improve their relationships. The aim of cognitive behavioral therapy  is to teach people how to change patterns of negative thinking so they can cope with everyday challenges in a better way.

 

Medication

There are not any medicines approved for the treatment of personality disorders. However, a few types of prescription medications help in reducing psychological personality disorder symptoms, including:

 

• antidepressants, which help improve impulsivity, anger, or a depressed mood

• mood stabilizers, which can reduce aggression and irritability and prevent intense mood changes

• antipsychotic medications, also called neuroleptics, which may help reduce symptoms of psychosis such as hallucinations and delusions

• anti-anxiety medications, which help relieve insomnia, anxiety, and agitation

 

Summary

It’s important to keep in mind that psychological personality disorders are mental health conditions. Along with all mental health problems, getting help as early as symptoms become noticeable may help decrease your life disruption.

 

Personality disorders can be treated, however. Often a combination of psychotherapy and medication may go a long way to help you live with one of the above conditions.

 

The family members of individuals with personality disorders commonly experience isolation, grief, depression and stress. It is necessary  to take care of your mental health and get help if you’re experiencing any of these symptoms.

More Read Psychological Personality Disorders