UNDERSTANDING PERSONALITY DISORDERS: A Breakdown

While everyone has a personality, for some, this fundamental part of who we are can become a source of deep struggle. Personality disorders are a group of mental health conditions that significantly impact a person's thoughts, emotions, and behaviours. These disorders can be detrimental not only to the individual but also to those around them. In this blog, we'll explore personality disorders, how they are diagnosed, and their different types.

What Are Personality Disorders?

Personality disorders involve patterns of behaviour, cognition, and inner experience that deviate from cultural expectations. These patterns are pervasive and inflexible, leading to distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other areas of functioning. While there are 10 recognised personality disorders, they all share a common theme: persistent and harmful thoughts, emotions, and behaviours.

How Are Personality Disorders Diagnosed?

Diagnosing a personality disorder typically involves assessing certain criteria. A mental health professional may diagnose someone with a personality disorder if the following conditions are met:

1. Difficulty in Relating to Others or Themselves: Individuals with a personality disorder often struggle with relationships. This difficulty may manifest in how they control their behaviour or how they respond emotionally to others. These challenges make it hard for them to connect with others or even understand themselves fully.

2. Pathological Personality Traits Across Situations: For a diagnosis, the traits must be consistent across various situations and contexts. These traits are considered "pathological" when they negatively impact how a person perceives, interacts with, and adapts to the world around them. In other words, these traits are harmful and can cause significant distress.

What Does "Pathological" Mean?

In the context of mental health, "pathological" refers to thoughts, emotions, or behaviours that are detrimental to an individual's functioning. These traits may be caused by a mental or physical condition and are not typical or accepted within the person's culture. Pathological traits are persistent and can severely impact a person's life.

Types of Personality Disorders

Personality disorders are categorized into three groups, or clusters, based on their most prominent personality traits:

• Cluster A (Odd, bizarre, eccentric)

  This cluster includes disorders where individuals exhibit strange or unusual behaviour. They may be suspicious, paranoid, or display a significant level of detachment from social relationships. Personality disorders in this group include Paranoid Personality Disorder, Schizoid Personality Disorder, and Schizotypal Personality Disorder.

  
  

• Cluster B (Dramatic, erratic)

  Disorders in this cluster involve unpredictable, dramatic, or overly emotional behaviour. Individuals may have intense relationships, act impulsively, or struggle with maintaining a stable self-image. Personality disorders here are Antisocial Personality Disorder, Borderline Personality Disorder, Histrionic Personality Disorder, and Narcissistic Personality Disorder.

  
  

• Cluster C (Fearful, anxious)

  The disorders in this cluster are characterised by anxiety and fear. Individuals may be excessively dependent on others, overly concerned with orderliness, or have an extreme fear of social disapproval. This cluster includes Avoidant Personality Disorder, Dependent Personality Disorder and Obsessive-compulsive Personality Disorder.

While personality disorders may differ from mental disorders like schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, they do, by definition, lead to significant impairment. It is estimated that about 10 percent of people have a personality disorder, though this number can vary depending on how clinicians define a “normal” personality versus one that causes serious issues. Characterizing personality disorders is difficult, but diagnosing them reliably is even more so. One might wonder how much a personality trait must deviate from the norm to be considered disordered, what constitutes 'significant impairment,' and how exactly 'impairment' should be defined.

Don't miss out as we break down each of the ten personality types in our forthcoming blog posts.