Personality Disorders

What are Personality Disorders?

Personality is the way of thinking, feeling, and behaving that makes a person different from other people.

There are 10 specific types of personality disorders. Personality disorders are long-term patterns of behavior and inner experiences that differs significantly from what is expected. The pattern of experience and behavior begins by late adolescence or early adulthood and causes distress or problems in functioning. Without treatment, personality disorders can be long-lasting. Personality disorders affect at least two of these areas: Way of thinking about oneself and others; Way of responding emotionally; Way of relating to other people; or Way of controlling one’s behavior.

Types of Personality Disorders

• Antisocial personality disorder
• Avoidant personality disorder
• Borderline personality disorder
• Dependent personality disorder
• Histrionic personality disorder:
• Narcissistic personality disorder
• Obsessive-compulsive personality disorder
• Paranoid personality disorder
• Schizoid personality disorder
• Schizotypal personality disorder

Certain types of psychotherapy are effective for treating personality disorders. During psychotherapy, an individual can gain insight and knowledge about the disorder,  what is contributing to symptoms, and can talk about thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. Psychotherapy can help a person understand the effects of their behavior on others, learn to manage or cope with symptoms, and to reduce behaviors causing problems with functioning and relationships. The type of treatment will depend on the specific personality disorder, how severe it is, and the individual’s circumstances.

Commonly used types of psychotherapy include:

• Psychoanalytic/psychodynamic therapy
• Dialectical behavior therapy
• Cognitive behavioral therapy
• Group therapy
• Psychoeducation (teaching the individual and family members about the illness, treatment and ways of coping)