Personality Disorder

Question 1

How are personality disorders characterised?

Answer 1

Thought
Behaviour
Emotion

Question 2

What is personality?

Answer 2

Characteristic way or thinking and feeling that is pervasive and persistent in nature

Adolescence is the key time of personality formation

Question 3

What affects personality development?

Answer 3

• Temperament
• Genetics
• Parenting
• Culture and society
• Adversity (trauma and internal world)
• Relationships with other

Question 4

What are the characteristics of psychopaths?

Answer 4

• No guilt
• No remorse
• No responsibility
• Do not learn from mistakes
• Quick to get angry
• Blame others
• Use other people as ‘objects’ for their own gratification

Question 5

What do personality disorders lead to?

Answer 5

Reduced QoL
Poor physical health
Difficult relationships

Question 6

What causes personality disorders?

Answer 6

Genetic and environmental factors

Patients usually have a history of early childhood trauma and difficult circumstances

Question 7

How do personality disorders present?

Answer 7

Wide range of symptoms, typically emerge during teenage or early adulthood

• Strong and intense emotions
• Emotional instability
• Difficulty managing emotions
• Difficulty maintaining relationships
• Impulsive behaviour
• Self-harm and suicidal behaviours

Question 8

What are the 3 types of personality disorders?

Answer 8

Cluster A - Suspicious
Cluster B - Emotional or impulsive
Cluster C - Anxious

Question 9

Give examples of suspicious personality disorders and what cluster they are

Answer 9

Cluster A

Paranoid personality disorder
Features difficulty in trusting or revealing personal information to others

Schizoid personality disorder
Lack of interest or desire to form relationships with others and feelings that this is of no benefit

Schizotypal personality disorder
Unusual beliefs, thoughts and behaviours as well as social anxiety

Question 10

Give examples of emotional and impulsive personality disorders and what cluster they are

Answer 10

Cluster B

Antisocial personality disorder
- Reckless and harmful behaviour
- Lack of concern for consequences or impact of their behaviour on other people
- Usually criminal misconduct

Histrionic personality disorder
- Need to be centre of attention
- Performing for others to maintain attention

Borderline personality disorder
- Fluctuating strong emotions
- Difficulties with identity and maintain healthy relationships

Narcissistic personality disorder
- Feelings they are special and others need to recognise it or they get upset
- Put themselves first

Question 11

Give examples of anxious personality disorders and what cluster they are

Answer 11

Cluster C

Obsessive Compuslive aka Anankastic
- Rigid, stubborn, perfectionistic
- Preocccupied with rules, order and routine, high sense of morality

Dependent personality disorder
- Heavy reliance on others to make decisions, need reassurance
- Depend on others to take responsibility for their lives

Anxious - Avoidant
- Present with persitent anxiety, sensitive to rejection
- Tend to avoid relationships unless guaranteed acceptance

Question 12

How are personality disorders managed?

Answer 12

Behaviours are deeply ingrained and difficult to change

Risk management

Psychological treatment
Main treatment, CBT or dialectical behaviour therapy

Medications
Sedative medications sometimes used short term in a crisis

Question 13

In an anxiety attack what causes numbness in the hands, feet or mouth?

Answer 13

Hyperventilation

Causes reduction in arterial CO2 and increased blood pH

Alkalosis promotes calcium binding to albumin

Hypocalcaemia causes the tingling and numbness