Personality Disorder (3)

Question 1

What is it?

What is it characterised by?

What does it lead to?

What do pts often have?

Answer 1

➊ Umbrella term for variations of maladaptive personality traits, causing significant psychosocial distress and interfering with everyday functioning

➋ Patterns of thought, behaviour and emotions that differ from what is deemed socially acceptable

➌ Difficultly forming relationships, reduced quality of life and poor physical health

➍ Hx of early childhood trauma and difficult circumstances

Question 2

Class A - Suspicious:
What are the types of this?

Answer 2

• Paranoid personality disorder – Irrational suspicion and mistrust of others, Hypersensitive to criticism, Reluctance to confide in others
• Schizoid personality disorder - Lack of interest in others, Apathy, Tend to have few friends and don’t form relationships (prefer solitude)
• Schizotypal personality disorder – Extreme difficult interacting socially, Inappropriate behaviour and strange speech and effect that can cause others to see them as strange
‣ Share some features with Schizophrenia, but maintain a better grasp on reality

Question 3

Class B - Emotional/Impulsive:
What are the types of this?

Answer 3

• Borderline personality disorder – Most common – Abrupt mood swings, unstable relationships, and instability in self-image
‣ Self-harm is common here
• Histrionic personality disorder – Attention seeking behaviours, Often sexually inappropriate, and self-dramatising
• Narcissistic personality disorder – Grandiosity, Need for admiration of others and a lack of empathy
‣ Sense of entitlement and will tack advantage of others to achieve their own wants
‣ Arrogant and preoccupied by their own fantasies and desires

Question 4

Class C - Anxious:
What are the types of this?

Answer 4

• Avoidant personality disorder - Severe anxiety about rejection or disapproval and avoidance of social situations or relationships
‣ Extremely sensitive to criticism
‣ Often self-impose isolation whilst craving acceptance and social contact
• Dependent personality disorder - Heavy reliance on others to make decisions and take responsibility for their lives, Lack inititative
• Obsessive compulsive personality disorder - Preoccupied by rules, details and organization to the detriment of other aspects of their life. Perfectionist, often eliminating leisure activities to ensure work is completed.
‣ Unlike OCD, those with OCPD lack insight