Personality Disorders Flashcards

1
Q

What is the id?

A

Instinctive biological drives and desires; “I want”; can lead to overindulgence and disregard for rights of others

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2
Q

What is the ego?

A

Logical and language based problem solving; “I think”; balances the needs of the id with the external reality (social context)

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3
Q

What is the superego?

A

Moral conscience based on ideal and values of society; “I should”; can be the self critical aspect of personality

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4
Q

What are defense mechanisms?

A

How the ego solves problems, balancing the id and superego; resolves conflicts between the desires of the id and restrictions of the superego; keeps the person connected to reality (exhibited in daily behaviors)

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5
Q

What are the characteristics of defenses?

A

They are unconscious, change with circumstances, can be useful (coping) or harmful (pathological), and vary by intensity or extent

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6
Q

Why do we have defense mechanisms?

A

Major psychological drive for most poeple is to reduce tension; a major cause of tension is anxiety; resolve it by increasing problem solving thoughts (seek rational solution or seek how to escape situation) and if cannot resolve the tension then defense mechanisms take over

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7
Q

What are primitive defenses?

A

Occur natrually throughout childhood, in dreams, and in psychotic adults; if frequently used in non-psychotic adults can be severely pathological; these three defenses in conjunction permit one to effectively rearrange external experiences to eliminate the need to cope with reality

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8
Q

What are the 3 primitive defense mechanisms?

A

Projection, denial and splitting

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9
Q

What is projection?

A

Grossly frank delusions about external reality, usually of a persecutory nature; the self projects paranoid ideas out onto the world and onto other people; ex, a person who cheated on his wife believes his wife is having an affair even though there is no evidence of it

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10
Q

What is denial?

A

Refusal to accept external reality because it is too threatening; arguing against an anxiety provoking stimulus by stating it doesnt exist; a common initial response to shock or grief

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11
Q

What is splitting?*

A

Seeing some people as all good and others as all bad; often seen in borderline personality disorder; sometimes can occur within one other person; ex. Pt idolizes you but demonizes previous provider or office staff

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12
Q

What are the types of basic (neurotic) defenses?

A

Dissociation, passive aggressive, rationalization, undoing, reaction formation, acting out, blocking, intellectualization, isolation of affect, introjection/identification, somatization/hypochondriasis, regression and displacement

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13
Q

What is displacement?

A

Shifts sexual or aggressive impulses to a more acceptable or less threatening target; redirecting emotion to a safer outlet; separation of emotion from its real object and redirection of the intesne emotion toward someone or something that is less offensive or threatening in order to avoid dealing directly with what is frightening or threatening; ex. Parent yells at child when actually angry with spouse

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14
Q

What is regression?

A

Temporary reversion of behavior to an earlier, less mature, more child like behavior, rather than handling unacceptable impulses in a more adult way; ex. An adult begins talking in baby talk when stressed

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15
Q

What is somatization/hypochondriasis?

A

Transforming negative feelings towards others into negative feelings toward self, pain, illness, anxiety; e.g. student feels embarrassed by resident on rotation, then next day has upset stomach arriving at the rotation

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16
Q

What is introjection/identification?

A

Opposite of projection because it involves taking others’ behaviors or emotions and internalizing them; when person is aware of this it is an imitation; when person is not aware (unconscious) it is a defense; e.g. abused child becomes an abusive parent

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17
Q

What is isolation of affect?

A

Separating feelings from ideas and events; La belle indifference seen in conversion disorder and Alzheimer’s (very calm when talking about something that seems sad/shocking/stressful); cognitive information is recalled but emotions are avoided; e.g. person is describing a murder with graphic detail but no emotional response evident

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18
Q

What is intellectualization?

A

Focusing on and exaggerating the intellectual aspect of a situation so as to distance oneself from anxiety; emotion replaced by thoughts, separating emotions from ideas; e.g. physician focuses on test results rather than pt’s emotions

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19
Q

What is blocking?

A

Temporarily inhibts thinking; can include affect and behavior; the individual “stops” momentarily

20
Q

What is acting out?

A

Covering up true feelings by discharging a different feeling (usually anger); e.g. physical fight or bullying bc individual cant handle their internal emotions

21
Q

What is reaction formation?

A

Converting unconscious wishes or impulses considered threatening into their opposite (an over-reaction); taking the opposite belief bc the true belief causes anxiety; this defense works well in short term only; e.g. two co workers fight but secretly are attracted to each other

22
Q

What is undoing?

A

Do an action hoping to fix or reverse a previously unaccceptable behavior; seen in bulimia, intimate partner violence, compulsive behavior; e.g. individual buys flowers for partner after a fight

23
Q

What is rationalization?

A

Individual convinces themselves that no wrong happened and that the unacceptable is acceptable; usually an excuse or reason to justify their behavior; often gives several reasons as if trying to convince self; e.g. if the room werent so noisy, I wouldve done better on that exam

24
Q

What is passive aggressive?

A

Aggression towards others expressed indirectly or passively; not phsyical or verbal aggression; creates very serious problems; does this instead of directly confronting problems

25
Q

What is dissociation?

A

Drastic change in identity or character to avoid distress; seems like the experience is happening to someone else; common and sometimes extreme PTSD, substance abuse, dissociative disorders; e.g. individual who was assaulted describes watching it happen to themselves as if watching from outside their body

26
Q

What are mature defense mechanisms?

A

Common in emotionally healthy adults; helps integrate conflicting emotions and thoughts

27
Q

What are examples of mature defense mechanisms?

A

Sublimation, altruism, suppression and humor

28
Q

What is humor as a defense mechanism?

A

Overtly expressing ideas and feelings especially those too terrible to talk about

29
Q

What is suppression?

A

Conscious and intentional (the two ways it differs from repression); a conscious deicision to delay paying attention to emotional need; readily access and accept emotions later on

30
Q

What is altruism?

A

Constrictive service to others; brings pleasure and satisfaction; service is above one’s owns needs, avoids discomfort; e.g. physician thinks “I want to go to my childs play at school but the hospital needs me”

31
Q

What sublimation?

A

Transform unpleasant emotion or instinct into positive action, behavior or emotion; e.g. you are angry with a friend but rather than yell at them you exercise

32
Q

Defense mechanisms protect us from what?

A

From being consciously aware of a thought or feeling which we cannot tolerate

33
Q

Which personality disorders are in cluster A?

A

Schitzotypal, paranoid and schizoid personality disorders

34
Q

What is schizotypal personality disorder?

A

Magical and bizarre beliefs, egocentric

35
Q

What is paranoid personality disorder?

A

Angry, suspicious, cold

36
Q

What is schizoid personality disorder?

A

Loner, few friends or social connection by choice

37
Q

Which personality disorders are in cluster B?

A

Borderline, histrionic, anti-social, narcissist

38
Q

What is borderline personality disorder?

A

Impulsive, intense emotions, self harm

39
Q

What is histrionic personality disorder?

A

Dramatic, need for attention

40
Q

What is antisocial personality disorder?

A

Breaks laws with no remorse or conscience

41
Q

What is narcissist personality disorder?

A

Need to be special and entitled

42
Q

Which personality disorders are in cluster C?

A

Dependent, avoidant and OCPD

43
Q

What is dependent personality disorder?

A

Insecure, defers decisions

44
Q

What is avoidant personality disorder?

A

Desires warmth and security, avoids because of fear of rejection

45
Q

What is OCPD?

A

Inflexible, rigid, excessive order and detail