Personality disorders

Question 1

What is personality?

Answer 1

The unique combination of traits that make you an individual, including characteristic behaviours, attitudes, feelings, and ways of thinking.
Our personality manifests in our moods, attitudes and opinions and is clearly expressed when we interact with others.

Question 2

How are personality traits established?

Answer 2

Most of an individual’s personality traits are continually modified by their environment throughout their lifetime.

Family influence

Social supports

Socialization

Peer group influence

Question 3

Personality disorder

Answer 3

During the process of personality development, a person establishes certain traits that enable him/her to observe, interact with, and think about the environment and one’s self.
If a person develops a positive self-concept, body image, and sense of self-worth, and is able to relate to others openly and honestly, she/he is said to have characteristics of a healthy personality.

Question 4

The development of a personality disorder?

Answer 4

Should a person develop inflexible, maladaptive behaviours; e.g., manipulation, hostility, lying, poor judgment, and alienation that interfere with social or occupational functioning, the person exhibits signs and symptoms of personality disorder.

Question 5

What are the causes of personality disorder?

Answer 5

Becomes noticeable from an early age
Research suggests negative influences in our lives from a young age cause PD (evolution based theory)

Main influencing factors include:
Poor parenting (inconsistent discipline/supervision)
Rejection
Lack of love (attachment)
Abuse, conflict
Family history of PD, drug & alcohol use
PTSD, early exposure to trauma (not in later life)
Some possible genetic component, esp. BPD

Question 6

What are the types of personality disorder?

Answer 6

The American Psychiatric Associations (2013) DSM-5 lists 10 types of personality disorder
Criteria classified by persistent and enduring patterns of behaviour that are often destructive and nearly always characterised by maladaptive and inflexible ways of coping with stress.

They are clustered into 3 groups

Cluster A (odd or eccentric)
Cluster B (dramatic, erratic or emotional)
Cluster C (anxious and fearful)

Question 7

What is cluster A personality disorders?

Answer 7

Odd, eccentric, cold, withdrawn, suspicious, irrational traits.

Paranoid Personality Disorder
Schizoid personality Disorder
Schizotypal Personality Disorder

Question 8

What is cluster B personality disorders?

Answer 8

Dramatic, emotional, erratic behaviours, labile moods, involvement in several intense interpersonal conflicts throughout their lifetime.

Antisocial Personality Disorder
Borderline Personality Disorder
Histrionic Personality Disorder
Narcissistic Personality Disorder

Question 9

What is cluster C personality disorders?

Answer 9

Anxious, tense, over controlled

Avoidant Personality Disorder
Dependant Personality Disorder
Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder
Personality change due to another medical condition
Other personality disorder: NOS (Not Otherwise Specified)