Personality Disorders Flashcards
What is a personality disorder?
an enduring pattern of inner experience and behavior that …
–Deviates markedly from the expectations of the individual’s culture
–Is pervasive and inflexible
——Most but not all
——Pervasive: affect every aspect of the individual’s life
-Has an onset in adolescence or early adulthood
-Is stable over time; not highly amenable to change
-Leads to distress or impairment
What are the three clusters of personality disorders?
-cluster A: odd or eccentric
-cluster B: dramatic, emotional, or erratic
-cluster C: anxious or fearful
What are examples of cluster A?
paranoid, schizoid, and schizotypal
What are examples of cluster B?
Antisocial, borderline, histrionic, and narcissistic
What are examples of cluster C?
Avoidant, dependent, and obsessive compulsive
What is paranoid personality disorder?
-Suspects others are exploiting, harmful, or deceiving
-Preoccupation with unjustified doubts re: loyal and trustworthiness of friends or associates
-Reluctant to confide in others
-Reads hidden meanings in benign remarks/events
-Persistently bears grudges
-Perceives character attacks by other
-Recurrent, unjustified suspicions of partner’s fidelity
-cluster A
What is schizoid personality disorder?
-Does not desire or enjoy close relationships
-Lacks close friends
-Chooses solitary activities
—Preference for mechanical or abstract tasks
-Little or no interest in sexual experiences with others
-Takes pleasure in few, if any, activities
-Appears indifferent to praise or criticism
-Emotional coldness, detachment or flat affect
—Tend to not feel strong emotions like anger
-Do not exhibit cognitive disorders
-cluster A
What is schizotypal personality disorder?
-Pervasive pattern of social or interpersonal deficits
-Ideas of reference: incorrect interpretations of events
—Assuming they have specific meaning relevant to individual
—Not as extreme as delusions
-Odd beliefs or magical thinking influence behavior
—EX: Thinking someone should take the dog out, someone takes the dog out, person thinks it was because they thought it
-Unusual perceptual experiences
—Do not typically reach the level of being out of touch with reality as in hallucinations
-Odd thinking and speech
-Suspiciousness or paranoia
-Inappropriate or constricted affect
-Odd, eccentric, peculiar behavior and appearance
-Lack of close friends
—Decreased desire for intimate contacts even if they are unhappy about it
-Excessive social anxiety
—Realize that they don’t fit in tied to their suspiciousness of others
-cluster A
What is antisocial personality disorder?
-Anti means against
—Not the same as social anxiety disorder
-Failure to conform to social norms re: lawful -behavior
-Deceitfulness
-Impulsivity
-Irritability and aggressiveness
-Reckless disregard for safety of self or others
-Consistent irresponsibility
-Lack of remorse
-At least 18 years of age
-Evidence of conduct disorder before age 15
-cluster B
What is borderline personality disorder?
-Frantic efforts to avoid real or imagined abandonment
—If they perceive that there may be an impending separation from another person in their life or that they may be rejected, this can lead to profound changes in their identity
-Causal: individuals with this disorders do not have a strong sense of identity and their identity is often rooted in others
-Pattern of unstable and intense interpersonal relationships
—Swift changes in how they view others identity
-Identity disturbance
—Swift switches in goals, values, and friends
-Potentially self-damaging impulsivity
—Gambling, spending money irresponsibility, un-safe sex practicies etc.
-Recurrent suicidal behavior, gestures, or self-mutilating behaviors
—With the purpose of trying to keep person engaged in relationship
—Completed suicide = 8-10%
-Affective instability due to mood reactivity
-Chronic emptiness
—Due to lacking strong sense of self or identity
-Anger issues
-Transient paranoia or dissociation
—When individual is experiencing extreme fear of abandonment or impulsivity or anger
-cluster B
What is histrionic personality disorder?
-Uncomfortable when not the center of attention
—If they are not they create a situation where they are
-Sexually seductiveor provocative behavior
-Rapid shifts in emotions; shallow emotion
-Uses physical appearance to draw attention to self
-Style of speech
—Tend to express strong opinions dramatically with vague reasons for expressing those opinions
-Dramatic, theatrical, exaggerated emotional expression
-Suggestible
—Easily influenced by opinions and feelings of others
-Inaccurate evaluation of relationships intimacy
-cluster B
What is narcissistic personality disorder?
-Greek mythology: narcist = character who saw reflection in body of water and fell in love with themself
-Grandiose pattern of self-importance
-Preoccupied with fantasies of success, power, beauty, etc.
-Belief is special and unique
-Requires excessive admiration
-Sense of entitlement
-Interpersonally exploitative
-Lack empathy
—High degree of difficulty recognizing that others have needs or desires as well
—Typically can’t stand to be in a conversation where another person is talking about themselves
-Often envious or believes others to be
-Arrogant behavior and attitudes
-cluster B
What is avoidant personality disorder?
-Avoid occupational activities involving interpersonal contact (fears)
-Avoids involvement with others unless being liked is certain
-Fears of shame or ridicule by others
-Preoccupied with being criticized or rejected
—Low threshold for others disapproving
-Feelings of inadequacy —> inhibited in social situations
-Sees self as socially inept, unappealing or inferior
-Reluctant to engage due to embarrassment fears
-cluster c
What is dependent personality disorder?
-Requires excessive advice from others in decision making
-Needs others to assume life responsibilities
—Wants others to make important decisions for them
-Difficulty expressing disagreement with others, fears loss of support or approval
-Lack of confidence —> difficulty with independent actions
-Excessive need to obtain nurturance and support
-Feels uncomfortable or helpless when alone
-Urgently seeks replacement relationships
-Unrealistic preoccupation with fears of having to take care of self
-cluster C
What is obsessive-compulsive personality disorder?
-Preoccupied with details, lists, order, organization or schedules
-Perfectionism that interferes with task completion
-Excessive work/productivity to exclusions of leisure and friendships
-Over-conscientious, scrupulous and inflexible remorality, ethics or values
-Unable to discard worthless or worn-out objects
-Reluctant to delegate
-Hoards
-Rigid and stubborn
-cluster C
