Personality Disorders Flashcards
Cluster A personality disorders
‘Odd or eccentric’
Paranoid
Schizoid
Schizotypal
Cluster B personality disorders
‘Dramatic, emotional or erratic’
Antisocial
Borderline (Emotionally Unstable)
Histrionic
Narcissistic
Cluster C personality disorders
‘Anxious or fearful’
Anankastic /Obsessive-Compulsive
Avoidant
Dependent
Cluster A personality disorders - Paranoid
Hypersensitivity and an unforgiving attitude when insulted
Unwarranted tendency to questions the loyalty of friends
Reluctance to confide in others
Preoccupation with conspirational beliefs and hidden meaning
Unwarranted tendency to perceive attacks on their character
Cluster A personality disorders - Schizoid
Indifference to praise and criticism
Preference for solitary activities
Lack of interest in sexual interactions
Lack of desire for companionship
Emotional coldness
Few interests
Few friends or confidants other than family
Cluster A personality disorders - Schizotypal
Ideas of reference (differ from delusions in that some insight is retained)
Odd beliefs and magical thinking
Unusual perceptual disturbances
Paranoid ideation and suspiciousness
Odd, eccentric behaviour
Lack of close friends other than family members
Inappropriate affect
Odd speech without being incoherent
Cluster B personality disorder - antisocial
Failure to conform to social norms with respect to lawful behaviours as indicated by repeatedly performing acts that are grounds for arrest;
More common in men;
Deception, as indicated by repeatedly lying, use of aliases, or conning others for personal profit or pleasure;
Impulsiveness or failure to plan ahead;
Irritability and aggressiveness, as indicated by repeated physical fights or assaults;
Reckless disregard for the safety of self or others;
Consistent irresponsibility, as indicated by repeated failure to sustain consistent work behaviour or honour financial obligations;
Lack of remorse, as indicated by being indifferent to or rationalizing having hurt, mistreated, or stolen from another
Cluster B personality disorders - borderline personality disorder/EUPD
Efforts to avoid real or imagined abandonment
Unstable interpersonal relationships which alternate between idealization and devaluation
Unstable self image/identity issues
Impulsivity in potentially self damaging area (e.g. Spending, sex, substance abuse)
Recurrent suicidal behaviour and deliberate self harm
Affective instability (mood swings)
Chronic feelings of emptiness
Difficulty controlling temper
Quasi psychotic thoughts
Pseudohallucinations
Problems with food, sex, alcohol and drugs
Cluster B personality disorders - narcissistic
Grandiose sense of self importance
Preoccupation with fantasies of unlimited success, power, or beauty
Sense of entitlement
Taking advantage of others to achieve own needs
Lack of empathy
Excessive need for admiration
Chronic envy
Arrogant and haughty attitude
Cluster C personality disorders - anankastic/obsessive compulsive
Is occupied with details, rules, lists, order, organization, or agenda to the point that the key part of the activity is gone
Demonstrates perfectionism that hampers with completing tasks
Is extremely dedicated to work and efficiency to the elimination of spare time activities
Is meticulous, scrupulous, and rigid about etiquettes of morality, ethics, or values
Is not capable of disposing worn out or insignificant things even when they have no sentimental meaning
Is unwilling to pass on tasks or work with others except if they surrender to exactly their way of doing things
Takes on a stingy spending style towards self and others; and shows stiffness and stubbornness
Cluster C personality disorders - avoidant/anxious avoidant
Avoidance of occupational activities which involve significant interpersonal contact due to fears of criticism, or rejection.
Unwillingness to be involved unless certain of being liked
Preoccupied with ideas that they are being criticised or rejected in social situations
Restraint in intimate relationships due to the fear of being ridiculed
Reluctance to take personal risks due to fears of embarrassment
Views self as inept and inferior to others
Social isolation accompanied by a craving for social contact
Cluster C personality disorders - dependent
Difficulty making everyday decisions without excessive reassurance from others
Need for others to assume responsibility for major areas of their life
Difficulty in expressing disagreement with others due to fears of losing support
Lack of initiative
Unrealistic fears of being left to care for themselves
Urgent search for another relationship as a source of care and support when a close relationship ends
Extensive efforts to obtain support from others
Unrealistic feelings that they cannot care for themselves
Class B personality disorders - Histrionic
Inappropriate sexual seductiveness
Need to be the centre of attention
Rapidly shifting and shallow expression of emotions
Suggestibility
Physical appearance used for attention seeking purposes
Impressionistic speech lacking detail
Self dramatization
Relationships considered to be more intimate than they are
What are personality disorders?
Personality disorders may be defined as a series of maladaptive personality traits that interfere with normal function in life. They are typically categorised as belonging to one of three clusters:
A, B, and C
What is ‘splitting’
Relationships alternate between idealisation and devaluation
What symptoms and behaviours may occur in personality disorders?
Strong, intense emotions
Emotional instability
Anger
Low self esteem
Impulsive behaviour
Substance abuse
Poor sense of identity
Difficulty maintaining relationships
Risky behaviour, such as risky sex
Violence and aggression
Self harm
Suicide attempts
What is narcissistic personality disorder?
A class B personality disorder
Narcissistic personality disorder is characterised by a strong sense of self-importance. They can be manipulative to gain what they need and feel the need to only associate with others of higher stations than them. They have a sense of entitlement, a need for admiration and a lack of empathy for others or believe others are jealous of them.
What is meant by personality? When does it develop?
A characteristic way of acting and feeling that has been persistent since adolescence and is pervasive and persistent in nature
Adolescence is the key time of personality formation, although babies are born with different temperaments and certain characteristics are evident in early childhood
What effects personality development
Temperament
Genetics
Parenting
Culture and society
Adversity (trauma and internal world)
Relationships with others
Clusters of personality disorder
Class A - odd or eccentric
Class B - dramatic, emotional or eccentric
Class C - anxious or fearful
In personality disorders, when will problems begin?
Childhood/adolescence
People with what personality disorder might be described as ‘psychopaths’
Antisocial personality disorder (type B cluster)
EUPD/BPD defence mechanisms
Immaturity of the ego Results in Primitive defence mechanisms:
Projecting/projective identification (making others feel the unpleasant feeling)
Splitting
Presentation of BPD/EUPD
Disturbed childhood
History of Abuse - emotional, sexual, physical
Feelings of Not good enough, unlovable, self loathing
Management of EUPD
Therapeutic relationship
Encourage ‘maturing’ of ego
Provide stability and ‘a secure base’
Beware of sectioning
Boundaries care
Dialectical behavioural therapy - mindfulness, acceptance, distress, tolerance, emotional regulation
What is a personality disorder
Personality disorders may be defined as a series of maladaptive personality traits that interfere with normal function in life.
Shizotypal personality disorder vs schizotypical
Schizotypal personality disorder is characterised by cognitive or perceptual distortions, odd behaviour and the inability to maintain any close relationships. Those with schizotypal personality disorder have difficulties forming relationships and typically have few, if any, close friends. They also feel extreme anxiety in social situations and may act inappropriately, or not react at all, during conversations.
Schizoid personality disorder displays the negative symptoms of schizophrenia
Briefly discuss some of the possible aetiologies of personality disorders
Childhood development – insecure childhood attachments, childhood trauma, inconsistent parenting. Genetic – there is some evidence that some personality traits can be inherited.
Psychodynamic theories – discusses the use of maladaptive or primitive defence mechanisms. Cognitive-behavioural theories – relates to the development of maladaptive schemata/core beliefs derived from early experiences.
Dissocial pd ICD 10
Personality disorder characterized by disregard for social obligations, and callous unconcern for the feelings of others. There is gross disparity between behaviour and the prevailing social norms. Behaviour is not readily modifiable by adverse experience, including punishment. There is a low tolerance to frustration and a low threshold for discharge of aggression, including violence; there is a tendency to blame others, or to offer plausible rationalizations for the behaviour bringing the patient into conflict with society.
