Personality Disorders Flashcards
How can symptoms of personality disorders be viewed as maladaptive?
-Variations within the domains of traits, emotions, cognitions, motives, and self-concept
-Variations on common motives like power and intimacy
-Cognitive processes
-Levels in experienced emotion
-Distortion of self-concept
What is a Disorder?
-Pattern of behaviour or experience that is distressing and painful to the person, leads to disability or impairment in important life domains and that is associated with increased risk for further suffering, loss of function, death, or confinement (APA, 2013).
What are the 4 aspects of abnormality?
-Statistical
-Social
-Psychological
-Behavioral
only looking at one aspect is not enough
What is a Personality Disorder?
-Pattern of behaviour:
–is rigid and displayed across a variety of situations
–distress in key areas of life such as work and relationships
–long history in a person’s life, often back to adolescence or childhood
–must not be attributable to drug abuse, medication, or other medical condition
-All personality disorders involve impaired social relations
What 3 aspects do we consider when diagnosing PDs?
- Must consider:
1. Culture
2. Age (we don’t diagnose at an early age)
3. Gender
What are the characteristics of Cluster A?
The Eccentric Cluster
-Contains traits that combine to make people:
–ill at ease socially
–appear or act in highly abnormal ways
–mostly focused on interactions with others
* Exhibit similar traits as those with schizophrenia but subclinical
Which PDs are in Cluster A?
- Schizoid
- Schizotypal
- Paranoid personalities
What are the characteristics of Schizoid PD?
-Detached from normal social relationships
-Obtains little pleasure out of life
-Appears inept or socially clumsy
-Passive in the face of unpleasant events
-Indifferent in social relations
-Self concept: Self as loner, without ambition
What are the characteristics of Schizotypal PD?
-Similar interpersonal difficulties of schizoid personality but more anxious
-Eccentric thinking
-Odd beliefs or magical thinking
-Odd speech
-Ideas of reference
-Suspiciousness, Paranoid ideation
-Eccentric behaviour and appearance
-Self Concept: Self as different from others
What are the characteristics of Paranoid PD?
-Distrustful of others
-Misinterprets social events as threatening
-Harbors resentment towards others
-Prone to pathological jealousy
-Argumentative and hostile
-Self concept: Self as victim
What are the characteristics of Cluster B?
The Erratic Cluster
-Persons with these disorders appear erratic, emotional, and have difficulties getting along with others
Which PDs are in Cluster B?
- Antisocial
- Borderline
- Histrionic
- Narcissistic
What are the characteristics of Antisocial PD?
-Conduct disorder present before age 15 (i.e., truancy, running away from home, theft, arson)
-Pattern of anti-social behaviour continues into adulthood
–irresponsible and anti-social behaviour
–work only inconsistently
–break laws
–physically aggressive *
–reckless, impulsive
-Self concept: Self as unfettered by rules
What are the characteristics of Antisocial PD & Psychopathy?
-Key characteristic— poverty of emotions both positive and negative
–Lack of remorse
–No sense of shame
–Superficially charming
–Manipulates others for personal gain
–Lack of anxiety
–Lack of empathy
–BIS?
What are the characteristics of Borderline PD?
-Instability of relationships, emotions, and self-image
-Trouble regulating emotion
-Strong emotions
-Impairments in emotional perception making them prone to self-harm
-Fears of abandonment
-Splitting
-Self concept: Self as vague, diffuse, changing, unstable, with no strong feeling of identity
