personality disorders Flashcards
what are personality disorders?
unhealthy patterns of thinking functioning and behaving.
trouble perceiving and relating to situations and people.
problems and limitations in relationships , social activities, work and school.
they don’t realize they have a disorder as their way of thinking seems normal to them. one may blame others for the challenges they face.
they begin in teenage years and early adulthood.
some types may become less obvious throughout middle age
many people often show other signs of an additional personality disorder
they dont have to have every symptom inorder to be diagnosed.
what is cluster A in personality disorders? it’s aetiology?
paranoid: distrust and suspicion of others, belief that others are trying to harm them, hesitancy to confide in others, perception of innocent things as threatening or attacks, hostile reactions, tendency to hold grudges, recurrent suspicion.
schizoid: lack of interest, preferring being alone, limited range of emotional expression, struggle with social cues, little interest in sexual intimacy.
schizotypal: peculiar thinking, hallucinations (magical thinking), hearing voices, flat emotions, indifferent responses, belief that casual incidents are a ‘message to them’
aetiology: 1st degree relative vulnerability, links to autism, traumatic brain injury in the frontal lobe. moderate heritability.
what is cluster B in personality disorders?
narcissistic disorder: exaggerated self-importance, preoccupation with admiration, unwilling to see from others views, 2 types- gradlose ( aggression and dominance), vulnerable (arrogance and superiority).
histrionic disorder: control through manipulation, 2 types - attention seeking ( behavior to charm others), emotionality ( feel unappreciated if not the Centre of attention), self-centered
anti-social disorder: disregard of others, lying, stealing, aggression, impulsive behavior, lack of remorse
borderline disorder: emotionally unstable, great suffering, impulsivity and instability of their actions, intense emotional responses, rapid environment responses, erratic self-destructive behaviors, self harm
what the aetiology of cluster B?
grandiose narcissism: linked to parental overvaluation.
vulnerable narcissism: been associated with abuse, and intrusive parenting styles.
histrionic: childhood trauma, parenting with lack of boundaries, parents as a role of erratic sexual behavior, families with HPD and other conditions.
anti-social :children of parents with antisocial disorder are likely to develop it. conduct disorder and ADHD have links. 4x more diagnosis in relatives of those with BPD.
what is cluster c in personality disorders?
avoidant disorder: fear of criticism and rejection. feeling inferior or unattractive. avoidance and require interpersonal contact, extreme shyness, fear of disapproval.
dependent personality: excessive dependance on others, submissive or clingy, lack of self-confidence, tolerance to poor treatment, urgent need to start a new relationship.
obsessive compulsive personality disorder: perfectionism, neglect of friends, rigid and stubborn, inability to delegate, unable to finish things that don’t meet their own strict standards.
the aetiology of cluster C in personality disorders?
avoidant: genetic predisposition , emotional abuse from parents, lack of affection from parents, fearful attachment patterns
dependent: authoritarian and helicopter parenting, dependance and anxiousness, not promoting individualisation.
obsessive compulsive: novelty seeking, reward dependance, harm avoidance, dysfunctional thought.
treatment of personality disorders?
cluster A and B treatments are not very promising.
for cluster C they use a mix of meds and psychotherapy.
