Personality Disorders

Question 1

Components of Personality (4- AICI)

Answer 1

Cognition (how you process the world- pessimism)
Affectivity (ability to control emotions)
Interpersonal Functioning (problem if married 30 times)
Impulse Control (ability to think before you act)

Question 2

Criteria for Disordered Personality (4)

Answer 2

• defect in 2/4 AICI
• In all social situations
• Stable pattern, early onset
• Clinically significant
• (as always rule out medical, psych disorder, substance)

Question 3

Personality Disorder Clusters (3)

Answer 3

• Weird (odd + eccentric - Paranoid, Schizoid, Schizotypal)
• Wacky (dramatic and emotional - Antisocial, Borderline, Histrionic, Narcissistic)
• Worried (anxious and fearful - Avoidant, Dependent, Obsessive-Compulsive)

Question 4

Paranoid Personality Disorder (describe and differentiate)

Answer 4

-distrust and suspiciousness
-linked to schizophrenia, delusional disorder
-uses projection as defense mechanism- “Im not paranoid you’re paranoid”
Differential: avoid ppl from distrust of ppl, not like schizoid who are content with isolation. No eccentric behavior like Schizotypal

Question 5

Schizoid Personality Disorder (describe and differentiate)

Answer 5

Emotionally detached, no desire for social relationships
-Hermit - but content, so wont seek help
-Age-inappropriate Fantasy (secret life of walter mitty)
Differential: Dont avoid ppl due to mistrust like PPD, no eccentric behavior like StPD

Question 6

Schizotypal Personality Disorder (describe and differentiate)

Answer 6

-Discomfort with close relationships
-Eccentric behavior
-Magical Thinking: unsubstantiated belief (I can talk to dead ppl), not pure fantasy like PPD
Differential: Eccentricity, not distrust (PPD) causing avoid ppl or hermit (SPD).

Question 7

Antisocial Personality Disorder

Answer 7

• disregard/violate rights of others
• onset 18< (unlike conduct disorder, <15)
• many criminals have APD
• Act out to alleviate internal conflict of impulse control

Question 8

Borderline Personality Disorder

Answer 8

Instability in relationships, impulsivity
-Inflexible defense mechanisms (Splitting: black and white thinking, go to extremes, fluctuate)
-Affect instability
-Suicidal behavior- passive aggression turned inward
-Dissociation
Can be from sexual/physical trauma, improves with age

Question 9

Histrionic Personality Disorder

Answer 9

Excessive/Superficial emotionality

• need to be center of attention
• Dissociation: drastically replace mood to stay center of attention

Question 10

Narcissistic Personality Disorder

Answer 10

low self esteem and histrionic (like HPD) but grandoise and lack of empathy (like APD) so hybrid
-Twinship Transference: “you and i are a lot alike”

Question 11

Avoidant Personality Disorder

Answer 11

Avoidance, social inhibition from anxiety due to shame/inadequacy
-DESIRE close relationships, just cant (unlike PPD, SPD)

Question 12

Dependent Personality Disorder

Answer 12

• need to be taken care of, clingy, fear of separation

- Separation anxiety, Stranger danger

Question 13

Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder

Answer 13

Inflexible defense mechanisms, need to control environment

• Isolation of affect: can separate emotion from subject at hand
• Orderly and overly controlled person, perfectionism

Question 14

Personality Disorders that remit with age (3)

Answer 14

• Antisocial Personality Disorder
• Borderline Personality Disorder
• Dependent Personality Disorder