Personality Disorders Flashcards
Personality Disorder
psychological disorder characterized by inflexible and enduring behavior patterns that impair social functioning
diagnosed if there are significant impairments in self and interpersonal functioning together with one or more pathological personality traits.
must be (1) relatively stable across time and consistent across situations, (2) not better understood as normative for the individual’s developmental stage or socio-cultural environment, (3) not solely due to the direct effects of a substance or general medical condition.
Personality Disorder Clusters
Cluster A (Odd, bizarre, eccentric)
Paranoid PD, Schizoid PD, Schizotypal PD
Cluster B (Dramatic, erratic)
Antisocial PD, Borderline PD, Histrionic PD, Narcissistic PD
Cluster C (Anxious, fearful)
Avoidant PD, Dependent PD, Obsessive-compulsive PD
Paranoid Personality Disorder (Cluster A)
pervasive distrust of others, even friends, family, and partners. guarded, suspicious, and constantly on the lookout for clues or suggestions to validate fears. strong sense of personal rights: overly sensitive to setbacks and rebuffs, easily feels shame and humiliation, and persistently bears grudges. withdraw from others and struggles with close relationships. The principal ego defense in paranoid PD is projection, which involves attributing one’s unacceptable thoughts and feelings to other people.
characterized by a pervasive distrust and suspiciousness of the motives of others without sufficient basis
schitzoid personality disorder (Cluster A)
The term “schizoid” designates a natural tendency to direct attention toward one’s inner life and away from the external world. detached and aloof and prone to introspection and fantasy. no desire for social or sexual relationships, is indifferent to others and to social norms and conventions, and lacks emotional response. rarely present to medical attention, because despite their reluctance to form close relationships, they are generally well functioning and quite untroubled by their apparent oddness.
Schizotypal Disorder (cluster A)
oddities of appearance, behavior, and speech, unusual perceptual experiences, and anomalies of thinking similar to schizophrenia. can include odd beliefs, magical thinking, suspiciousness, and obsessive ruminations. often fear social interaction and think of others as harmful. This may lead them to develop so-called ideas of reference — that is, beliefs or intuitions that events and happenings are somehow related to them. people with schizotypal PD and schizoid PD both avoid social interaction, with the former they fear others, with the latter because they have no desire to interact with others or find interacting with others too difficult. have a higher than average probability of developing schizophrenia, and the condition used to be called “latent schizophrenia.”
Antisocial personality disorder (Cluster B)
more common in men and is characterized by a callous unconcern for others. disregards social rules and obligations, is irritable and aggressive, acts impulsively, lacks guilt, and fails to learn from experience. In many cases, has no difficulty finding relationships — and can even appear superficially charming but these relationships are usually fiery, turbulent, and short-lived. the mental disorder most closely correlated with crime
disregard for others, exploitation, unlawful actions, deceit, failure to accept personal responsibility
Borderline personality disorder (Cluster B)
lacks a sense of self and experiences feelings of emptiness and fears abandonment. pattern of intense but unstable relationships, emotional instability, outbursts of anger and violence (especially in response to criticism), and impulsive behavior. Suicidal threats and acts of self-harm are common, for which reason many people with borderline PD frequently come to medical attention. Borderline PD was so called, because it was thought to lie on the “borderline” between neurotic (anxiety) disorders and psychotic disorders, such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. suggested that borderline personality disorder results from childhood sexual abuse, and is more common in women, in part because women more likely suffer sexual abuse.
instability of affect, identity and relationships, fear of abandonment, splitting, manipulation, impulsiveness, self mutilation, SI may be problematic
Histrionic Personality Disorder (Cluster B)
lack a sense of self-worth and depend on attracting the attention and approval of others for their well being. seem to be dramatizing or “playing a part” in a bid to be heard and seen. Indeed, “histrionic” derives from the Latin histrionicus, “pertaining to the actor.” may take great care of their appearance and behave in a manner that is overly charming or inappropriately seductive. crave excitement and act on impulse or suggestion, they can place themselves at risk of accident or exploitation. dealings with others seem insincere or superficial, which can adversely impact relationships. This is distressing to them, as they are sensitive to criticism and rejection and react badly to loss or failure. A vicious circle may take hold in which the more rejected they feel, the more histrionic they become — and the more histrionic they become, the more rejected they feel.
excessive emotionality and excitability, attention seeking, sexually provocative, overly concerned with appearance
Narcissistic personality disorder (Cluster B)
extreme feeling of self-importance, entitlement, and need to be admired. envious of others and expects others to be envious back. lacks empathy and readily lies and exploits others to achieve aims. may seem self-absorbed, controlling, intolerant, selfish, or insensitive. If (feeling) obstructed or ridiculed, can fly into a fit of destructive rage and revenge, called “narcissistic rage”
grandiose sense of self importance or uniqueness, preoccupation with fantasies of success, a need for constant admiration and attention, and characteristic disturbances in interpersonal relationships such as feelings of entitlement; ironically, fragile self-esteem and concerned with how others view them
Avoidant Personality Disorder (Cluster C)
believe that they are socially inept, unappealing, or inferior, and constantly fear being embarrassed, criticized, or rejected. avoid meeting others unless they are certain of being liked and are restrained even in their intimate relationships. Avoidant PD is strongly associated with anxiety disorders, and may also be associated with actual or felt rejection by parents or peers in childhood. excessively monitor internal reactions, both their own and those of others, which prevents them from engaging naturally or fluently in social situations. A vicious circle takes hold in which the more they monitor their internal reactions, the more inept they feel; and the more inept they feel, the more they monitor their internal reactions.
pattern of social inhibition, feelings of inadequacy, hypersensitivity to negative evaluation, monitoring of internal reactions
Dependent Personality Disorder (Cluster C)
lack of self-confidence and excessive need to be looked after. needs help in making everyday decisions and surrenders important life decisions to others. fears abandonment and may go through considerable lengths to secure and maintain relationships. views self as inadequate and helpless, and so surrenders responsibility and submits to protective others. imagines that they are at one with these protective other(s), whom they idealize as competent and powerful, and towards whom thry behave in a manner that is ingratiating and self-effacing. often end up with people with a cluster B personality disorder, who feed on the unconditional high regard in which they are held. Overall, maintain a naïve and child-like perspective and have limited insight into themselves and others. This entrenches their dependency, leaving them vulnerable to abuse and exploitation.
extreme dependency in close relationship, urgent seek for another when relationships end
Anankastic (obsessive-compulsive) personality disorder (Cluster C)
Anankastic: excessive preoccupation with details, rules, lists, order, or schedules; perfectionism so extreme it prevents completion; and devotion to work and productivity at the expense of leisure and relationships. typically doubting and cautious, rigid and controlling, humorless, and miserly. anxiety arises from a perceived lack of control. little tolerance for complexity or nuance, and tends to simplify the world as good or bad. relationships are often strained by the unreasonable and inflexible demands
Cluster A
paranoid, schizoid, and schizotypal personality disorders.
Cluster B
Antisocial, borderline, histrionic, narcissistic personality disorders
Cluster C
avoidant, dependent, and anankastic personality disorders.
