Personality disorders

Question 1

Definition of personality disorder

Answer 1

Extreme, maladaptive manifestations of common personality traits, which cause difficulties in social behaviour, emotional functioning and ability to control impulses

Question 2

Severity of personality disorders

Answer 2

Can be minor and affect only 1-2 aspects of life or affect every area of it

Question 3

Types of personality disorders

Answer 3

Grouped into 3 clusters (A, B and C)

Question 4

Cluster A personality disorder

Answer 4

Paranoid, schizotypal and schizoid personality disorders

• Usually odd or eccentric
• Usually avoid close relationships

Question 5

Cluster B personality disorder

Answer 5

Narcissistic, histrionic and borderline personality disorders

• Dramatic, attention seeking, and often unpredictable behaviour and emotional life
• Egocentric, disregarding other peoples feelings and needs

Question 6

Cluster C personality disorder

Answer 6

Avoidant, dependent and obsessive-compulsive personality disorders

• Chronic anxiety
• Fearful thinking
• Negative or unstable self-image

Question 7

Most common characteristics of borderline personality disorder (3)

Answer 7

1) Instability
2) Impulsiveness
3) Excessiveness
* *High suicidal risk**

Question 8

Typical feelings/behaviour of borderline personality disorder

Answer 8

• Negative self-image (unlovable, unworthy, guilty)
• Instable emotions, changes with environment
• Self-harm
• Chronic feeling of emptyness

Question 9

Borderline personality commonly seek medical attention for

Answer 9

1) Constant conflicts with their family members
2) Relationship crises
3) Impaired functioning at school or at work
4) Substance abuse
5) Mood disorders
6) Eating disorders
7) Suicidal attempts

Question 10

Diagnosis BPD

Answer 10

• Typical symptoms that lead to problems in social and occupational life
• Psychological tests (MMPI, SCID-II)

Question 11

Treatment BPD

Answer 11

1) Psychotherapy
- DBT (Dialectical behaviour therapy) is common
- MBT (mentalisation based therapy)
- Young Schema therapy
- Interpersonal therapy
- TFP (transference-focused psychotherapy)

Question 12

TFP priorities in order of severity

Answer 12

1. Suicidal and self-destructive behaviors
2. Homicidal impulses or actions; threatening the therapist
3. Lying or withholding of information
4. Poor attendance at therapy sessions
5. Substance abuse
6. Coming to sessions in an altered state of consciousness
7. Uncontrolled eating disorder
8. Excessive telephone calls or other intrusions into the therapist’s life
9. Not paying the fee, or arranging to be unable to pay
10. Seeing more than one therapist simultaneously
11. Wasting time in session; trivialization
12. Problems created external to the sessions that obstruct the conduct of the therapy
13. A chronically passive lifestyle that, although not immediately threatening, would defeat any therapeutic effort toward change in favor of the continued secondary gain of illness