Personality Disorders Flashcards
Cluster A
Odd and eccentric cluster
Cluster B
Dramatic, Emotional, Erratic Cluster
Cluster C
Fearful and Anxious Cluster
Paranoid Personality Disorder
Cluster A; Clinical Features include:
- Pervasice and unjustified mistrust and suspicion, often directed at romantic partners, but can be anyone
- Reluctant to confide in others
- Detect “hidden” threats insults or threats in normal interactions
- Bear grudges persistently
- Quick to react with anger and hostility
Schizoid Personality Disorder
Cluster A; Clinical Features:
- Pervasive pattern of detachment from social relationships (no desire for them, including family and sexual/romantic)
- Very limited range of emotions
- Perceived as cold, distant
- Indifferent to opinions of others
- Little interest in sexual experiences
- Almost always choose solitary activities
Schizotypal Personality Disorder
Cluster A; Clinical Features:
- Behavior and dress is odd and unusual
- May isolate socially and exhibit paranoia or social anxiety
- Magical thinking
- Ideas of reference
- Odd thinking and speech patterns
Antisocial Personality Disorder
Cluster B; Clinical Features:
-Failure to comply with social norms
-Violation of the rights of others (disregard for safety)
-Irresponsible, impulsive, and deceitful
-Lack a conscience, empathy, and remorse
-Evidence of conduct disorder before age 15
(Closely related to construct of psychopathy, but there are differences)
Borderline Personality Disorder
Cluster B; Clinical Features:
- Unstable moods and relationships (tend to over-idealize and then devalue others)
- Recurrent feelings of emptiness
- Impulsivity in self-damaging areas
- Frantic fears of abandonment
- Difficulty controlling anger
- Self-mutilation and suicidal gestures
Borderline Personality Disorder Treatment
There is a lot of research on treatment of borderline PD, and there is hope for successful intervention. Options include:
- Dialectical Behavior Therapy
- Schema Therapy
- Short-Term Psychodynamic Therapy
Histrionic Personality Disorder
Cluster B; Clinical Features:
- Overly dramatic and sexually provocative
- Obsession with being the “center of attention”
- Thinking and emotions are perceived as shallow
- “Suggestible” – easily influenced by others
- Consider relationships to be more intimate than they truly are
- May exhibit suicidal gestures/threats for attention
Narcissistic Personality Disorder
Cluster B; Clinical Features:
- Exaggerated and “grandiose” sense of self-importance
- Preoccupation with being admired
- Lack sensitivity and compassion for other people (tend to exploit others)
- Highly sensitive to criticism
- Overly envious of others
- Arrogant in behavior
Avoidant Personality Disorder
Cluster C; Clinical Features:
- Extreme sensitivity to rejection and the opinions of others
- Highly avoidant of most interpersonal relationships and social situations
- Are interpersonally anxious
- Views self as inferior or inept
- Often viewed as a long-standing and more maladaptive version of social phobia
How Avoidant Personality Disorder different from Schizoid PD?
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Dependent Personality Disorder
Cluster C; Clinical Features:
- Excessive reliance on others to make major and minor life decisions
- Unreasonable fears of abandonment
- Avoid disagreeing with others
- Feel helpless when alone
- Clingy and submissive in interpersonal relationships
- Urgently seek new relationships when one ends
Obsessive-Compulsive PD
Cluster C; Clinical Features:
- Excessive fixation on doing things “the right way”
- Preoccupied with lists, details, rules
- Highly perfectionistic and orderly
- Excessively devoted to work
- Reluctant to delegate tasks
- Rigid and stubborn
- Obsessions and compulsions are not observed (unless there is a comorbid OCD diagnosis!)
