Psychodynamic Personality

Question 1

a pattern of pervasive, chronic sense of loss, inadequacy, a deep-seated fear of rejection or disappointing others, chronic self-criticism.

Further:
- self-critical
- interested in other people
- sensitive to separation
- takes outside criticism very harshly

Answer 1

Depressive Personality

Question 2

characterized by self-sacrifice, enduring suffering, a tendency to seek punishment, and struggling with assertiveness

Further:
- goes down even harder on self to demonstrate either being a good person or maintaining a relationship

-tend to stay in abusive relationships longer

• tend to have histories of parental neglect except for when they were sick or injured
• sometimes tend to focus on complaining abt. others in therapy; patient transfers attitude ‘you’re gonna try to help me, but you’re gonna fail’

Answer 2

Masochistic Personality

Question 3

characterized by a pervasive distrust of others, coupled with a tendency to interpret others’ actions as malevolent

Further:
- also may have trait of overtrusting people that they idealize

• less preoccupied with suspicion– strong emphasis more on trust-distrust black-and-white thinking pattern

Answer 3

Paranoid Personality

Question 4

characterized by emotional detachment, social disinterest, and a preference for introspective solitary activities

Further:
- trait of withdrawing from closeness; a longing to be close

• have moments of closeness before retreating

Answer 4

Schizoid Personality (NON-DSM)

Question 5

characterized by perfectionism, rigidity, a fear of losing control, preoccupation with order, and difficulty delegating tasks

Further:
- theme of control vs. discontrol

• concerned with neatness v. messiness; promptness, lateness
• focused on what’s right to do, what’s timely; conscientious, neat, fastidious

Answer 5

Obsessive-Compulsive Personality (non-DSM)

Question 6

characterized by attention-seeking behavior, emotional shallowness, a strong desire for external validation, and intense emotional expressions

Further:
- concerned with gender and gender roles; power; sexuality

• symptoms expressing preoccupation w/ those areas, oftentimes unconscious
• ex. a woman w this personality may have strong rejection to advice when a man man-splains to her; best route is to assist her in drawing own conclusions

Answer 6

Histrionic Personality (non-DSM)

• sometimes referred to as hysterical [personality]

Question 7

characterized by grandiosity or covert grandiose fantasies, a need for admiration, and avoidance of feelings of inadequacy. this is accompanied by a sense of entitlement as well as a lack of or diminished affective empathy

Further:
- use grandiose ideas to defend against shame

Answer 7

Narcissistic Personality (non-DSM)

Question 8

characterized by excessive reliance on others, a fear of abandonment, passivity, and constant reassurance to mitigate fears of abandonment

Further:
- different appearances in men and women

• don’t know who you are or what you’re after except as defined by another person

Answer 8

Dependent Personality (non-DSM)

Question 9

characterized by avoidance dependency, intimacy, and a concern with maintaining autonomy and self-reliance

Further:
- “I want to rely on myself; I care for myself when I’m sick; I don’t need anyone”

Answer 9

Counter-dependent Personality

Question 10

characterized by manipulative behavior, impulsivity, deceitful conduct, shallow emotions, and a disregard for the rights and feelings of others without ethical constraints

(what the DSM refers to as ASPD)

Further:
- internal experience is “I have to depend on omnipotent control everywhere, my worth is only dependent on what I can make happen”

• tend to be understimulated
• typically in positions of power such as generals, presidents– a draw to power
• narcissistic personality loves to be seen; seen as powerful,* whereas psychopathic personality loves power itself

Answer 10

Psychopathic Personality

Question 11

characterized by moderate psychological distress, anxiety-driven behaviors, and unresolved conflicts

Answer 11

Neurotic Organization

Question 12

• deep suffering; symptom-struck
• transference onto therapist far stronger; a deeper-denial and rejection state
• very high resistance to treatment and support

Answer 12

Psychotic Range

Question 13

characterized by adoptive coping, positive relationships, realistic self-perception; resilience, effective problem-solving, and fulfillment

Further:
- have pretty good attachment security; almost all therapies would work with this individual

• can observe complexities in self and others
• communicative; appreciative of therapy, tries to cooperate; has realistic goal
• can grieve painful realities without as much resistance

Answer 13

Healthy Organization

Question 14

Intense emotional instability, identity issues, fear of abandonment, turbulent relationships, impulsive behavior, self-image challenges

Further:

• intensity; black-and-white thinking,
• linked to Type D in Strange Situation Experiment; monkey clings to cloth mother and bites it; a patient says to therapist “you’re the only one who could help me, and i hate you” at the same time
• based in terrible neglect and traumatic experience

Answer 14

Borderline Functioning

Question 15

characterized by severe personality distortion, hallucination, delusions; impaired thought processes, disrupted emotions, significant functional impairment

-heavy emphasis on fear

• marked by distortion of internal feelings and external reality
• have primitive defenses– said defenses are not working for them
• often in a state of terror; closely linked with annihilation anxiety

Answer 15

Psychotic Functioning