Unit 11 - Personality Disorders

Question 1

Define a Personality Disorder

Answer 1

A personality defines how we interact with the world. A personality disorder is a maladaptive personality that has been created to cope.

Question 2

Define emotional Dysregulation

Answer 2

Difficulty controlling emotions and coping with them.

Question 3

Define emotionally liability

Answer 3

Extremely emotional. Risk for impulsive behaviors such as suicide or self harm.

Question 4

Schema-focused therapy

Answer 4

Combo of CBT and interpersonal therapy

Question 5

DBT - Dialectal behavior therapy

Answer 5

Focuses on now? Works on suicidal ideation

Question 6

Cluster A

Answer 6

Eccentric, or Odd
-Schizoid Personality Disorder
-Schizotypical “”
-Paranoid “”

Question 7

Cluster B

Answer 7

Erratic, or Dramatic
-Borderline Personality Disorder
-Antisocial “”
-Narcissistic “”
- Histrionic

Question 8

Cluster C

Answer 8

Anxious
-Avoidant
-Dependent
-Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

Question 9

Paranoid Personality Disorder

Answer 9

D efinition - distrust of others. Think others are out to get them. Jelous and control as adults.
E tiology - childhood. social anxiety as kid.
A ppearance, or characteristics -
T reatment and therapies - Want to avoid being overly friendly. Have neutral but kind affect. Stick to schedule. Group therapy not recommended. Psychotherapy (Broad MH tx).
MEDs: short term antidepressants
H ighlights - Projection of feelings***Unwilling to forgive.

Question 10

Schizoid Personality Disorder

Answer 10

D - Avoid close relationships. Depersonalization; detachment.
E - Childhood or adolescence. Hx of messy family.
A - Loners. Do bad in school.
T - Neutral approach; not too nice. Let them isolate if desired. Search for hidden pain/issues person may be reluctant to share. Group/psychotherapy.
MEDs: antidepressants.
H - Persons w schizoid tend to act strange. Make sure to understand where they’re coming from.

Question 11

Schizotypal

Answer 11

D - Lack of interest in close relationships
E - Childhood appearance.
A - Indicate that you believe that THEY believe. Have “magical thinking”. Believe in odd thinking as well: “if I eat a pickle, my mom will die”.
T - Respect wish for social isolation.
H - Not considered a personality disorder anymore.

Question 12

Borderline Personality Disorder

Answer 12

D - feel inferior? Emotional liability. Antagonism. Splitting.
E - Highly genetic factor. Adolescent manifestation? Comorbidity common. Separation of mother and child.
A - Self-destructive and danger to others. Common splitting, or only seeing a person as absolutely amazing or hating them.
T - Safety priority. Clear communication. Set boundaries. Deal with self-harm matter-of-factly. CBT, DBT, and ischemia therapy.
MEDs: Psychotropic –> balances chemicals in brain –> Thorazine (chlorpromazine)
H - Common comorbidities of ADHD. SUICIDE RISK related to impulsive behavior.

Question 13

Narcissistic Personality Disorder

Answer 13

D - inflated sense of importance, with poor self esteem. Hypersensitivity to criticism. Need constant admiration***lack of empathy for others.
E - Adolescence?
A - Less likely to seek treatment.
T - Role model empathy. Do not be defensive or fight power struggle - they feed on that stuff. If they do, CBT to debunk unrealistic thoughts, and group therapy.
MEDs: Lithium
H -

Question 14

Histrionic Personality Disorder

Answer 14

D - Also known as Drama queens. Have erratic behavior. Attention-seeking. Low-frustration level. Unaware of disorder.
E - More common in women. Adolescence?
A - High functioning. Bold behaviors. May be flirtatious, provocative, smothering.
T - Maintain professional behavior. Model clean language. Help patient clarify muddled feelings. Role model assertiveness*
H - SUICIDAL RISK related to impulsive behaviors

Question 15

APD, or Antisocial Personality Disorder

Answer 15

D - Commonly called sociopath. Lack of empathy, remorse, or guilt for others. Inflamed sense of self combed with disregard for others make them think of others as playthings.
Disinhibition: a pattern of antisocial, impulsive, norm-violating, sensation-seeking, and externalizing tendencies and problems
E - Childhood. Somewhat genetic component; parents with APD, combined with good looks.
A - Antagonistic behavior. Liars. They are charming and hard to detect. People gravitate towards them, making finding vulnerable victims easy.
T - Will not seek help unless they have an underlying motive. If choose to, goal is to make aware of social isolation. Set boundaries and mutual goals.
MEDs: Lithium.
H - Safety priority. For self and pt.

Lack of health maintenance?

Question 16

Avoidant Disorder

Answer 16

D - Low self-esteem and feelings of inferiority. Vulnerable to anxiety, depression, anger.
E - begins in childhood, and worsens into adulthood.
A -
T - Friendly and accepting towards them. Assertiveness training. Social exercises with prevention of failure.
H -

Question 17

Dependent Disorder

Answer 17

D - extreme anxiety when separate from dependent individual; fear abandonment.
E -
A - Self-care deficit. Manipulate others to fill deficit.
T - Interview for current stressors and assess capability to practice assertiveness. Beware countertransference. Set limits that are not offensive to pt.
H -

Question 18

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

Answer 18

D - very controlling. Have urge to complete unnecessary, repetitive tasks. Impedes ability to complete projects.
E -
A - irritable if you don’t meet unrealistic expectations. Pts usually seek help.
T - be mindful that changes to routine are devastating to them. Group behavior therapy.
MEDs: clomipramine, or fluoxetine for obsessiveness.
H -

Question 19

Obsessive Compulsive Personality Disorder

Answer 19

D - similar to OCD, but…..????
E -
A -
T -
H -