Personality Disorder Types

Introduction

Each person has a unique personality. The mix of different traits makes a personality. These personality traits influence how people view themselves and the world. 

Generally, personality traits allow one to adjust according to ever-changing situations, leading to a healthy relationship with others. But, people with less adaptive personalities will need help to cope with changing situations.

Personality Disorder

A personality disorder is a persisting pattern of inner experience and behaviour that departs markedly from the expectations of the individual’s culture. It is pervasive and inflexible and begins in adolescence or early adulthood. 

In early life, personality is formed by two factors: genes and environment. Certain personality traits passed down from one generation to another are called genes.

The environment includes life events in your life and around you, surroundings, relationships and patterns of interaction with friends and family.

Symptoms 

A person affected by personality disorder may not be aware of their problem. The symptoms of the personality disorder vary according to its type. However, a few general symptoms are:

• Social isolation
• Unforeseeable behaviour
• Emotional outbursts
• Difficulty making friends
• Distrust of others
• Suspecting others
• Taking unwanted risks
• A need for instant gratification
• Constant problems in school or workplaces
• Alcohol or substance abuse

Types of Personality Disorders

Personality disorders affect a person with an inhibited pattern of thinking and behaviour that reflects suspicion or lack of interest in others. 

They are classified into three clusters or categories and have common characteristics and symptoms.

Cluster A: People affected by this disorder will have abnormal and eccentric thinking and behaviour. 

1. Paranoid Personality Disorder (PPD)

A person with paranoid personality disorder will distrust and suspect others unnecessarily. They feel others are threatening or harming them. 

People who have paranoid personality disorder won’t experience delusions or hallucinations with paranoia, like in schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder.

2. Schizoid personality disorder (SPD)

These people are dispassionate about social relationships and show less emotions while interacting with others. Compared to other personality disorders, schizoid personality disorder is less common. 

3. Schizotypal personality disorder (SPD)

A person affected by Schizotypal personality disorder has abnormal beliefs, thinking, speech and behaviour. They think strange things are happening to them, such as a voice whispering their name. 

They will have socially odd emotional responses and anxiety and are not comfortable with close relationships. 

Cluster B: People affected by this disorder will have patterns of dramatic, unpredictable behaviour and overly emotional thinking.

1. Antisocial personality disorder (ASPD) 

Antisocial personality disorder can be a pervasive pattern of apathy and violation of the rights of others that starts in early childhood or early adolescence and persists into adulthood.

People with antisocial personality disorder have been noted as lacking empathy and may often be deceitful. They never feel subpar or remorse for their wrong actions. Despite being punished or jailed in some instances, they continue to be involved in immoral and deviant activities. 

Antisocial personality disorder is often linked with:

• Impulsive behaviour
• Disregard for their own or other’s safety
• Aggression
• Lack of remorse
• Irresponsible behaviour

2. Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD)

Border Personality Disorder is linked with particular problems in interpersonal relationships, emotions, behaviours, self-image and thinking. 

People with Border Personality Disorder are inclined to have intense relationships described by a lot of conflict, arguments and break-ups. 

They also have hardships related to the stability of their identity or sense of self. They report much volatility in how they identify themselves. 

Individuals with Border Personality Disorder may say that they feel as if they are on an emotional roller coaster, in a fluctuating mood.

BPD is linked with a tendency to be involved in risky behaviours, like going Personality Disorders on shopping sprees and drinking excessive amounts of alcohol.

3. Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD)

An exaggerated sense of self-importance characterises narcissistic personality disorder. People with NPD often believe that they are unique, demand excessive attention, lack empathy, take advantage of others, and are described by others as arrogant.

4. Histrionic Personality Disorder (HPD)

The key features of histrionic personality disorder are intense expressions of emotion and excessive attention-seeking behaviour. 

A person with histrionic personality disorder will seek out attention and become uncomfortable when others receive attention. 

They may often engage in seductive or sexually licentious behaviour or use their physical appearance to pull attention to themselves.

They also may exhibit rapidly shifting emotions and strikingly express emotion.

Cluster C: People affected by this disorder will have a pattern of anxious and fearful behaviour.

1. Obsessive Compulsive Personality Disorder (OCPD)

People suffering from Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder or Anankastic Personality Disorder are so focused on order and perfection that their lack of flexibility obstructs their ability to get things complete and to enjoy life in general. 

2. Avoidant Personality Disorder (APD)

Those with Avoidant Personality Disorder experience an intense level of social anxiety. They are highly self-conscious, tend to avoid social situations and like to do jobs that involve little interpersonal contact. 

They often feel inadequate or inferior to others and are super sensitive to rejection. In contrast to individuals with schizoid personality disorder, those with AvPD do long for social relationships but feel that social acceptance is unreachable. 

3. Dependent Personality Disorder (DPD)

DPD is a psychological personality disorder in which individuals are dependent on others to an ultimate extent. They want to be taken care of, hold on to those they depend on, and often rely on others to make decisions. 

They have an intense fear of rejection and may become suicidal when faced with a falling apart relationship. Those with DPD require enormous reassurance and advice and are generally over-sensitive to criticism or disapproval.

Treatments

The treatment depends on the type of mental illness, its severity, and what suits you. In many cases, a combination of treatments works best.

• Psychotherapy
• Medication
• Hospitalization
• Substance misuse treatment
• Residential treatment programs
• Brain-stimulation treatments

Conclusion 

A personality disorder is a condition related to mental health in which people have a long-term pattern of looking at themselves and reacting to others in a problematic way. This is likely to hurt themselves and people related to them. 

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