PERSONALITY DISORDERS

are a group of psychiatric conditions in which chronic behavior patterns cause serious problems with relationships and work.

Multiple Personality Disorder

-> is a mental disease that exists in about one percent of the population. Multiple Personality Disorder is diagnosed when a person has two or more personalities. These personalities have the ability to control the

person and make them do things that they do not remember or would
normally not do. When someone has MPD, they do not realize when another personality is in control or what they are doing. MPD is most often caused by early sexual child abuse. This child abuse is often intolerable, so much so that the person forgets these events and develops another personality to remember the abuse.

Paranoid Personality Disorder

-> is a psychiatric diagnosis characterized by paranoia and a pervasive,
long-standing suspiciousness and generalized mistrust of others. Those with the condition are hypersensitive, are easily slighted, and habitually relate to the world by vigilant scanning of the environment for clues or

suggestions to validate their prejudicial ideas or biases. Paranoid

individuals are eager observers. They think they are in danger and look for signs and threats of that danger, disregarding any facts. They tend to be guarded and suspicious and have quite constricted emotional lives. Their incapacity for meaningful emotional involvement and the general pattern of isolated withdrawal often lend a quality of schizoid isolation to their life experience.

Schizoid Personality Disorder

-> is a personality disorder characterized by a lack of interest in social relationships, a tendency towards a solitary lifestyle, secretiveness, emotional coldness and sometimes (sexual) apathy, with a simultaneous rich, elaborate and exclusively internal fantasy world. SPD is not the same as schizophrenia, although they share some similar characteristics such as detachment or blunted affect; there is

increased prevalence of the disorder in families with schizophrenia.

Antisocial Personality Disorder

-> is personality disorder characterized by "...a pervasive pattern of disregard for, and violation of, the rights of others that begins in childhood or early adolescence and continues into adulthood. Many people with this disorder are not violent.

Borderline Personality Disorder

-> is a personality disorder described as a prolonged disturbance of personality
function in a person, characterized by depth and variability of moods. The disorder typically involves unusual levels of instability in mood; black and white thinking, or splitting; the disorder often manifests itself in idealization and devaluation episodes, as well as chaotic and unstable interpersonal relationships, self-image, identity, and behavior; as well as a disturbance in the individual's sense of self. In extreme cases, this disturbance in the sense of self can lead to periods of dissociation. BPD splitting includes a switch between idealizing and demonizing others. This, combined with mood disturbances, can undermine relationships with family, friends,

and co-workers. BPD disturbances also may include self-harm. Without treatment,
symptoms may worsen, leading to suicide attempts.

Histrionic Personality Disorder

-> is a personality disorder characterized by a pattern of excessive emotionality and attention-seeking, including an excessive need for approval and inappropriately seductive behavior, usually beginning in early

adulthood. These individuals are lively, dramatic, vivacious, enthusiastic,

and flirtatious. They may be inappropriately sexually provocative, express strong emotions with an impressionistic style, and be easily influenced by others. Associated features may include egocentrism, self-indulgence, continuous longing for appreciation, and persistent manipulative behavior to achieve their own needs.

Obsessive -Compulsive Personality Disorder

-> is a personality disorder characterized by a pervasive pattern of preoccupation with orderliness, perfectionism, and mental and interpersonal control at the expense of flexibility, openness, and efficiency. OCPD has some of the same symptoms as obsessivecompulsive disorder (OCD). However, people with OCD have unwanted thoughts, while people with OCPD believe that their thoughts are correct.

Avoidant or Anxious Personality Disorder

-> is a personality disorder characterized by a pervasive pattern of social inhibition, feelings of inadequacy, extreme sensitivity to negative evaluation, and avoidance of social interaction. People with avoidant

personality disorder often consider themselves to be socially inept or

personally unappealing and avoid social interaction for fear of being ridiculed, humiliated, rejected, or disliked. Avoidant personality disorder is usually first noticed in early adulthood. Childhood emotional neglect and

peer group rejection are both associated with an increased risk for the
development of AvPD.

De pendent Personality Disorder

-> is a personality disorder that is characterized by a pervasive psychological dependence on other people. This personality disorder is a long-term (chronic) condition in which people depend too much on others to meet their emotional and physical needs. The difference between a 'dependent personality' and a 'dependent personality disorder' is somewhat subjective, which makes diagnosis sensitive to

cultural influences.

Narcissistic Personality Disorder

-> is a personality disorder. The narcissist is described as being

excessively preoccupied with issues of personal adequacy, power,

prestige and vanity. Narcissistic personality disorder is closely linked to self-centeredness.

Passive-Ag g ressive Behavior

-> is passive, sometimes obstructionist resistance to following through with expectations in interpersonal or occupational situations. It is a personality trait marked by a pervasive pattern of negative attitudes and

passive, usually disavowed, resistance in interpersonal or occupational

situations. It can manifest itself as learned helplessness, procrastination, stubbornness, resentment, sullenness, or deliberate/repeated failure to accomplish requested tasks for which one is (often explicitly) responsible.

De pressive Personality Disorder

-> is a controversial psychiatric diagnosis that denotes a personality disorder with depressive features. It has been reconsidered for reinstatement as a diagnosis. The diagnosis is included under the section

personality disorder not otherwise specified. While depressive

personality disorder shares some similarities with mood disorders such as dysthymic disorder, it also shares many similarities with personality disorders including avoidant personality disorder. Some researchers argue

that depressive personality disorder is sufficiently distinct from these

other conditions so as to warrant a separate diagnosis.

Sadistic Personality Disorder

-> is a typological representation of bad character, of a vicious disposition formed by habitual passion. Passions are, or are the results

of, erroneous value-judgments. The cure of Sadistic personality

disorder will require correcting these habitual, erroneous valuejudgments by making proper use of impressions. -> is a pervasive pattern of cruel, demeaning and aggressive behavior.

Self-Defeating Personality Disorder

-> is characterised by behaviour consequently undermining the person's pleasure and goals. -> is a pervasive pattern of self-defeating behavior, beginning by early adulthood and present in a variety of contexts. The person may often avoid or undermine pleasurable experiences, be drawn to situations or relationships in which he or she will suffer, and prevent others from

helping him or her.

Schizotypal Personality Disorder

-> is characterized by an ongoing pattern in which the affected person distances him- or herself from social and interpersonal relationships. Affected people typically have an acute discomfort when put in circumstances where they must relate to others. These individuals are also prone to cognitive and perceptual distortions and a display a variety of eccentric behaviors that others often find

confusing.