A personality disorder is defined by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) as “an enduring pattern of inner experience and behavior that deviates markedly from the expectations of that individual’s culture, is pervasive and inflexible, has an onset in adolescence or early childhood, is stable over time and leads to distress or impairment in one’s daily life.”
Millions of persons around the world who suffer from personality disorders can be affected in at least two of the following ways:
● the way in which they think about themselves and others
● their way of responding emotionally
● their way of relating to other people
● their way of controlling their behavior
Personality disorders are usually the result of genetic and/or environmental factors and are usually diagnosed from late adolescence to early adulthood.
Here are the 10 main types of personality disorders:
● Antisocial personality disorder: A pattern of violating or disregarding the rights of others. The person may also be a compulsive- liar, enjoying deceiving others in addition to being impulsive.
● Avoidant personality disorder: This is characterized by an extremely shyness and feelings of inadequacy in addition to fears of being criticized.
● Borderline personality disorder: Where the person has a history of unstable relationships, is usually impulsive and a poor image of themselves and usually has intense emotions.
● Dependent personality disorder: Such persons may feel a deep need to be looked after, are usually very clingy and find it hard to do things on their own without some kind of reassurance from others.
● Histrionic personality disorder: Often characterized by attention seeking behavior and excessive and exaggerated emotions. Persons with this disorder need to be the center of attention and may use their physical appearance to draw attention to themselves.
● Narcissistic personality disorder: Here the person feels a grandiose sense of self, feeling superior to others and feels the need to be admired while lacking empathy.
● Obsessive compulsive disorder: Characterized by the need to repeat actions without being able to control oneself. Persons suffering from this disorder are usually perfectionist orderly and controlling.
● Paranoid personality disorder: Those suffering from this disorder are usually in constant fear of people being out to harm them. As a result, they are usually very distrusting of people and choose not to get too close to them.
● Schizoid personality disorder: Characterized by a detachment from social relationships and showing very little emotion. Persons with this disorder are indifferent to what others have to say about them, whether good or bad.
● Schizotypal personality disorder: Quite apart from being uncomfortable in social relationships, the sufferer can have distorted thinking and odd beliefs and peculiar behavior/speech.
Treatment for personality disorders is usually psychotherapeutic and while there is no specific medication for these disorders, symptoms like anxiety and depression, can be treated.
If you feel like you or someone you know may be suffering from a personality disorder, contact your nearest health facility to seek further information and guidance.
Alicia Roopnaraine is a Psychologist at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation’s Psychiatric Department. You can send questions or comments to her at aliciaroopnaraine@gmail.com
