A Look at Personality Disorders

Mind Unraveled

Personality disorders are prevalent worldwide as they have pooled to 7.8% of the population (Winsper 2021). These mental disorders consist of long-term cycles of unusual behaviors and psychological thoughts that are not common, leading to increased levels of stress and paranoia. As they can cause detrimental issues in an individual's life, such as their workplace and sociability, they are internationally identified as a mental health priority. Personality disorders are continuous mental health conditions that are attributed to patterns of thoughts and behaviors that diverge from various cultural backgrounds. These following patterns emerge during an individual's adolescence or early adulthood ages, which often lead to distress and isolation from social situations. There is an abundance of mental disorders, however personality disorders pull on a human's brain strings, which can make them question their whole being. However, diagnosing and treating personality disorders can be difficult because they are deeply rooted characteristics within a person’s identity and interpersonal functioning.

There are many types of disorders under the category of personality disorders. These disorders are classified into three main clusters that psychiatrists and medical professionals use to assess their patients. Cluster A consists of odd and eccentric behaviors within people, causing them to react irrationally. Cluster B can be characterized as dramatic or erratic behaviors, similar to Cluster A, however they are more emotionally stressed. Finally, Cluster C is attributed to anxious or fearful behaviors within individuals, often being surrounded by feelings of constant paranoia patterns during an individual's lifetime. Essentially, Cluster A is a paranoia-filled group of people, Cluster B is antisocial, and Cluster C is avoidant. Additionally, medical professionals can also use a DSM-T-TR, which is a manual used to aid doctors in diagnosing and classifying mental disorders, which can help them prescribe treatments to their patients and help them get better. Overall, the following sections have helped mental health professionals in the healthcare field to identify common characteristics individuals have when being diagnosed with a personality disorder type and formulate treatment plans specifically for those types of disorders. 

Personality Disorders

To begin, personality disorders are divided into distinct categories defined by specific characteristics and patterns in behavior, cognition, and emotional regulation. While these symptoms largely depend on the disorder, they all consist of difficulty in forming and maintaining relationships, a distorted self-perception or loss of identity, and inappropriate emotional responses (APA, 2024). For example, emotional dysregulation, otherwise known as emotional instability, is common for individuals with borderline personality disorder (BPD) to experience, which can lead to feelings of paranoia (Vincenzo, 2023). On the other hand, narcissistic personality disorder (NPD)only displays an inflated ego. Overall, many different symptoms can be attributed to many different personality disorders.

Being diagnosed requires repetitive and severe symptoms that can interrupt an individual's way of going about their daily life. Essentially, symptoms can show up unexpectedly in people's lives, and usually last long term, however, while personality disorders specifically cannot be completely treated, there are treatment plans individuals can undergo. For instance, dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), which is a type of therapy that involves either group or individual therapy, organizes sessions to help individuals focus and control their emotional health. This includes their sociability as it simultaneously assists them with maintaining relationships with those around them while learning how to understand their mental health. Additionally, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), helps individuals pinpoint negative thoughts that drive their irrational behavior and helps them cope with those thoughts while stabilizing their mood swings and anxiety (Mayo Clinic, 2024). The following treatments usually have plans that patients have to go by to have a successful treatment of stabilizing their condition. It can be understood that people with personality disorders have the resources to receive the proper treatment, however only 42% of respondents reported actually seeking mental health treatments. With this, it can be understood that personality disorders can sometimes go overlooked and go untreated, ultimately resulting in symptoms worsening over time. Despite the treatment options and easily accessible information, there are a lot of misconceptions and stereotypes surrounding personality disorders that are unaddressed. 

Stigmas and Misconceptions

Personality disorders are often misunderstood and stigmatized, both socially and within healthcare situations. A very common misconception about personality disorders is that individuals who have them are inherently manipulative or possibly dangerous as professionals in healthcare fields routinely stereotype patients as hard to manage and attention-seeking (Pinho, 2022). Aggressive behavior is often reported by medical professionals and they stereotype individuals that have these types of disorders, like BPD, because they lack the proper tools to help them effectively. Additionally, stigma can also contribute to misdiagnosis, which can be detrimental to patients. If they are prescribed a treatment or medication that is not attributed to their specific mental disorder, then it can worsen symptoms and lead to more issues. Gender bias is very popular in this field, as women are commonly misdiagnosed with depression as men are with schizophrenia (DBSA, 2019). Essentially, overlapping symptoms with conditions like BPD or generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) may lead to incorrect diagnoses, which can delay the specific treatment they need, overall leading to the individual themselves being in critical condition. 

A Deeper Dive into the Mind

Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD)

BPD can be classified by intense emotional instability and mood fluctuation within individuals. It also consists of a fear of abandonment and irrational behavior following the sporadic outburst of emotion. People with BPD usually experience extreme highs and lows because of episodes of mania. This can ultimately impact their ability to form and maintain relationships in their lives because they can self-sabotage. It is also common for people with personality disorders to indulge in unhealthy habits, such as substance abuse. DBT, otherwise known as dialectical behavior therapy, is also a commonly used therapy that is used to enhance emotional regulation and interpersonal skills amongst individuals who may struggle with these skills. Unfortunately, not as many individuals seek treatment, since only 40 to 50% of individuals have a successful treatment plan regarding lithium response rates to treat mania (DBSA, 2019). However, this percentage of patients who participate and complete their treatments report an optimistic outlook on life and their ability to cope with their mental illness. 

Antisocial Personality Disorder (ASPD)

This personality disorder arises in individuals who do not value social norms, indulge in impulsive behaviors, and have a lack of sympathy and remorse for their harmful actions. This disorder is more prevalent in males and is correlated to childhood trauma or neglect while also engaging the individuals impacted by ASPD to engage in criminal activities or manipulative behaviors without worrying about consequences. Additionally, ASPD can be characterized by hurting others emotionally, verbally, or physically for personal gain (Gerardo, 2020). With this, it can be understood that individuals who suffer from personality disorders struggle with indecisiveness because they are affected by past choices that may have left them with trauma or left them with prominent memories that stayed with them throughout their adolescent years. However, while the treatment options for antisocial personality disorders are limited, talk therapy helps people with this disorder focus mainly on making behavioral changes that can help manage symptoms and better their lifestyles. 

Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD)

When individuals are diagnosed with narcissistic personality disorders, they are characterized by an exaggerated sense of self-importance, an excessive need for validation or admiration from others, and a lack of empathy towards other people. Some symptoms of these disorders would be constantly bragging to others and talking yourself up while making yourself the center of attention, and these would be normal in the individual's behavior. NPD is associated with neurobiological, societal, and environmental factors, and these can overall influence an individual's disorder. Furthermore, dysfunctional atmospheres and certain parenting styles can be correlated to the development of narcissistic personality disorders (Ross, 2024). Although individuals with NDP may appear to be somewhat overconfident in themselves, there are underlying insecurities and vulnerabilities. There are some therapies to mitigate a few aspects of NPD such as cognitive behavioral therapy, known as CBT. This approach is frequently utilized to address feelings of inadequacy that individuals may suppress with their interpersonal difficulties. 

Conclusion

To tie it all together, personality disorders are complex disorders that interfere with an individual's identity and can impact their sociability, emotions, and behaviors. Their deep integration within people's identities makes them difficult to control and treat, while also making diagnosis challenging. Common stereotypes and social norms surrounding these types of disorders can make it difficult for an individual to successfully mitigate these disorders. However, while leading to a delay in treatment and worsened symptoms, these disorders can result in obstacles when making relationships and maintaining them throughout their lives without receiving adequate treatment. Understanding this, living with personality disorders is immensely difficult for people as they can show up at unexpected times which can be detrimental. Therefore, it is essential to foster a better understanding of the types of personality disorders and how they can impact one's life, including their symptoms and the possible treatment options. Helping people understand their behavior and getting them the appropriate help for them to receive an accurate diagnosis is crucial so they can live better lives.  

Works Cited

APA. (2024). APA Dictionary of Psychology. Apa.org. https://dictionary.apa.org/personality-disorder 

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Pinho, M., Carvalho, S., Martins, D., Caetano, F., & Priscila, C. (2020). Clinicians’ stigma towards borderline personality disorder: its impact and prevention. European Psychiatry, 63, S195. 

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Ross, A. G., Giri, S., Anyasodor, A. E., Mahmood, S., Astawesegn, F. H., Huda, M. M., Ahmed, K. Y., Mondal, U. K., & Thapa, S. (2024). Adverse childhood experiences leading to narcissistic personality disorder: a case report. BMC Psychiatry, 24(1), 1–6. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-024-06307-9 

Winsper, C., Bilgin, A., Thompson, A., Marwaha, S., Chanen, A. M., Singh, S. P., Wang, A., & Furtado, V. (2020). The prevalence of personality disorders in the community: a global systematic review and meta-analysis. The British journal of psychiatry : the journal of mental science, 216(2), 69–78. https://doi.org/10.1192/bjp.2019.166