New At Ten
the national news tells us over 3,000,000 people in the UK may have a personality disorder (1 in 20 )
Below are the classifications of a PD:-
Cluster A: 'Odd and Eccentric'
Paranoid
suspicious
feel that other people are being nasty to you (even when evidence shows this isn’t true)
feel easily rejected
tend to hold grudges
Schizoid
emotionally 'cold'
don't like contact with other people, prefer your own company
have a rich fantasy world
Schizotypal
eccentric behaviour
odd ideas
difficulties with thinking
lack of emotion, or inappropriate emotional reactions
see or hear strange things
sometimes related to schizophrenia, the mental illness
Cluster B: 'Dramatic, Emotional and Erratic'
Antisocial, or Dissocial
don't care much about the feelings of others
easily get frustrated
tend to be aggressive
commit crimes
find it difficult to make close relationships
impulsive - do things on the spur of the moment without thinking about them
don’t feel guilty about things you've done
don’t learn from unpleasant experiences
Borderline, or Emotionally Unstable
impulsive - do things on the spur of the moment
find it hard to control your emotions
feel bad about yourself
often self-harm, e.g. cutting yourself or making suicide attempts
feel 'empty’
make relationships quickly, but easily lose them
can feel paranoid or depressed
when stressed, may hear noises or voices
Histrionic
over-dramatise events
self-centered
have strong emotions which change quickly and don't last long
can be suggestible
worry a lot about your appearance
crave new things and excitement
can be seductive
Narcissistic
have a strong sense of your own self-importance
dream of unlimited success, power and intellectual brilliance
crave attention from other people, but show few warm feelings in return
take advantage of other people
ask for favours that you do not then return
Cluster C: 'Anxious and Fearful'
Obsessive-Compulsive (aka Anankastic)
worry and doubt a lot
perfectionist - always check things
rigid in what you do, stick to routines
cautious, preoccupied with detail
worry about doing the wrong thing
find it hard to adapt to new situations
often have high moral standards
judgemental
sensitive to criticism
can have obsessional thoughts and images (although these are not as bad as those in obsessive-compulsive disorder)
Avoidant (aka Anxious/Avoidant)
very anxious and tense
worry a lot
feel insecure and inferior
have to be liked and accepted
extremely sensitive to criticism
Dependent
passive
rely on others to make decisions for you
do what other people want you to do
find it hard to cope with daily chores
feel hopeless and incompetent
easily feel abandoned by others
But I don't fit any of these ...
The symptoms and difficulties may not fit exactly into any one of these categories. You may see aspects of yourself in more than one category. Professionals, too, may find it hard to give you a single diagnosis. This is not unusual. It is pretty hard to describe any personality clearly, and so it can be difficult to make a clear diagnosis of personality disorder. It may be more helpful to think of these diagnoses, not as clear categories, but as exaggerations of normal, overlapping personality types.
What causes personality disorder?
The answer is not clear, but it seems that like other mental disorders, upbringing, brain problems and genes can play a part.
Upbringing
Sometimes, but not always, people with personality disorder have experienced
physical or sexual abuse in childhood
violence in the family
parents who drink too much
If children are taken out of this sort of difficult environment, they are less likely to develop a personality disorder.
Early problems
Severe aggression, disobedience, and repeated temper tantrums in childhood.
Brain problems
Some people with antisocial personality disorder have very slight differences in the structure of their brains, and in the way some chemicals work in their brains. However, there is no brain scan or blood test that can diagnose a personality disorder.
Triggers
using a lot of drugs or alcohol
problems getting on with your family or partner
money problems
anxiety, depression or other mental health problems
important events
stressful situations
loss, such as death of a loved one
Remember it takes a professional to diagnose what pd you suffer from so the above is only a guideline. Many of those with a PD are not aware they are disordered and those close to them do not understand where all the chaos is coming from. Local groups are needed where people can support each other and learn techniques to deal with this problem
Support for those close too @ Carers4pd
Mitch