PERSONALITY DISORDER

DEFINITION : Personality disorders are a group of mental health conditions that are characterized by inflexible and atypical patterns of thinking, feeling and behaving.

INCIDENCE : Prevalence of personality disorders in the general population is 5 to 10%. Occurrence of mixed personality disorders is more common than a single personality disorder in an individual.

ICD - 11 CLASSIFICATION

6D10.0: Mild personality disorder

6D10.1: Moderate personality disorder

6D10.2: Severe personality disorder

ETIOLOGY

TYPE

Cluster A : is characterized by appearing odd and eccentric.

Cluster B : is characterized by appearing dramatic, emotional and erratic.

Cluster C : is characterized by appearing anxious and fearful.

DSM-5-TR organizes the 10 types of personality disorders into three main clusters (A, B and C) based on similar characteristics.

🔷 CLUSTER A

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Paranoid Personality Disorder

(Mistrust and Suspicion)

📢This disorder is marked by a distrust of other people and a constant unwarranted suspicion that others have sinister motives.

Like Symptoms

• Suspicious

• Mistrustful

• Sensitive

• Argumentative

• Stubborn

• Self-important

• Hypersensitive

• Jealous and irritable

Schizoid Personality Disorder (Disinterest in Others)

📢Schizoid personality disorder is characterized by detachment and social withdrawal. People with this disorder are commonly described as loners, with solitary interests and occupations and no close friends

Like Symptoms

• Emotionally cold

• Aloof

• Detached

• Humorless

• Introspective

Schizotypal Disorder

(Eccentric Ideas and Behavior)

📢This disorder is marked by odd thinking and behavior, a pervasive pattern of social and interpersonal deficits and acute discomfort with others.

Like Symptoms :

• Inappropriate affect

• Odd beliefs or magical thinking

• Social withdrawal

• Odd, eccentric or peculiar behavior

• Lack of close relationships

• Social isolation

• Not fitting easily with others.

🔷 CLUSTER B

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Antisocial (Dissocial) Personality Disorder (Sociopath, Psychopath)

📢Antisocial personality disorder is characterized by chronic antisocial behavior that violates others' rights or social norms which predisposes the affected person to criminal behavior.

Like Symptoms

• Failure to sustain relationships

• Disregard for feelings of others

• Impulsive actions

• Low tolerance to frustration

• Tendency to cause violence

• Lack of guilt

• Failure to learn from experience

• Reckless disregard for own or others safety

• Impulsivity and failure to plan ahead

• Manipulative behavior for self-gratification

Histrionic Personality Disorder (Attention Seeking and Excessive Emotionality)

📢Patients with this disorder characteristically have a pervasive pattern of excessive emotionally and attention-seeking behavior and are drawn to momentary excitements and fleeting adventures.

Like Symptoms

• Attention-seeking behavior

• Impulsivity

• Self-dramatization

• Shallow and labile affectivity

Narcissistic Personality Disorder

(Self-grandiosity and Lack of Empathy )

📢Patient with narcissistic personality disorder is self- centred, self-absorbed and lacking in empathy for others.

Borderline Personality Disorder

(Inner Emptiness and Emotional Dysregulation )

📢Borderline personality disorder is marked by a pattern of instability in interpersonal relationships, mood, behavior and self-image.

🔷 CLUSTER C

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Anxious (Avoidant) Personality Disorder

(Avoidance of Interpersonal Contact)

Dependent Personality (Submissiveness)

Low self-esteem and lack of self-confidence.

Obsessive-compulsive (Anankastic) personality Disorder

( Perfectionism, Rigidity and Obstinacy)

Rigidity and Stubbornness

Treatment

Personality disorder is often difficult to treat. Drug treatment has a very limited role and may be used if associated mental illness like depression or psychosis is Present individual and group psychotherapy, therapeutic community and behavioral therapy may be beneficial. Manipulation of social environment can be tried.