Personality disorders are a type of mental health condition characterized by inflexible thought and behavioural patterns that are distressing, impairing, and deviate from acceptable social norms....
COVER STORY
Personality disorders are a type of mental health condition characterized by inflexible thought and behavioural patterns that are distressing, impairing, and deviate from acceptable social norms. People suffering from personality disorders are largely unaware that their beliefs and behaviour are problematic and therefore do not seek treatment. As a result, an untreated disorder may cause a number of hurdles in an individual’s life, such as in finding and keeping a job, maintaining stable relationships, and being at ease in social situations. More terrifyingly, studies show that personality disorders are a major factor behind evils such as drug and substance abuse, crime, and suicide.
Currently, the study of personality disorders is an ongoing and gradually advancing one. According to scientists, there are a number of environmental and biological factors that possibly contribute to the development of a personality disorder. A major one of these is genetics. Scientists have been exploring the relationship between genes and their participation in personality disorders. In one study, they found a defective gene as a possible factor in obsessive-compulsive personality disorder. Researchers have also recognized genetic links in traits such as anxiety and fear – key components of many personality disorders. Abuse in childhood is another prominent cause. As an extremely vulnerable and impressionable period of an individual’s life, any trauma caused by abuse (whether physical, verbal, sexual, or emotional) in childhood may result in the development of a personality disorder. A study showed the link between verbal abuse in childhood and a greater likelihood of developing borderline, narcissistic, or paranoid personality disorders. It is, however, very important to distinguish between personality types and personality disorders. A person who likes to dress to stand out does not necessarily suffer from histrionic personality disorder, a disorder in which the patient craves attention. The level at which a personality trait negatively affects a person in their relationships, work, emotions, and behaviour is the distinguishing factor between type and disorder.
There are ten known personality disorders, which are categorized under three clusters:
Cluster A: Paranoid personality disorder, schizoid personality disorder, and schizotypal personality disorder. The main symptom of Cluster A disorders is unconventional behaviour.
Cluster B: Antisocial personality disorder, borderline personality disorder, histrionic personality disorder, and narcissistic personality disorder. The main symptom of Cluster B disorders is unpredictability.
Cluster C: Obsessive-compulsive personality disorder, avoidant personality disorder, and dependent personality disorder. The main symptoms of Cluster C disorders are fear and anxiety.
CLUSTER A
Paranoid personality disorder: People with paranoid personality disorder are unable to trust others. They are constantly suspicious and firmly believe (even without any concrete evidence) that other people will attempt to abuse or exploit them at any given opportunity. They are reluctant to divulge any information about themselves for fear of it being misused. Persistently on guard for potential harm from others, their outlook towards life and people is cynical and pessimistic.
Schizoid personality disorder: Individuals with schizoid personality disorder are recluses who would much rather keep busy by themselves in their bedrooms and houses than come out and face society. They have complete disinterest in all kinds of relationships and emotional connections, including with members of their own family. They consider relationships to be a burden and a negative influence on their lives and have no inclination towards romance, intimacy, or socialization. Praise and criticism do not affect them much, if at all.
Schizotypal personality disorder: Sufferers of schizotypal personality disorder have a distorted view of reality and are characterized by eccentric behaviour. They hold delusional and often rather bizarre thoughts and beliefs. This disorder is closely genetically related to, and most likely to turn into, schizophrenia (a severe mental disorder).
CLUSTER B
Antisocial personality disorder: Seemingly innocuous by name, antisocial personality disorder is an extremely, and possibly the most, destructive disorder. People suffering from this disorder are dangerous, severely lack empathy, and hold no regard for the rules and norms of society. As a result, they pose a constant threat. People with this disorder may behave violently and sometimes illegally, and show no remorse for their actions. They may also intentionally make themselves seem charming and likeable for a malicious agenda. During childhood, they have depicted cruelty to animals. It should be noted that this disorder has a range of intensity.
Borderline personality disorder: People with borderline personality disorder have difficulty regulating their emotions. As a result, they experience highly unstable moods and intense emotions, which can last from a few hours to several days. They hold a negative self-image and often suffer from chronic feelings of emptiness. Severely impulsive, they are at high risk for self-injury and are likely to partake in painful and hazardous activities such as extreme tattooing. These individuals also have an extreme fear of abandonment.
Histrionic personality disorder: Individuals with histrionic personality disorder are highly attention-seeking. They are overly concerned with their appearance and the opinions of other people. Their self-esteem is largely defined by the approval of others. They have an overwhelming desire to be noticed as well as to be the center of attention at social events. To achieve this, they will act and dress promiscuously and behave dramatically and even inappropriately.
Narcissistic personality disorder: Individuals with narcissistic personality disorder have a very grandiose image of themselves. They are arrogant and believe that they are better than others, although in actuality, their self-esteem is extremely fragile. Their bloated sense of self is personally attacked when they are challenged or disagreed with. In such situations, they react negatively and often with rage. Narcissistic personality disorder sufferers crave excessive admiration. They are selfish, entitled, and regularly put their needs above others. They lack empathy and will employ exploitative behaviour to achieve what they desire.
CLUSTER C
Obsessive-compulsive personality disorder: People with obsessive-compulsive personality disorder are known to be perfectionists who demand order and control. A lot of very successful people suffer from this disorder. They have high expectations of, and dwell on, the mistakes of themselves and others. They are inflexible and always want things to be the way they prefer. It should be clarified that this is a different condition from obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). While people with obsessive-compulsive disorder are largely aware of their behaviour and acknowledge the need to change, those with obsessive-compulsive personality disorder have little or no self-awareness of their condition.
Avoidant personality disorder: People with avoidant personality disorder are hypersensitive to rejection and criticism and easily develop low self-esteem. Although they desire relationships, an intense fear of rejection holds them back from the pursuit of one. They will avoid any situation where they might have to interact with others because they expect ridicule and disapproval. Individuals with this disorder suffer from chronic feelings of inadequacy.
Dependent personality disorder: People with dependent personality disorder rely on others for emotional support, decision-making, and validation. They have an excessive need to be cared for by someone else. Their constant need to be in a relationship coerces them to stay in abusive ones. They may suffer from low self-confidence and appear passive and submissive to others. Individuals with this disorder often become attached to another person whom they will constantly strive to please. They have a fear of separation, due to which they display extremely clingy behaviour.
As mentioned previously, individuals with personality disorders are unaware of their problematic condition and therefore do not seek treatment. Although medications to manage stress and anxiety are available, there are none that will cure personality disorders. Psychotherapy, also known as talk therapy, which works by identifying and altering troublesome symptoms, has proven to be beneficial. Unfortunately, there are no known ways to prevent personality disorders from occurring in people. Self-awareness is key. If recurrent thoughts, emotions, and behaviors are causing problems in one’s life, then they must pursue help immediately.
