Cluster C Personality Disorders Flashcards
Hallmark of avoidant personality disorder
Excruciating sensitivity to rejection or even the possibility of rejection in the most inconsequential of social settings coupled with an inferiority complex
Displacement
A defense mechanism in which an individual avoids emotional conflict or stress by transferring a feeling about, or response to, one object to another (usually a less threatening or dangerous one).
For example, being yelled at by his boss, a man comes home and lets out his anger by yelling at his children.
Projection
A defense mechanism in whicn an individual attributes feelings they have about themselves or the world to others
Schizoid vs avoidant personality
Both often have few or no close friends or relationships
However, in schizoid personality there is simply no interest in these relationships, while in avoidant personality there is interest, but it is restrained by extreme shyness and fear of rejection.
Dependent vs avoidant personality disorder
Patients with dependent personalities cling to others in their inner circle because they are afraid to function independently
Patients with avoidant personalities may cling to relationships out of fear of being unable to make new ones, but are able to be independent and take care of themelves.
Social anxiety disorder vs avoidant personality disorder
People with social anxiety disorder do not believe that they are inferior to others. They also generally have better clinical insight than those with avoidant personalities, recognizing that their anxieties are unfounded or unreasonable in proportion.
Social anxiety disorder is also typically characterized by discrete anxiety attacks rather than a baseline, pervasive sense of inadequacy.
Treatment of avoidant personality disorder
- Due to the extreme fear of rejection or criticism, clinicians must carefully approach these individuals with tact, acceptance, and encouragement.
- If these patients feel confronted, they will likely never return
- Psychotherapy/CBT can help these patients critically examine their assumptions about themselves and others.
- SSRIs or beta blockers can help reduce anxiety associated with social situations
- Benzos, due to high risk of habit formation in general and in this group in particular, should be avoided.
Defense mechanisms most associated with avoidant personality disorder
Dispalcement
Projection
Undoing
A defense mechanism in which someone tries to “undo” an unhealthy thought or action by engaging in the opposite
Splitting
Defense mechanism in which the person “splits” appart the positive and negative qualities of the self and others.
An individual is either all bad or all good, but never an integrated whole of both good and bad.
“Exclusively dealing in extremes”
Highly associated with borderline personality disorder
OCD vs OCPD
OCD has true obsessions and compulsions
OCPD does not really have obsessions and compulsions, they are just very rule-oriented and inflexible in their thinking. They are ego-syntonic and do not recognize this as a problem; Rather, the problem is that everyone else cannot follow the rules.
Intellectualization is better described as __ than __
Intellectualization is better described as brooding over inconsequential details than rationalizing
Isolation of Affect
Defense mechanism by which individual deals with emotional conflict or stressors by separating ideas from the feelings originally assocaited with them
The individual loses touch with the feelings associated with an idea, but remains aware of the cognitive elements/descriptive details.
For example, a man comes home to find his wife cheating on him with another man. He later describes the scene to a friend, but focuses on specific details of the scene and appears emotionally stoic.
Rationalization
Defense mechanism by which an individual deals with emotional conflict by concealing true motivations for thoughts, actions, or feelings through the elaboration of reassuring or self-serving but incorrect explanations
For example, a woman steals a coat from a local department store even though she can afford to pay for it. She tells hersef, “The store has plenty of money anyway, they won’t miss one coat.”
Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder
A pervasive pattern of perfectionism and inflexibility. Patients with this disorder are emotionally constricted, excessively orderly, serious, and stubborn.
They often have trouble making decisions because their perfectionism interferes.
They frequently cannot discard used, worn-out, or worthless objects that have no sentimental value. Tend to be overdevoted to work to the exclusion of leisure or friendships.
