Feb. 18 Flashcards
1
Q
Personality Disorder
A
-enduring pattern of inner experience & behavior that deviated markedly from the expectations of the individual’s culture, is pervasive & inflexible, has its onset in adolescence or early adulthood, is stable over time, & leads to clinically sig. distress or impairment social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning
2
Q
Prevalence of Personality Disorders
A
- 10-20% of general population
- starts in late adolescence, often with childhood signs
- established patterns in early adulthood
- late-onset personality changes are suggestive of undiagnosed “other” problem (dementia, substance abuse, medical illness, neurological problem”
3
Q
Lasting Trait Dimensions that cut across cultures
A
- emotional stability-neuroticism
- agreeableness-antagonism
- extraversion-introversion
- conscientiousness-constraint
- openness to experience-eccentric
4
Q
Sigmund Freud Early Experiences
A
-“fixation” at an early stage, prevents healthy personality development
5
Q
Erickson Early Experiences
A
-Certain tasks need to be mastered at certain stages of development
“basic trust” - trust versus mistrust
-nature/nurture issues
6
Q
Early Trauma
A
- extended early emotional trauma and abuse have been shown to adversely affect coping skills, as well as brain development
- Traumatized patients are over-represented in the medical population
7
Q
Defense Mehanisms
A
- mostly unconscious cognitive strategies to help deal with stressful information
- early trauma is often “repressed” not accessible to conscious memory
8
Q
3 Personality Clusters
A
- weird
- wild
- worried
9
Q
Cluster A
A
- weird
- paranoid personality
- schizoid personality
- schizotypal personality
- Note: biological relatives of people with schizophrenia often are cluster A
10
Q
Paranoid Personality
A
- always looks for wrong-dowings and hidden malicious meaning
- rigid, defensive, & self-righteous
- preoccupied with doubts of others’ motives
- suspicious of partner’s fidelity
- very unforgiving of mistakes
- often uses the defense mechanism of “projection” (blaming)
11
Q
Schizoid Personality
A
- solitary loner, aloof
- does not want or seek close relationships, does not enjoy interpersonal encounters, unable to reach intimacy
- chooses solitary jobs & night shifts
- takes pleasure in few, if any, activities
- emotionally cold, detached (may be the premorbid phase of schizophrenia)
- view others as untrustworthy, exploitative, sees self as victim, responds with behavior aimed at protecting self against the devious intention of others
12
Q
Social Phobia (Social Anxiety)
A
- desires friends
- afraid of embarrassment
- avoids social contacts because of anxiety
13
Q
Schizotypal Personality
A
- cognitive & perceptual distortions & eccentricities (not while on drugs); odd appearance; odd speech (vague, methaporical, over-elaborate)
- no close friends or associated; suspicious, magical thinking (have special abilities)
- often odd enough that psychosis is suspected, but patient is not psychotic (still in touch with reality - not delusional)
- can be premorbid phase of schizophrenia
14
Q
Cluster B
A
- wild (dramatic, emotional, erratic)
- impulsive, erratic, mood swings
- life long pattern of instability
- high on “extraversion” dimension
- short attention span
- intense, stormy relationships
- multiple marriages & divorces
- frequently display somatization
- common defense mechanisms are denial, projection, and somatization
15
Q
Cluster B and Bipolar Illness
A
- chaotic lifestyle, often mistaken for “bipolar” can co-exist with it
- patient will not improve with meds, unless personality problems are also addressed in psychotherapy
16
Q
Antisocial Personality Disorder
A
- patient defies social rules” has nothing to do with being no sociable, as in social parlance
- must be 18 or older for diagnosis & have shown evidence of conduct disorder with onset before age 15
- exploits others; manipulative & irresponsible, difficulties maintaining relationships & adhering to social standards, may participate in criminal activity
17
Q
No Conscience “Moral Imbecile”
A
- life-long pattern
- never at fault, no guilt or remorse
- social class differences (white collar crimes in middle class populations)
- attracted to other cluster B partners
- multiple marriages-superficial charmers
18
Q
Histrionic
A
- multiple somatic complaints
- highly suggestible, naive
- sexually seductive, often unaware
- emotionally labile (disrupts healthy relationships)
- imprecise and global in verbal descriptions
- FH of Antisocial and Alcohol
19
Q
Narcissistic Personality
A
- grandiose sense of self-importance & entitlement, overlaps with antisocial, disdainful of others
- preoccupied with self (narcissus myth)
- may be arrogant, devalues others
- demanding of special treatment
- may become suicidal when rejected
20
Q
Borderline Personality
A
- unstable moods, mood swings
- stormy relationships, poor choices
- often confused with “bipolar disorder”
- all-or-nothing thinking (no shades of grey), known as “splitting”
- prominent anger, fear of abandonment, pushes & pulls others simultaneously; self-destructive, dysphoric
21
Q
Borderline Features
A
- substance abuse or mis-use
- history of severe physical, emotional, or sexual abuse, alcoholic or mentally ill parent
- self-injurious behavior, especially wrist-slashing, self-stabbing, piercing, cutting to see blood
- suicidal gestures & attempts
- chronic feeling of emptiness, relieved by pain (endorphins), and by seeking relationships
22
Q
Examples of Borderline Behavior
A
- patient in acute emotional distress
- seems to require “special” treatment
- causes a great deal of strife & confusion in social environment
- “splitting”
- rapid shifts in mood and manner
- boundary issues
