Week 6: Personality Disorders Flashcards
What is a personality disorder
When personality characteristics interfere with a persons life and others then it is diagnosed as a personality disorder
What is personality
Total of the individuals character which include behaviour, attitude, feelings and adjustments
Formed in early childhood
Difficult to change once formed
Personality clusters (3)
Cluster A (odd/eccentric)
Paranoid, schizoid, schizotypical
Cluster B (dramatic)
Antisocial, borderline, histrionic, narcissistic
Cluster C (anxious/fearful)
Avoidant, dependant, OCD, personality disorders not otherwise specified
Cluster A Personality Disorders
Distress, impairment in important areas of functioning
Pattern is of long duration and can be traced back to childhood
Pattern not better explained by other disorders
Pattern not due to substance abuse or medical condition
Characteristics of Paranoid disorder
Pervasive distrust, lack of trust in others
Hypersensitive, overly suspicious and hostile
Suspects harming and deceiving
Reluctant to confine in others
Bears grudges
Characteristics of Schizoid disorder
Detachment from social relationships Restricted emotions Social isolation Gets pleasure from very few things Cold/ detached & flat
Characteristics of schizotypical disorder
Acute discomfort with social relationships Eccentric behaviour Odd/peculiar thinking and behaviour Suspicious Lack of close friends Social anxiety
Cluster B characteristics
Antisocial, borderline, histrionic and narcissistic personalities
Self-absorbed, prone to exaggerate importance of events
Difficulty maintaining close relationships
Antisocial disorder characteristics
Persistent disregard and violation of rights of other people Fail to conform to social norms Lying, cunning Aggressive, irritable, repeated fights Disregard for safety of others and law Do not learn from mistakes Lack of remorse
Borderline disorder characteristics
Unstable mood, self image Frantic efforts to avoid real issues Threats and actions of self harm Unstable and intense relationships Chronic feelings of emptiness Inappropriate intense anger Recurrent suicidal behaviour, gestures and threats
Histrionic disorder characteristics
Attention seeking, excessive emotionality
Self centred and demanding
Dresses eccentrically and seductively
Not comfortable when not in the centre of attention
Rapid shifting mood
Inappropriate sexually deductive behaviour
Easily influenced by others
Exaggerated and dramatic
Considers relationships more intimate than they are
Narcissistic disorder characteristics
Need for admiration, lack of empathy
Preoccupation with own achievements and abilities
Needs excessive admiration
Sense of entitlement
Takes advantage of others to achieve own needs
Envious of others
Arrogant
Cluster C characteristics
Avoidant
Obsessive
Dependant
Often anxious, fearful and depressed
Avoidant personality disorder characteristics
Shy and socially uncomfortable
Avoid social contact because of fear of embarrassment or criticism
Preoccupation with fear of shame, rejection and ridicule
Social isolation for rejection and disapproval
Easily hurt and embarrassed
Reluctant to take risks
Obsessive compulsive disorder characteristics
Perfection and inflexibility
Preoccupied with rules, schedules and organisation
Perfection interferes with completion of tasks
Inflexibility, rigidity, stubborn
Hold possessions, reluctant to spend
Prefers to work rather than socialise
