Types of personality disorder in psychiatry. Personality disorder: symptoms, types, treatment. What is a personality disorder


Pathologies related to human activity in the mental plane include a personality disorder, the symptoms of which can only be determined with a detailed acquaintance with the disease. To understand what kind of condition it is, you need to pay attention to the behavior of the patient and, if they are detected, consult a doctor. Better yet, take preventive measures to eliminate a serious disease.

Mental illness is a whole cluster of disorders to which the ailment we are describing is directly related. To understand more competently in this matter, you need to start with the usual examples for us. Let's start with the fact that each of us is an individual with a certain, normal type of thinking, perception of reality, environment, attitude to various situations, time, space, etc. As soon as adolescence begins, until recently, an unintelligent child is already able to show his personal character traits, has his own style of behavior. Despite the fact that with age certain features are activated or fade away, they still accompany a person until the last moment of life. But this is an example of an ordinary person who does not suffer from mental pathology. In the case of a patient, a personality disorder is a rigidity, maladaptation of traits that cause a malfunction in its functioning. Sick people from time to time undergo psychological protection for no reason or irritating factors, which is why such people remain maladaptive, with an immature type of thinking, and so on, almost all their lives.

According to international standards, there is a code “Personality disorder microbial 10”, since the problem affects all areas of human life, and only an experienced specialist is able to identify ten types of disorders, three specific clusters of the disease, based on clinical indicators.

Personality disorder affects all areas of human life

Personality disorder: symptoms and signs

Let us first study the signs of mental deviation. A person suffering from a disorder can hide his features for a long time, which is called frustration in medicine and at certain moments show his anger, aggression towards others. A large number of patients are worried about their lives, they almost always have problems with employees, relatives, friends. Pathology is often accompanied by mood swings, anxiety, panic attacks, excessive intake of psychotropic, sedative drugs, moreover, there is a failure in eating behavior.

Important: experts pay attention to the fact that in severe forms of the disease, a person can fall into deep hypochondria, is capable of violent actions, self-destructive actions.

In the family, the patient can behave very contradictory, be too emotional, tough or conniving, allow family members anything that leads to the development of somatic and physical pathologies in children.

For reference: studies have shown that approximately 13% of the total population of the planet suffers from PD, and the pathology of an antisocial nature is more common among men than among women (ratio 6 to 1), the borderline condition is more common in women (ratio 3 to 1).

Symptoms of personality deviations

Provoking factors of the disease can occur in childhood, adolescence. At first, they can definitely be considered, but with the stage of growing up, already in the future life, there is no specific delineation. The manifestation of signs is not observed in specific aspects, but relates to all spheres of human activity - emotional, mental, interpersonal, volitional. The main symptoms of the disease include:

  • pathology in the character manifests itself totally: at work, at home, among friends;
  • pathology in the personality remains stable: it begins in childhood and pursues all life;
  • due to problems with behavior, character, etc., social maladjustment occurs, regardless of the attitude of the environment.

Personality disorder can be identified by a number of symptoms

Personality disorder: types

According to the psychoanalytic classification, doctors distinguish a number of disorders and the most characteristic of them are:

socialized conduct disorder

In this case, a person (a child, a teenager and older) seeks to draw the attention of others with their inconsistency with generally accepted social norms of behavior. Persons with such a pathology always have a certain charm, special manners, strive to impress others. Their main character trait is to receive benefits without investing any physical effort. Literally from childhood, they are accompanied by a continuous series of wrong deeds: absenteeism from school, running away from the garden, at home, constant lies, fights, joining gangs, criminal groups, theft, drug use, alcohol, manipulation of loved ones. The peak of pathology most often falls on the pubertal period from 14 to 16 years.

Unsocialized conduct disorder

This type of behavior is accompanied by persistent dissociation, aggression, disruption of relationships with peers and relatives. Domestic psychiatry calls the type "deviant", the symptoms of which are manifested:

  • Affective excitability - irritability, fits of anger, aggression (fights, humiliation, insults) predominate in the character. With prohibitions and restrictions, a protest reaction arises - refusal to attend school, teach lessons, etc.
  • Mental instability - excessive suggestibility, dependence on the pleasures received from external conditions, a tendency to deceive.
  • Violation of desires - vagrancy, running away from home, aggression, sadistic inclinations, violation of sexual behavior (preversion).
  • Impulsive-epileptoid - a tendency to protracted outbursts of affective behavior, a long exit from a state of anger, revenge, stubbornness.

Personality disorder of organic etiology

Psychopathy is an organic disorder that occurs as a result of previous brain diseases:

  • traumatic brain injury;
  • infectious diseases: encephalitis, meningitis;
  • excessive alcohol consumption;
  • taking drugs;
  • abuse of psychotropic drugs;
  • neoplasms in the brain;
  • atherosclerosis, diabetes, hypertension;
  • autoimmune pathologies;
  • powerful intoxication.

According to experts, the disorder often becomes a companion of epilepsy, approximately 10% of the total number of patients suffer from mental disorders.

Important: the listed provoking factors can cause serious damage to the human psyche, so it is necessary to consult a doctor in time for adequate treatment in order to prevent mental disorders.

seasonal personality disorder

Many of us are familiar with seasonal depression, especially during those times of the year when there is little sun, it rains, the sky is overcast. But do not confuse this state with affective human behavior, repeated at certain times of the year. In persons with SAD, the problem also occurs due to a lack of sunlight, the main supplier of the hormone of cheerfulness, joy, and energy. But at the same time, they absolutely cannot cope with a behavior disorder, which is expressed in such signs as:

  • long sleep;
  • feeling of brokenness;
  • desire to sleep during the daytime;
  • early awakening;
  • low mood;
  • drop in self-esteem;
  • feeling of hopelessness, despair;
  • tearfulness;
  • inability to cope with everyday activities, activities;
  • irascibility;
  • attacks of aggression, anger, irritability;
  • tension, anxiety.

With an affective disorder, it is difficult for a seasonal person to endure any stress, even minor troubles, he does not control not only social, but also eating, sexual behavior, which leads to an increase in body weight, sexual problems.

Tearfulness is one of the symptoms of a personality disorder.

Pathology can occur at any age, but more often it affects people aged 18 to 30 years.

Personality and behavior disorder in adulthood

In this case, the pathology can be expressed in different ways, it all depends on what clinical manifestations accompany a person throughout life. The individual characteristics of the individual, how his relationship with others have developed, is important. Many signs are acquired not only at an early age, but also in later stages. Symptoms such as mixed, long-lasting, refer to protracted and deeply rooted behaviors, as a person managed to survive a lot of serious situations, and the psyche developed a response.

A factor in the development of disorders in advanced age is also a number of diseases inherent in the aging body.

Important: a personality disorder is a very serious diagnosis, and for it you can miss a more dangerous illness - schizophrenia, so you need to urgently contact a specialist and undergo a thorough examination.

Personality disorder and work

For persons with PD of certain types, it is necessary to select work taking into account the characteristics of behavior. With the right choice, work helps a person to realize himself, adapt with society, meet financial needs, and most importantly, switch from frustration to more positive activities. Employment includes several stages:

  1. Protected- the patient works under the constant supervision of a doctor or a social worker, the work is simplified, the mode is sparing.
  2. Transition- work with the usual mode, but the control by the social worker or doctor continues.
  3. General grounds- work at the usual place, with training at the enterprise, control is maintained.

Not a single specialist will give universal recommendations regarding the employment of a person with PD. It all depends on individual abilities and the severity of the symptoms of the disease.

Work and labor are not at all prohibited in personality disorders, but, on the contrary, are shown

With complex forms of disorders, doctors do not recommend getting a job, attending educational institutions until effective treatment has been completed and the diagnosis has been eliminated.

How to Treat a Personality Disorder

To eliminate symptoms such as anxiety, panic, depression and others, medication is being taken. The number of drugs includes psychotropic, neuroleptic drugs, serotonin inhibitors. Risperidone is used to exclude depresonalization.

Psychotherapy is aimed at correcting inadequate signs, but it is worth remembering that the treatment will be lengthy. The cognitive-behavioral method allows the patient to pay attention to his behavior, and not the consequences caused by his actions. The specialist can force the patient to obey his orders, for example, stop screaming, speak quietly, calmly, control himself during the moments of attacks. Of no small importance is the participation of relatives of the patient, who should also know the diagnosis of "personality disorder", what it is, communicate with a specialist and develop a certain demeanor. Positive results can be expected after 5-6 months of continuous exposure to the patient. The optimal duration of treatment is from 3 years.

How to be diagnosed with a personality disorder

In Russia, free medical and advisory assistance is provided to people with PD. There is no record of patients with this diagnosis, as in the past. After appropriate treatment, patients are under dynamic examination in the dispensary for some time, that is, it is necessary to visit doctors within six months. To remove the diagnosis is mainly sought by persons wishing to find a job as a driver, security guard. If the patient does not visit a doctor for five years, then his card is transferred to the medical archive, from where it can be claimed by law enforcement agencies, the personnel department, etc.

Removal of the diagnosis is possible after a successful treatment course

It is theoretically possible to remove the diagnosis only after 5 years, but only if the patient has been under observation for a year, and the doctor canceled the treatment. For premature removal of the diagnosis, it is necessary to contact a psychiatric clinic, undergo an examination, and obtain the approval of the commission. Some people with PD, feeling completely healthy, are confident in the positive decision of doctors, but the latter, in turn, may draw the opposite conclusion.

Disorders are different, including personal ones. A harmoniously developed, properly functioning personality is what every person should strive for. But sometimes our psyche fails, and then our personality ceases to be holistic, as if falling into parts, a dissociative personality disorder may occur. Why is this happening?

Personality as the core of a person

A lot can be said about personality. The definitions of the concept of "Personality" are innumerable. In any reference book on psychology or psychiatry, you can read a lot of smart words, like: Personality is a stable system of an individual, included in a social context. Such a definition does not exclude that a person may be characterized by antisocial, infantile, aggressive or dependent behavior.

Speaking in an accessible language, then you can understand what a person is with a simple example. Since the word Identity itself comes from the Slavic "mask" - a mask, you can imagine an adult with a set of these same masks, suitable for each specific case. It is no coincidence that one of the most important characteristics of a person is adaptation, as the ability to adapt to any environment.

Thus, a developed Personality is a person who has a huge number of disguises - sets of behavior in a given social situation, who knows how to apply them at the right time and in the right place.

In this context, it becomes clear what borderline personality disorder is. In the life of every person, there may be moments when the usual set of masks does not work. The person is confused and frustrated. He rushes between choosing the right disguise, not knowing which one to wear at the moment. In this case, he can even acquire a schizoid personality disorder. But these are extremes, borderline personality disorder happens much more often, the very name of which suggests that a person is on the verge between a healthy and sick psyche.

Such a person needs the support of a psychiatrist or medical psychologist to find out the causes, find out the symptoms, make a diagnosis and prescribe the right treatment. Any borderline personality disorder (even as serious as schizoid personality disorder) can be cured with timely access to a specialist. In extreme cases, you can count on a significant reduction in the manifestation of symptoms, after which you can live quite comfortably.

Causes

The reasons for the occurrence of such a disease of the psyche are called a great many. However, most psychiatrists and psychologists believe that the occurrence of such a disease as schizoid personality disorder is most often determined by hereditary and constitutional factors. When examining relatives of a patient with this borderline personality disorder, this pathology is detected much more often than among the entire population.

A fairly common reason why a person may develop any kind of borderline personality disorder is character. There is a large group of people with specific deviations in character. Usually these deviations are well compensated, so they lead to pathological behavioral disorders only in certain situations. Psychiatry calls such a deviation from the norm character accentuations.

The types of accentuations are varied. The famous psychologist K. Leonhard identified 12 types of accentuations, each of which can cause some kind of borderline state of the individual:


Sometimes borderline personality disorder, such as organic personality disorder, can occur as a result of minor damage or trauma to the brain in the prenatal period or early childhood.

Borderline personality disorder sometimes occurs as a result of improper upbringing and exposure to other social factors, as well as psychological trauma received in childhood or adulthood.

Personality Disorders

What are personality disorders? It is important to know that regardless of the specific diagnosis, they are initially divided into three large groups, each of which has its own specific features.

Cluster A. People with such mental disorders experience difficulties in social communication, their behavior looks eccentric, very strange. The life of such people takes place in the fictional world of their illusions.

Example: paranoid behavior, when a person from an “exemplary family man” suddenly turns into a suspicious and incredulous tyrant.

Cluster B. Such people try to control all manifestations of their feelings. In addition, it can be very difficult for them to make a choice. The pattern of behavior of such people can be dramatic, unpredictable or disturbing.

Example: those types of borderline behavior when a person impulsively seeks to harm himself or is characterized by extremely intense, unstable relationships with other people.

Cluster C. These people constantly experience intense feelings of fear or anxiety. Most people in this cluster are characterized by antisocial or withdrawn behavior.

Example: an avoidant disorder that makes a person painfully shy, socially depressed, overly sensitive, inadequate.

Classification according to ICD 10

The classification of disorders according to ICD 10 distinguishes several main types. Let's get to know them better, not forgetting that the list of personality disorders is constantly updated.

ViewCharacteristics
Schizoid disorderRefusal of significant social contacts, poor expression of any emotions. Its signs are lack of desire for close relationships, preference is given to individual activities, decreased libido, lack of friends, bipolar behavior, emotional coldness.
paranoid disorderExcessive suspicion, as well as constant distrust of others. Symptoms: unfounded suspicions that a person is being deceived or harmed. Constant fear, the search for a secret background in statements, an aggressive reaction to imaginary threats. There may be unreasonable jealousy of a sexual partner
schizotypal disorderInability to close relationships, eccentric behavior, and perceptual distortions. Symptoms are mystical thinking that influences behavior (attributing to oneself clairvoyance, telepathy, superstition, etc.). Unusual illusions and sensations. Stereotypical or metaphorical speech, the same thinking. Inappropriate emotions, strange behavior and appearance, lack of congenial people
Antisocial (dissocial) disorderViolation or deliberate ignorance of the norms or rules of behavior in society. Signs include lying, impulsiveness, inability to plan, irritability, stupid risk-taking, aggressiveness, indifference and irresponsibility.
Emotionally unstable disorderUnstable relations with society, inadequate self-esteem, significant impulsiveness, as well as a tendency to affect. Often this is how transient disorder occurs in adolescents. The following symptoms are observed: fear of loneliness, unstable interpersonal relationships and a violation of self-image. Impulsive behavior, squandering, promiscuity. Autoaggression, suicide attempts. Irritability, anxiety and irritability are periodically noted
Hysterical (histrionic) disorderExcessive emotionality, combined with the desire to be always in the spotlight. The signs of this disorder are as follows: discomfort in situations of lack of attention. Inappropriate display of sexuality, superficiality, theatricality and volatility of emotions. One's own appearance is seen as a tool to attract attention. High suggestibility, strong subordination to other people's influence
narcissistic disorderEmphasizing one's greatness, a strong need for people's admiration, lack of empathy. Symptoms are exaggeration of one's talents, fantasizing about great success, undivided power, or universal love. A person is convinced of personal uniqueness, unreasonably expects a wonderful attitude towards himself, but is envious of people
Obsessive Compulsive (Anancaste) DisorderConstant preoccupation with order and accuracy, the desire for control and perfection. Signs of an anancaste disorder: constant aimless planning, constant improvement that interferes with life. The desire for unnecessary work without communication with friends and rest. Too developed conscience, lack of flexibility of character, stubbornness
avoidant disorderPersistent feeling of inferiority, increased sensitivity to criticism and negative evaluation. Characters fear of disapproval, discontent or criticism, restraint in sexual relations. Suppression of emotions when communicating with strangers, belief in the superiority of other people, refusal to participate in new activities
dependent disorderExcessive need for care from others, dependent and obedient behavior, fear of imaginary separation. Signs are the problem of making ordinary decisions without the help of others, the avoidance of responsibility, the inability to say "no". They tend to voluntarily perform actions that do not give pleasure. Such people experience discomfort from loneliness.
Passive-aggressive disorderPassive resistance to attempts to do something, a negative attitude towards them. Constant alternation of protest and remorse. Symptoms include: complaints about the cruelty of others, conflict, baseless criticism of significant people, envy and anger towards successful people, a clear exaggeration of personal troubles

Treatment Methods

The mechanism of occurrence of personality disorders is not fully understood, but today there are a sufficient number of modern methods that can achieve a significant improvement in the condition.

There are several commonly used therapies, such as group and individual psychotherapy. They may use a variety of approaches, from behavioral to humanistic and psychodynamic. Psychoanalysis is very effective.

Medical treatment includes various drugs. Tranquilizers and antidepressants are successfully used in depressive and anancaste disorders. With obsessive-compulsive, schizoid and schizotypal disorder, special drugs are used, such as clomipramine. In passive-aggressive or hysterical disorder, small doses of antipsychotics are effective.

If the above methods do not help, you can try alternative methods of treatment that have long been used in such cases: healing, extrasensory perception, etc.

Article author: Maria Barnikova (psychiatrist)

Personality disorder: classification and symptoms

26.04.2016

Maria Barnikova

Forms of specific personality disorders, their causes and symptoms. Forecast and methods of overcoming pathological conditions.

Personality disorder, also called personality disorder, is a separate form of severe pathological abnormalities in the human mental sphere. According to statistics, the incidence of personality disorder reaches a very high bar - over 12% of the human population. Pathology is more common in males.

Personality disorder - description and causes

The term "personality disorder" used in modern psychiatry in accordance with the recommendations of the ICD-10 instead of the obsolete name "constitutional psychopathy". The previous name of the personality disorder did not quite correctly reflect the essence of the disease, since it was accepted that the foundation of psychopathy is congenital defects of the nervous system, inferiority that arose against the background of unfavorable heredity, negative factors that provoke developmental defects in the fetus. However, the pathogenetic mechanisms of personality disorder are more diverse and variable depending on the subspecies of the disease and purely individual typological characteristics of a person. The cause of a personality disorder can be a genetic predisposition, and an unfavorable course of pregnancy in the patient's mother, and birth trauma, and physical or psychological abuse in early childhood, and severe stressful situations.

Personality disorder implies the presence in a person of a characterological constitution, personality structure, behavior patterns that cause significant discomfort and pronounced distress to the existence of an individual and are contrary to the norms that exist in society. Several spheres of the personality are simultaneously involved in the pathological mental process, which almost always leads to personal degradation, makes integration impossible, and makes it difficult for a person to fully function in society.

The onset of a personality disorder occurs in late childhood or adolescence, while the symptoms of the disease manifest themselves much more intensely in the later life of a person. Since peculiar psychological changes of a teenager fall out during the juvenile period, it is rather problematic to make a differentiated diagnosis at the age of sixteen. However, it is quite likely to identify the present accentuation of the personality and predict the further direction of development of human characteristics.

Characterological structure- a set of stable psychological characteristics of an individual, regardless of time and situations, in the areas of thinking, perception, in ways of responding and in relationships with oneself and the outside world. A typical set of individual traits completes their formation before the onset of early adulthood and, despite the further dynamic extinction or development of individual elements, the structure of the psyche remains a relatively unchanged construct in the future. The development of a personality disorder can be assumed when individual components of the personality become extremely inflexible, destructive, maladaptive, immature and make it impossible to function fruitfully and adequately.

Persons suffering from a personality disorder are often in a state of frustration and cannot control their behavior, which causes them significant problems in all aspects of life. Such pathological conditions often coexist with depressive and anxiety disorders, hypochondriacal manifestations. For such persons, the abuse of psychostimulants and a pronounced violation of eating habits are characteristic. Often they are distinguished from healthy members of society by a clear contradiction in behavior, fragmentation and illogicality of individual actions, emotionally colored manifestations, cruel and aggressive actions, irresponsibility and a complete lack of rationalism.

According to the International Classification of Diseases of the 10th revision, ten diagnoses are distinguished into separate forms of personality disorder. Pathological conditions are also grouped into three separate clusters.

Forms of specific personality disorders are similar conditions observed in accentuated individuals, however, the main difference between the phenomena is the significant severity of manifestations, a striking contrast between the variation of individuality in the universal norm. The fundamental difference between pathology is that with personality accentuation, three dominant signs of mental pathology are never simultaneously determined:

  • impact on all life activities;
  • static in time;
  • significant obstacles to social adaptation.

In accentuated personalities, a set of excessive psychological characteristics never has a simultaneous effect on all areas of life. They have the opportunity both to achieve positive social achievements, and there is a negative charge that transforms over time into pathology.

Signs of a personality disorder

Despite the lack of precise terminology, the concept of “personality disorders” means the manifestation in a person of a number of clinical symptoms and signs of a destructive behavior pattern that causes mental suffering to the individual and prevents full functioning in society. The group of "personality disorders" does not include abnormal manifestations of the psyche that arose as a result of direct brain damage, neurological diseases and cannot be explained by the presence of another mental pathology.

To be diagnosed with a personality disorder, the patient's symptoms must meet the following criteria:

  • There is a tangible contradiction in the life positions and behavior of the person, affecting several mental spheres.
  • A destructive, unnatural model of behavior has been formed in a person for a long time, is of a chronic nature, not limited to periodic episodes of mental pathology.
  • An abnormal behavioral manner is global and significantly complicates or makes it impossible for a person to adapt normally to diverse life situations.
  • The symptoms of the disorder are always first observed in childhood or adolescence and continue to be demonstrated in the mature individual.
  • The pathological condition is a strong and pervasive distress, but such a fact can only be recorded as the personality disorder worsens.
  • Abnormal mental status can lead, but not always, to a significant deterioration in the quality and volume of work performed and cause a decline in social efficiency.

Forms of personality disorder and symptoms according to ICD-10

In traditional psychiatric practice, there are ten subspecies of personality disorder. We describe their brief characteristics.

Type 1. Paranoid

The basis of paranoid disorder is the pathological persistence of affect, a tendency to suspicion. In a patient of the paranoid type, feelings that have caused a strong emotional reaction do not subside with time, but persist for a long time and manifest themselves with renewed vigor at the slightest mental memory. Such persons are overly sensitive to mistakes and failures, painfully touchy, easily vulnerable. They have ambition, arrogance, arrogance. With a paranoid personality disorder, people do not know how to forgive insults, they are distinguished by secrecy and excessive suspicion, a general disposition towards an all-encompassing mistrust. Personalities of the paranoid type have a tendency to distort reality, to attribute to hostile and harmful motives all the actions of others, including not only neutral, but also friendly ones. Such people are distinguished by groundless pathological jealousy. They stubbornly defend their rightness, showing intractability and indulging in protracted litigation.

Type 2. Schizoid

Apathy is a state of indifference, indifference, passivity. Detailed information about the causes, symptoms and methods of treating apathy is in the article.

Very often, inappropriate or strange behavior of a person is not the result of a bad temper or bad mood, but a personality disorder. What it is?

What is a personality disorder?

A personality disorder is a type of mental disorder characterized by actions, thoughts, and ideas that deviate from accepted cultural norms. Pathology usually affects several key areas of life and provokes social disintegration. Translated from ancient Greek, the term sounds like “suffering of the soul” or “mental illness”.

According to various sources, about 12% of the world's population suffers from personality disorders. A personality disorder is usually diagnosed after a person reaches the age of eighteen, since earlier attempts to identify pathology can give a distorted result. Although in adolescents, the strengthening of individual character traits is already quite clearly visible, by which it is sometimes possible to predict the progression of a mental disorder in the future.

An increased risk of the disorder is observed in a dysfunctional family environment. Also, bad heredity has a negative effect (if there are cases of mental problems in the family).

Personality disorder: symptoms of pathology

According to the ICD-10, personality disorders can only include conditions that are not due to brain diseases and are not provoked by other pathologies of the psyche. At least three of the following symptoms must be present:

  1. A noticeable imbalance in behavior and personal positions, affecting several areas of the individual's active existence, namely, the processes of thinking and perception, attitude towards others, the ability to control one's impulses, etc.
  2. The stability of the signs, their chronic nature, that is, the symptoms of the disorder arose long ago, persist over time and are not limited to episodes of mental illness.
  3. The inability of the patient to adapt to the vast majority of life situations.
  4. The onset of the disorder during late childhood or adolescence and the continued persistence of symptoms.
  5. A clear decrease in productivity both in the field of social interactions and in the professional sphere.
  6. Severe personality distress that often becomes noticeable long after the onset of the personality disorder.

Another classifier (DSM-IV) defines a personality disorder as a condition in which the individual characteristics of a person do not allow him to adapt and adapt to standard situations, which leads to a serious deterioration in the quality of life. Guided by this approach, the following symptoms of the disorder are distinguished:

  • inconsistency of behavior and internal experience with the cultural requirements of society, which affects at least two of these areas - cognitive, affective, responsible for internal control or the ability to restrain impulsivity;
  • inflexibility of patterns of behavior and their distribution to a wide range of situations;
  • pronounced distress and obvious problems in important areas of life (public, personal, professional, etc.);
  • patterns of behavior are well-established, stable over time;
  • the symptoms are not associated with any other mental disorder;
  • pathological patterns are not associated with exposure to certain substances on the human body and are not provoked by head injuries.

Different types of personality disorders may be accompanied by different symptoms. But in all cases, there are: a chronic course, an impact on life in general, and serious obstacles to adaptation in society.

Personality disorder: types of pathology

It is believed that several personality disorders can "fit" in one patient at once. Diagnose usually that which is expressed most of all. The main types of personality disorder:

Key "theme" Type of disorder Peculiarities
Strange and eccentric behavior Paranoid
  • suspiciousness, distrust of others
  • constant attempts to discover the hidden meaning in the actions, words, facial expressions of people
  • the desire to break established social contacts
  • bouts of anger due to confidence in the dishonesty of relatives, friends, colleagues, acquaintances
Schizoid
  • unsociableness, unwillingness to establish close ties with people
  • weak or undeveloped emotionality
  • focus on one's own inner world and fantasies
schizotypal
  • difficulties in establishing social contacts
  • groundless anxiety
  • the habit of talking to oneself
  • ignoring others
  • confidence in one's ability to see the future or read other people's thoughts
Dramatic, emotional and unstable behavior antisocial
  • absolute disregard for safety - both personal and others
  • propensity to lie and deceive
  • impulsiveness, aggressiveness, irritability
  • frequent verbal conflicts and fights, problems with the law
  • indifference to others
  • non-compliance with social norms
Border
  • severe depressive episodes
  • high levels of irritability and anxiety
  • impulsive behavior
  • suicide attempts
  • self-destruction through alcohol abuse, overeating, drug use, etc.
  • low self-esteem, which does not allow establishing stable relationships with people
Hysterical
  • obsessive need to always be the center of attention
  • shocking, theatrical, provocative behavior and speech
  • subjection to the influence of others
  • overestimation of the degree of closeness of the relationship (a hated acquaintance seems to be the best friend)
Narcissistic
  • belief in one's own uniqueness
  • obsessive thoughts and dreams about your success, power, wealth
  • demanding special treatment
  • envy of more fortunate people
  • the opinion that there are only envious people around
  • dependence on praise, attention, recognition
  • using others for personal gain
Anxiety and fear behavior alarming
  • prone to phobias
  • excessive shyness
  • increased sensitivity to criticism or negative attitudes
  • low self-esteem, self-confidence
  • deliberate avoidance of social contacts with a strong internal need for communication
dependent
  • self-doubt, low self-esteem
  • passivity
  • inability to make independent decisions, fear of responsibility
  • fear of separation and loneliness
Obsessive-compulsive (anancaste)
  • preoccupation with details
  • tendency to doubt
  • excessive perfectionism
  • recurrent obsessions (obsessive thoughts) and compulsions (ritual actions)

In some cases, the disorder belongs to the group unspecified.

Personality Disorder: Treatment

Since a mental disorder of a personality is not so much a distortion as a special personality structure, the treatment is aimed solely at adapting a person to society, reducing the level of his fears and anxiety, “educating” the right reactions to what is happening, etc. Mostly, the therapy complex includes:

  1. Psychotherapy. Both individual and group sessions can be conducted. Family therapy is often indicated. The patient is told about his psychological characteristics and how to adapt them to the environment. The use of methods of cognitive behavioral therapy and psychoanalysis is widespread. Be sure to try to work out the most likely causes of the pathology.
  2. Medical therapy. Drugs are not very effective for personality disorders, but sometimes patients are prescribed antipsychotics.

The main difficulty in therapy is that the specialist is not always able to establish a trusting relationship with the patient, which is necessary for high-quality treatment. Sometimes it is necessary to change the doctor if the patient refuses to cooperate.

Personality disorder greatly complicates life, but does not put an end to it. Almost always, the help of a good psychotherapist allows the patient to integrate into society. And although such disorders cannot be completely eliminated, they can be stopped to a sufficient extent that a person is comfortable in his own personality.

Etc.).

People with personality disorders often have other mental health problems, especially depression and substance abuse (alcoholism, drug addiction, substance abuse, etc.).

When and why do personality disorders occur?

Personality disorders most often begin to manifest during adolescence and continue into adulthood.

Personality disorders can be mild, moderate, or severe, and may have periods of "remission" where they may decrease significantly or not at all.

Types of personality disorders.

Several different types of personality disorders are recognized. They can be grouped into one of three groups - A, B or C - which are listed below.

Cluster A personality disorders.

A person with Cluster A Personality Disorders tends to have difficulty communicating with other people, and usually most people would find their behavior strange and eccentric. They can be described as living in a fantasy world of their own illusions.

An example is paranoid personality disorder, when a person against the background of "exemplary behavior" becomes extremely distrustful and suspicious.

Cluster B personality disorders.

A person with cluster B personality disorders tries to regulate their feelings and often oscillates between the positive and negative opinions of others. This can lead to behaviors that are described as dramatic, unpredictable, and disturbing.

A prime example is borderline personality disorder, where a person is emotionally unstable, has impulses to harm themselves, and has intense, unstable relationships with others.

Cluster C personality disorders.

A person with cluster C personality disorders struggles with persistent and overwhelming feelings of anxiety and fear. Such people can rarely show patterns of behavior, most people with this class will have antisocial and withdrawn behavior.

An example is avoidant personality disorder, where a person is painfully shy, feels socially stifled, inadequate, and extremely sensitive. A person can and often wants to be a good family man, but lacks the confidence to form close relationships.

How many people have a personality disorder?

Personality disorders are common mental health problems.

It is estimated that approximately one in 20 people has a personality disorder. However, many people have only minor changes that are more likely to show up only during times of stress (such as bereavement). Other people with more serious problems will need specialist help for a long time.

Prognosis of the course of personality disorder.

Most people who are treated recover from the personality disorder over time.

Psychotherapy or medical treatments provide significant relief and can often be recommended even to people with a mild personality disorder as just some form of support. It depends on the severity of the disease, and on the presence of other current problems.
Some people with mild to moderate personality disorder may benefit from specific psychotherapy, which is of great help.

However, there is no single approach or any single psychotherapeutic techniques that could suit everyone, so treatment should be selected taking into account the individual characteristics of personality development. It is very important that the therapy of personality disorders be carried out by a qualified psychotherapist.

Learn more about treating personality disorders.

All people have their own special characters. People's personalities may be similar, but they will never be the same. Some personal characteristics differ so much from the supposed norm and from the generally accepted rules of behavior that they cause irritation, misunderstanding and discomfort of others. Some character traits can cause problems that affect not only the originals themselves, but also their close and distant environment.

Personality disorders are conditions that last a lifetime, decreasing or increasing in their manifestations, depending on the external environment and concomitant diseases. Such character disorders put unpredictable pressure on daily life, when the need for qualified help necessarily arises. The task of a psychotherapist is to understand, understand and determine the path to compensation for a special personality and its adaptation. There are different ways: psychological and pedagogical, pharmacological and complex.

As already mentioned, personality disorder is a type of mental illness associated with problems in the perception of situations, people, including oneself.

There are many specific types of personality disorders. These mental disorders, which are sometimes considered personality traits - unhealthy ways of thinking and behaving, no matter what the situation, lead to significant problems and restrictions in relationships, communication with other people, work and school.

In most cases, a person is not able to understand that he has a personality disorder, because the way of thinking and behavior seems natural to himself, and he most often blames others for certain problems that arise in the process of interpersonal contact.

If you have any questions, please call or write to us. If you need help, we will be happy to help.

    Patient

    How to tell a teenager about the need to visit a psychiatrist? There are indications (F21). He is 17 years old, not a drug addict, a smart positive child.

Doctor

You need to be honest and frank. He must be aware of his problems so that he does not have problems in the future. Schizotypal disorder is a mild form of schizophrenia. In such cases, if treated and observed by a doctor, it will give him advantages over his peers. This disorder, if properly treated, usually gives a person a certain “genius”. He must understand that treatment is necessary, and only with him will he get only the best from the disease. After all, schizophrenia, if it occurs in a mild form and is controlled by an experienced doctor, gives a person more mental abilities. There is no need to be afraid of illness. A person should know and understand about his health as much as possible. He, the boy is an adult, and I have no doubt that he is smart, so he must understand everything correctly.

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