Personality Disorders

These are personality disorders characterized by erratic or unusual behaviors or ways of thinking. 

• Paranoid personality disorder is the first. A client with paranoid personality disorder is constantly suspicious of what other people do. They generally believe that everyone is trying to harm them, to mean them, or otherwise threaten them.
• Schizoid personality disorder is the second. A client with schizoid personality disorder has detached social interactions and a limited emotional range, and they generally aren’t interested in any form of relationship.
• Schizotypal personality disorder is the third. A client with schizotypal personality disorder can find it difficult to have any intimate relationships because they have distorted views of reality, are often intensely uncomfortable with intimacy, and don’t believe they need close relationships.

These are personality disorders characterized by erratic behavior, unstable behavior, unstable emotions, and impulsivity. Many clients with a personality disorder from Group B also have impulse control disorders or substance abuse disorders.

• Antisocial personality disorder is the first. A client with antisocial personality disorder can regularly cause physical or emotional harm to others without regard for the consequences. They generally don’t respect social rules or other people.
• Borderline personality disorder is the second. A client with borderline personality disorder usually has many relationship problems. They can’t control their emotions, struggle with low self-esteem, and have issues with impulsivity.
• Histrionic personality disorder is the third. A client with histrionic personality disorder often has a distorted view of themselves. The view they have of themselves is contingent upon approval from other people. They have no internalized self-worth, so they often have intense emotions and engage in inappropriate or dramatic behavior to garner attention from other people.
• Narcissistic personality disorder is the fourth. A client with narcissistic personality disorder similarly has low self-esteem, and they compensate for this low self-esteem by demanding praise from others regularly. Clients also typically lack empathy for anyone else and have an ongoing feeling of superiority over others.

These are personality disorders more characterized by anxiety or fear. It’s common for clients with a Group C disorder to also have an anxiety disorder.

• Avoidant personality disorder is the first. Clients with avoidant personality disorder go out of their way to avoid social interactions because of an underlying fear of rejection. They constantly struggle with feelings of inadequacy and don’t believe they’re good enough to socialize with other people. The same clients will typically have an ongoing fear of being negatively judged by others in any social situation.
• Dependent personality disorder is the second. A client with dependent personality disorder becomes intimate with other people to such a degree that they invest all of themselves into that other person. They are regularly submissive, cannot make independent decisions, display passive behavior, constantly seek reassurance from their partner, and struggle with severe separation anxiety if they are apart.
• Obsessive-compulsive personality disorder is the third. A client with obsessive-compulsive personality disorder differs from a client with obsessive-compulsive disorder. Those with obsessive-compulsive disorders are aware of their thoughts, actions, and issues that can come from them. By comparison, individuals with obsessive-compulsive personality disorder have even more extreme demands for control and order. Those demands can inhibit their ability to hold a job, maintain a relationship, or even complete daily tasks. These individuals typically have no tolerance for flexibility and need specialized treatment above and beyond what is required to treat OCD.