Strange and Unusual Behavior: An Introduction to Personality Disorders
Personality disorders affect every aspect of a person’s life, from their relationships, to the way they behave, and even the way they perceive the world. For some, it is something they are born with, a different lens through which they view the world their entire lives. Other people can develop personality disorders due to outside forces, be it childhood trauma, injuries, or other life-altering events. Depending on how early someone develops a personality disorder, they may not realize that the way they view the world is any different than how other people view it, may not realize there is even an issue until something drastic in their life causes them to have to reevaluate their world view. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, or the DSM currently in its fifth edition, is a guide to every disorder currently recognized by modern society. The DSM-5 recognizes ten distinct personality disorders, breaking them into three distinct clusters based on similar symptoms and characteristics. People who suffer from Cluster A personality disorders have eccentric or odd thinking and behavior, Cluster B personality disorders suffer from issues maintaining relationships and regulating their emotions, and Cluster C personality disorders are characterized by fearful and anxious thinking and behavior. Throughout this series, I’ll go into more detail about each of the disorders, but I do want to provide a brief overview of each one in this article.
The three personality disorders listed under Cluster A are generally characterized by what neurotypical people classify as eccentric or unusual behaviors. The first of these, Paranoid personality disorder, is characterized by a pervasive suspiciousness and distrust of others, often interpreting their motives as malevolent. People with Schizoid personality disorder, the second Cluster A disorder, tend to suffer from a restricted range of emotions and detachment from social relationships. Finally, people who suffer from Schizotypal personality disorder have a reduced capacity for close relationships due to social and interpersonal deficits, eccentric behavior, and either cognitive or perceptual distortions. For all three of these mental illnesses, they must occur outside of a diagnosis of bipolar disorder, depressive disorder, or schizophrenia to be diagnosed as a personality disorder, rather than as symptoms of another disorder.
There are four separate disorders grouped under Cluster B personality disorders in the DSM-5, characterized by issues with regulating emotional stability and maintaining relationships with people. The first of these is Antisocial personality disorder, classified in the DSM-5 as an ongoing pattern of both disregard and violation to the rights of others. The second, Borderline personality disorder, is classified as ongoing instability within relationships, impulsive behaviors, and issues with self-image. Narcissistic personality disorder is classified as having a pattern of grandiose behaviors or fantasies, a lack of empathy, and the need for admiration. Finally, people with Histrionic personality disorder suffer from excessive attention-seeking and emotionality.
The final three disorders found in Cluster C deal with issues surrounding fearful and anxious behaviors. The first of these is Avoidant personality disorder, which manifests as feelings of inadequacy, hypersensitivity to negative evaluation, and an ongoing pattern of social inhibition. People who suffer from Dependent personality disorder often show submissive and clinging behavior due to a fear of separation. The last personality disorder, Obsessive-Compulsive personality disorder, is characterized by a preoccupation with perfectionism, control, and orderliness, to the point that it is detrimental to flexibility, efficiency, and openness.
Throughout this series, some readers may see similarities between the symptoms of certain disorders and their own behaviors. Due to the overlap and comorbidity many of these disorders have with a large amount of other disorders, please see a licensed therapist for a full diagnosis. Licensed therapists are trained to recognize the symptoms of different disorders and have an easier time sorting through overlapping symptoms in order to figure out what a patient needs in order to live their best life. While self-diagnosis can help a patient have a starting point for a conversation, it should be just that, a starting point into an official diagnosis, not the end of the road. Wrongful diagnosis can end up causing more harm than good and the final call should come from someone who has been trained to recognize these disorders.
