What are Personality Disorders?
A personality disorder is a deeply ingrained, unhealthy pattern of thinking, feeling, and behaving. Personality disorders usually begin to form in the teenage years when the person is experiencing significant problems maintaining or initiating relationships and social activities at work, school, or home. If these patterns persist, the person may struggle to function in society in a healthy way. Most people who have a diagnosed personality disorder are not even aware of the impact of their entrenched think and behavior. They view their struggle as the fault of others and are resistant to accepting responsibility for their actions. This thinking perpetuates the personality disorder, and the person typically continues to struggle.
The following is a list of the most common personality disorders, and it is important to note that approximately 10 percent of the population suffers from these disorders:
- Antisocial
- Borderline
- Histrionic
- Narcissistic
- Obsessive Compulsion
What causes personality disorders?
Researchers believe that personality disorders are influenced by genetics and the environment in which the child grew up. Other studies indicate a link between anxiety, fear, aggression, and some of the personality types.
Significant childhood trauma such as:
- Sexual abuse
- Physical Abuse-in extreme cases these traumas can lead to borderline personality disorders
- Verbal abuse
- High Reactivity Environment-more likely to develop an anxious personality disorder
- Inconsistent Parenting-children are three times more likely to suffer from a narcissistic personality disorder
- Intense bullying
What is the best way to treat personality disorders?
First it is important to find a mental health professional that has experience treating personality disorders. Evidence-based therapies such as Behavior Therapy/Behavior Modification, Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT), Dialectical-Behavior Therapy (DBT) as well as support groups and medication have been found to the most effective treatments for personality disorders. It is important to know that personality disorders are typically difficult to treat as the entrenched thinking, feeling, and acting have become a way of life for many people so be patient with yourself and family members.
