Personality Disorder: Types, Diagnosis, and Treatment

Personality refers to how an individual behaves, feels and thinks and it is influenced dramatically by genetics as well as environmental factors. Personality disorder is a pattern of feeling, thinking and interacting that is different from the usual expectations and which can cause significant distress and difficulty in functioning. There are many types of personality disorders, and each type has its characteristic problems. The expert at Emoneeds consider diagnosing the condition when people persistently view themselves or others in different ways which are far away from reality or if they continue to act in ways that can have negative consequences.

What are personality disorders?

These disorders are a group of mental health conditions that lead to unusual thoughts, feelings and behaviours that disturb an individual’s life over a long time. These disorders affect their daily life, work routine, relationships and their overall well-being. People with personality disorders start showing signs of their mental issues by late adolescence or early adulthood. As per the statistics worldwide, about 12 percent of people live with many personality disorder types, as there are many types of personality disorders, and symptoms can vary for each type. People with personality disorders have consistent patterns of behaviour or thoughts that differ from the usual expectations. The condition is diagnosed by doctors when a person’s personality traits.  They become so profound, rigid as well and maladaptive as they do not adjust according to circumstances.  If you or any of your daily members experience any symptoms of these disorders, then it is best to consult the psychologist or Psychiatrist or else mental health specialist immediately. Emoneeds is the best online platform in Gurgaon, having a team of qualified and experienced psychiatric professionals and therapists who specialise in the treatment of many complications and provide effective mental health-tailored unique treatments.

Personality disorders types

A personality disorder is a challenging mental health condition that involves unhealthy thinking, functioning and rigid behavioural patterns. People with this condition can significantly impact many aspects of life, causing disruptions in relationships, work and social functioning. These types of disorders often shape a person’s personality, self-identity as well and interactions with others. There are many types of personality disorders : Common personality disorder types are :

• Borderline personality disorder

People with this disorder often feel empty and abandoned, irrespective of family support and find it challenging to deal with stressful events. One of the  Borderline personality disorder symptoms includes that people have episodes of paranoia. They indulge in risky and impulsive behaviour like unsafe sex, gambling, etc.

• Narcissistic personality disorder

People with narcissistic personality disorder are in great belief that they are more critical than others and tend to exaggerate their achievements or keep on talking about their success. These types of people lack empathy but need admiration.

• Antisocial personality disorder

In this type of personality disorder, people tend to manipulate or treat others harshly, and they may also steal, lie, and abuse alcohol and other drugs.

Other personality disorders are :

• Dissociative identity disorder

Dissociative identity disorder was previously commonly known as multiple personality disorder and is characterised when a person is in two personality states. A person’s alternate personalities may be of different age and gender and exhibit multiple moods and preferences.

• Paranoid personality disorder

People with this type of disorder are very distrustful of others as well as suspicious of their motives and hold grudges as well.

• Schizoid personality disorder

In this type, people show little interest in forming personal relationships and participating in social interactions and do not pick on typical social cues.

• Schizotypal  personality disorder

In this type of disorder, people believe that they can influence other people or other events with their thoughts and often misinterpret behaviours. This leads to inappropriate emotional responses, and thus, they avoid having intimate relationships.

• Histrionic personality disorder

In this type of disorder, people wish and try their best to gain attention by being sexually provocative or overly dramatic. They are easily influenced by many others who are extremely sensitive to disapproval.

• Avoidant personality disorder

This type of disorder makes people filled with the feeling of inferiority, inadequacy and unattractiveness. These people usually dwell on criticism and avoid parting in new activities or being social.

• Dependent personality disorder

In this type of disorder, people heavily depend upon others to meet their physical and emotional needs. They avoid being alone and need reassurance on a regular basis to make decisions.

• Obsessive-compulsive personality disorder

In this type of disorder, people have an overwhelming need for order and firmly adhere to rules and regulations. They have feelings of discomfort when perfection is not attained and may also neglect relationships as well to focus on making them perfect.

Symptoms of personality disorders

Personality disorders often lead to problems at work or in personal relationships. People with the disorders show issues and trouble in managing emotions, controlling impulses, maintaining a positive self-image, or even staying in touch with reality. Whether it is a personality disorder or just a personality quirk is often a matter of degree and the presence or absence of a pattern of behaviour.  According to researchers, there is no specific cause of personality disorders. Still, many speculate that some factors like genetics, traumatic childhood experiences, brain differences and cultural differences can cause the conditions. However, there are many types of personality disorders, and all show different symptoms that show the conditions. Generally, the personality disorder symptoms are marked  according to :

• Way of thinking or perceiving things from a specific viewpoint that only presents one’s interest.
• Being distressed by your thinking as well as behaviour.
• The signs and symptoms are more noticeable in childhood or the formative years and become more prominent in adulthood.
• Difficulty regulating emotions
• Low self-esteem
• Impaired thinking and judgment
• Poor impulse control
• Problems with relationships and interpersonal skills
• Extreme mood swings for a short period
• Having intense and unstable emotions
• Odd or unusual thinking
• Engaging in risky behaviours
• Inability to tolerate routine

Diagnosis of personality disorders

The expert Psychiatrist or therapist may determine many annuals to diagnose the personality disorder as these symptoms cannot be shown up on any imaging tests. Personality disorders have different criteria on which doctors or therapists ask questions as per their reference points to make exact diagnoses. However, behaviour and feelings must be felt by the patients with personality disorders at all times and not just in some specific situations. There are some other tests as well to diagnose a personality disorder, like tests or drugs or alcohol in your blood and whether there is any underlying condition that is responsible for this to aggregate the mental symptoms. To be diagnosed with a personality disorder, you must meet some guidelines, so it is best to consult the best physiatrist at Emoneeds to know all the details.

Treatment for  various personality disorders

There is no one treatment for personality disorders, as the options will vary as per a person’s needs. Your treatment will depend upon your personality disorder type, how severe the condition is, and the life situation, and your treatment can take many months or years. There are a range of personality disorder treatments that can help a person, including :

• Talking therapy or Dialectical behavior therapy

It is a form of physiotherapy and is the primary way to treat personality disorders, along with the medicines that may also be used during the treatment. Also known as DBT, it is a form of talk therapy that focuses on treating dangerous behaviour, like behaviour that can lead to suicide or behaviour that can get in the way of treatment.  DBT is a weekly session with a therapist, and this treatment can last for about a year. Therapists are in consultation groups with the person and talk about the issues related to their treatment. They are also available on the phone to provide coaching to help ensure that the treatment taken is applied in real life. Thai therapy includes

1. Controlling emotions
2. Handling distress
3. Practice mindfulness

• Medications

It is another form of personality disorder treatment and helps with  many personal disorder symptoms; these medications include :

1. Mood stabilisers - help to even out mood swings and reduce irritable and aggressive behaviour.
2. Antidepressants - that help you if, in case you feel angry, depressed, irritable or hopeless.
3. Antipsychotic medications - that help if your symptoms include losing touch with reality.
4. Anti-anxiety medications - help if you are anxious,  have sleep issues or are agitated.

• Hospital and residential programs

Some severe cases of personality disorders need a stay in a hospital for proper care, and it is recommended for those who cannot take care of themselves at home or can be in immediate danger of harming themselves. When you become stable in the hospital, your doctor may recommend a day program or residential program to help you out with the condition. Personality disorders should never be ignored as these are life-long conditions and are life-threatening as well that impact behavioural patterns. People who are experiencing personality disorder symptoms often report relationship issues, impaired overall functioning, as well as emotional distress. It is best to consult an expert therapist or Psychiatrist who provides covenant and affordable online therapy like Emoneeds.

Conclusion

Having a personality disorder makes it difficult to take actions that may help you feel better. It is best to consult an expert therapist or a psychiatrist to get help to learn coping skills and to get needed support that is vital.  If your loved one also needs treatment for personality disorder, find the best therapist to get support and encouragement. Emoneeds is a popular name among the online platforms that can help you with your mental health. The centre has a great team of professionals and experienced therapists and psychiatrists who specialise in many treatments of various types of personality disorders and offer treatments for almost all kinds of personality disorders, including borderline personality disorder treatment. According to the treatment plan that you need after proper diagnosis, Emoneeds provides you with a dedicated team of psychiatrists, psychologists and feedback counsellors who will work with you to help you with the treatment and recovery of the condition. They also monitor your progress and ensure that everything is proper and on track.

FAQs

How do you deal with someone with a personality disorder?

You can deal with someone with a personality disorder, and for that, you need to be patient and calm. Also you should not judge and set clear boundaries. Consult the best therapist to get them proper treatment.

How does BPD affect daily life?

BPT affects a person’s life with how someone copes with life events, emotions beh,aviors or impulses and also impacts the way a person connects with others.

Can a person with BPD get really emotional?

BPD triggers intense emotional fluctuations in people along with impulsive behavior, which can be challenging for their partners. It needs patience and commitment as cops have to work together to build loving and long-lasting relationships.

Is BPD the worst mental illness?

BPD is not the worst mental illness; and is a lesser-known mental illness and is also challenging to manage.

What is the hardest disorder to live with?

Bipolar Mental disorder is the hardest disorder to live with as a person has to struggle constantly trying to cope with volatile emotions.