Personality Disorders
Your personality is the way you view, understand and relate to the outside world as well as to yourself. It is how your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors combine to make you unique. Personality forms during childhood and is shaped by genetic influences (parents’ own personalities) as well as by environmental influences (life experiences, friends, etc.).
Some people have difficulty understanding situations and relating to others. These people can have a rigid and unhealthy pattern of thinking and behaving which can lead to problems in relationships, social encounters, work, and school. When someone’s personality style and/or behaviors cause significant distress to themselves or to others, or when their behaviors consistently go against the expectations of society, the person may have what is known as a Personality Disorder. Some behaviors/beliefs that may indicate a personality disorder include:
- Mood swings
- Stormy or unstable relationships
- Social isolation
- Sudden angry outbursts
- Suspicion or mistrust of others
- Difficulty making or keeping friends
- Need for instant gratification
- Poor impulse control
- Alcohol and/or substance abuse
It is important to note that many of these traits appear in childhood or adolescence and resolve themselves by early adulthood. It is not uncommon for a child to have sudden angry outbursts, or for a teen to have poor impulse control. It is considered a personality disorder when these problems continue, unchanged, into adulthood (18 years or older).
If you recognize any of these patterns in yourself, a friend, or a loved one, a psychological evaluation is recommended. Appropriate intervention for Personality Disorders includes:
- Medical Evaluation: Medication may be useful in treating certain symptoms of the personality disorder, or in treating co-occurring conditions that exist alongside the personality disorder.
- Individual Therapy: Individual therapy starts by identifying the client’s faulty cognitive and/or behavioral patterns that contribute to interpersonal difficulty. Then therapist and client work together to identify and practice Self-Management skills to replace ineffective patterns.
- Family Therapy (including couples/marital therapy): Family members often carry the lion’s share of the burden as they are the ones who are most often in contact with the client. Family therapy helps family members better understand the nature of the client’s disorder, and better prepare themselves to provide the empathy and support that the client will need.
- Group Therapy: Group therapy, specifically Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, provides clients with a supportive atmosphere to learn emotional regulation, practice self-calming techniques, and work on their interpersonal relationships.