Personality Disorders Antisocial personality disorder This is the type of personality disorder that arises from an individual showing signs of aggression towards other people, behaves impulsively and does not regret harming others. The person may also ignore the rules and rights of others. Prominent causes of antisocial personality disorder: • There is no well-known cause of this disorder, however, most researchers believe that reduced inhibitions may be the cause-this leads to a person behaving however they want with little to no care how other people perceive their behavioural patterns. • Some researchers believe that exposure to certain negative experiences such as poverty, crime, instability, and isolation may be some of the causes of antisocial personality disorder. Symptoms of antisocial personality disorder: • Arrogance • Crime • Instability to plan • Callousness • Manipulative behaviour • Lack of emotions • Power Hunger • Destructiveness • Recklessness • Deceitful and treacherous behaviour Treatments of antisocial personality disorder: • One-on-one psychotherapy with a focus on exploring emotions and why the patient does not seem to feel those emotions. This type of therapy can be effective if reasons to overcome the behaviour can be found. • Group Therapy Avoidant personality disorder Patients suffering from avoidant personality disorder are often focuses on the negative aspects of any situation. They may suffer from a low self-esteem and lack of confidence which often lead to social withdrawal, the patient may have social anxiety and struggle to communicate with others. This often arises from fear of being deemed inadequate. Prominent causes of avoidant personality disorder: • Many researchers believe that it may be caused by a child’s temperament, they believe that a timid child may be predisposed to avoidant personality disorder. • Shy children who withdraw from social situations will grow up lacking the necessary skills to communicate well with others • According to researchers “Rejection from others may also be a contributing factor”
Treatments of avoidant personality disorder: • Psychotherapy • Patients may also be given Nardil(Phenelzine) to help increase their confidence and assertiveness. Borderline personality disorder Borderline personality disorder is characterized by major emotional instability, and this according to researchers may appear as sudden mood swings and impulsiveness, furthermore, criticism may lead to a person acting negatively and even violently. It is believed that patients with borderline personality disorder may feel that they have been treated unfairly which in turn leads to them classifying or perceiving another person as either entirely good or entirely bad, which is known as splitting. The downside of this disorder is that it may trigger suicide or substance abuse if not treated. Common causes of borderline personality disorder: • Overwhelming of emotions- Not being able to cope and deal with stress in a rational manner. • It is also believed by researchers that suffering a major loss in the early stages of life may trigger this type of personality disorder. • It is also believed that decreased serotonin levels may trigger borderline personality disorder Common symptoms of borderline personality disorder: • Unstable relationships • Fear of abandonment/ attachment issues • Paranoia • Self-destructive actions • A dislike for being alone • Angry outbursts • Impulsiveness without regard for implications • Clinginess • Sense of emptiness • Violent behaviour towards others Treatments of borderline personality disorder: • Psychotherapy • Partial hospital programmes • Dialectical behavioural therapy • Medication such as Naltrexone, Zyprexa, Eskalith/Lithium, Buspirone, Depakotel/ Valproate, or Risperdal. Dependent personality disorder Dependent personality disorder is when an individual transfers their duly responsibilities to another person and heavily depends upon them. The patient is likely to suffer from low self-esteem and often seeks comfort or protection from others. Common causes of dependent personality disorder • Research shows that dependent personality disorder may be caused by parents who were very protective or strict. A child that is not given independence and self-belief may be susceptible to dependent personality disorder. • It is also believed by some researchers that child abuse or major childhood trauma may also be a common cause for dependent personality disorder. Common symptoms of dependent personality disorder: • Difficulty in making decisions • Clinginess • Fear of losing the approval for others • Insecurity • Submissiveness • Need for praise and approval • Fear of being alone • Very pessimistic • Self-effacing Treatments for dependent personality disorder • Assertiveness training • Group therapy • Psychotherapy • Partial Hospital programmes Histrionic Personality disorder This type of personality disorder involves excessive emotions which may change very swiftly with slight warning. People suffering from this disorder often gesture wildly and dominate conversations and events quickly. Common causes of histrionic personality disorder: • Suffering an emotional loss during childhood may contribute to this type of personality disorder Common symptoms of histrionic personality disorder: • Shallowness • Interrupting others • Preoccupation with medical problems/ symptoms • Impatient • Highly impressionable • Drug/ Alcohol abuse • Demanding of others • Manipulative • Impulsiveness • Focus on appearance Common treatments of histrionic personality disorder: • Psychotherapy Narcissistic personality disorder This is the type of disorder that occurs when an individual has an unrealistic sense of their own importance or superiority which makes them believe that they are better than those around them. Individuals suffering from this type of personality disorder obsess over producing perfect work and strive to outdo others and prove themselves. Patients suffering from narcissistic personality disorder often feel threatened by any type of failures they may face. Common causes of narcissistic personality disorder: • There are no known causes for this type of personality disorder, however, researchers believe that some patients utilize the disorder as a defence mechanism tool for underlying insecurities. Rather than to recognize their insecurities, the patient may convince themselves that they are superior to anybody else. Common symptoms of narcissistic personality disorder: • Lack of empathy for other people • Focus on power, success, and achievements • Exaggerating achievements and skills • Arrogance • Manipulation of others • Self-centred or selfish behaviour Common treatments of narcissistic personality disorder: • Psychotherapy
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