Each person has his own personal characteristics, but in some people they are expressed excessively, take on a pathological character. Depending on the type of disorder, certain features are emphasized. Any personality disorder interferes with the socialization of a person, building relationships with other people.
What is personality disorder
Personality disorder is a mental state characterized by a predominance of some character traits and a reduced manifestation of others, prevailing and persistent stereotypes of thinking, perception, reactions and relationships. Typically, these features create discomfort and interfere with building relationships. The specificity of stereotypes of behavior depends on the type of disorder.
A personality disorder is said when the features are strongly expressed (visible to everyone around with the naked eye), immobile and maladaptive (interfere with work and (or) affect interpersonal relationships). It is stress as a result of problems in interpersonal relationships that becomes a frequent reason for referring to a clinical psychologist or psychiatrist, and not the problems in behavior and thoughts themselves. And already in the course of work, the true cause (personality traits) is revealed and treatment is prescribed.
This is a disease that is less severe at an older age. Personality disorders occur in 13% of the population. No connection was found between the disease and gender, race, or social status. However, it has been noted that men are more prone to disorders. Disorders are also more common in dysfunctional or low-income families.
Disorders are formed under the influence of:
- genetic factors (alcoholism, mental illness or parental disorder);
- organic disorders (brain injury at an early age or during pregnancy);
- social factors (unfavorable family, destroying the style of family education, unfavorable social environment).
Personality disorders are dangerous in that they can lead to suicidal attempts, self-harming behavior, chemical addiction.
Types of Disorders
In general, disorders can be divided into problems associated with auto-identification and associated with interpersonal relationships:
- Problems with auto-identification are manifested by unstable or inadequate self-esteem, a contradiction in life values and goals, inner world and lifestyle.
- In interpersonal relationships, personality disorders are manifested by the inability of a person to understand the emotions of others, to create and / or maintain close relationships.
The following typology is presented in the international classification of diseases:
- paranoid disorder;
- schizoid disorder;
- schizotypal disorder;
- hysterical disorder;
- obsessive-compulsive disorder (anankas disorder);
- borderline psychopathy;
- dissocial disorder;
- narcissistic disorder;
- avoidant disorder (anxiety disorder);
- addictive disorder;
- self-injurious behavior (masochistic disorder);
- passive-aggressive disorder.
In addition, disorders are classified into groups: eccentric disorders (schizoid, paranoid, and schizotypal disorder), emotional and fluctuating disorders (borderline, hysterical, antisocial, narcissistic disorder), anxiety and panic disorders (obsessive-compulsive, dependent) and avoidant disorder.
Several disorders can be combined in one person at the same time.
Signs
Personality disorders usually develop during adolescence or early adulthood. In some cases, personality traits disappear by themselves or become less pronounced over time, more often their manifestations persist without treatment.
People with personality disorders are contradictory and strange in everything, incomprehensible to themselves and other people. Despite their inability to empathize, these people are highly emotional. At the same time, they are characterized by individualism and defiant, sometimes asocial behavior. They are sometimes prone to chemical addiction and eating disorders, psychosomatic disorders. If the personality disorder is aggravated, then the prognosis becomes less favorable.
The main symptom of personality disorder is an inadequate response to life situations or to the words and actions of others. Other symptoms include:
- the predominance of negative feelings and emotions;
- an inability to manage these emotions and feelings;
- avoidance of social contacts, emotional emptiness;
- insults, threats, assault;
- periodic loss of contact with reality.
At the moment of stress and tension, worries, menstruation in women, the symptoms are more pronounced.
Personality disorder has three characteristics:
- pronounced personality traits are manifested both at home and in any other place and setting;
- pronounced features are stable: from the onset of manifestation (sometimes childhood) to maturity;
- social maladjustment, which is not a consequence of unfavorable social conditions.
On examination, electroencephalography shows specific brain activity associated with personality disorder.
Diagnostics and treatment
Patients themselves rarely see the real problem; more often they seek help, complaining of symptoms accompanying the disorder, for example, anxiety or addiction. Already during the conversation, a qualified specialist establishes a true diagnosis and prescribes treatment.
It is important to establish the period of onset of the disorder. This requires a conversation with a loved one for the sick person, for example, someone from the family. It is necessary to establish at what age personality characteristics began to appear.
Diagnostic criteria for personality disorder:
- The inner experiences and behavior of the individual are significantly and constantly different from the cultural range of the environment. There is a deviation in more than one area: cognitive, emotional, communicative, self-control.
- The problem is adaptation and dysfunction in a wide range of personal and social situations.
- Because of the problems of the previous point, the person himself experiences distress or his environment suffers.
- Deviations are stable and long-term, manifested in older childhood or adolescence.
- Behavioral and mental characteristics cannot be explained as a manifestation or consequence of other mental disorders or organic lesions.
Diagnosis is complicated by the fact that it is not always possible to accurately determine the onset of the disease. The second problem is in identifying the factors that provoke the disorder. The third problem is the very definition of the border between norm and pathology. Usually, the reference point is how much the behavioral problems interfere with the life of the individual and his environment.
Trait and personality adjustments involve individual, group or family psychotherapy. Therapy is a long-term process, the goals of which are:
- relieve the patient of stress;
- explain that the problems are internal;
- correct behavior, make it socially acceptable;
- adjust personality traits;
- eliminate symptoms as a cause of stress;
- teach the patient to understand their conditions.
Drug treatment is rarely prescribed, only for severe disorders such as depression, anxiety, and outbursts of anger.
Correction of behavior usually takes several months, and it can take more than a year to eliminate unwanted personality traits. But in both cases, the correction must be regular and systematic. Treatment is possible only if the patient realizes the internal nature of his problems.
Epilogue
Personality disorder – features in the perception of the world and oneself, a specific attitude towards oneself and society. Some sources refer to personality disorders as psychopathy. And in everyday life, a person who is overly bright in something is often called a psychopath.
The relationship between the emergence of personality disorders and stress, trauma, conflicts and personality psychotypes is noted. For prevention purposes, it is recommended to increase stress resistance, master self-regulation techniques and learn to manage conflicts. In case of injuries (physical and mental), be sure to seek help.
