A personality disorder involves rigid and unhealthy thinking patterns and behaviors, and difficulty perceiving and relating to people and situations.
Personality disorders typically start during adolescence or young adulthood.
In some instances, you might not realize you have a personality disorder and your way of thinking and behaving may seem natural to you. You might even blame others for the challenges you’re facing.
There are many different types of personality disorders that are categorized into three different clusters. Many people have more than one personality disorder.
Cluster A personality disorders involve eccentric, odd behavior or thinking, such as a pervasive distrust and suspicion of others’ motives, and an inability to pick up normal social cues. These disorders include paranoid personality disorder, schizoid personality disorder, or schizotypal personality disorder.
People with Cluster B personality disorders can be overly emotional, dramatic, or display unpredictable behavior or thinking. They may have a disregard for the feelings or needs of others, persistently lie or steal, and experience angry outbursts. Disorders include borderline personality disorder, histrionic personality disorder, antisocial personality disorder, and narcissistic personality disorder.
Cluster C personality disorders include obsessive-compulsive personality disorder, avoidant personality disorder, and dependent personality disorder. These disorders are characterized by fearful and anxious thinking or behavior, such as being especially sensitive to rejection or criticism, feeling inferior or inadequate, having anxiety surrounding social situations, and harboring a preoccupation with orderliness, rules, and details.
Your personality is the combination of your emotions, behaviors, and thoughts; the way you perceive, understand, and relate to the outside world; and how you see yourself. Personality develops throughout childhood and is shaped through an interaction of your genes and environment.
Certain personality traits might involve inherited genes passed on to you by your parents.
Your environment refers to the surroundings you grew up in, your relationships with family and others, and events that occurred.
Once a personality disorder is diagnosed, Dr. Buffington suggests various treatments, such as:
The right support system around you can help you manage and improve your personality disorder. Call Buffington Family Medicine to schedule an appointment today.
