Personality Disorders

Cluster A?

odd/eccentric

• Paranoid Personality Disorder

• Schizotypal Personality Disorder

• Schizoid Personality Disorder

Cluster B?

dramatic/emotional

• Histrionic Personality Disorder

• Antisocial Personality Disorder

• Borderline Personality Disorder

• Narcissistic Personality Disorder

Cluster C?

anxious/fearful

• Avoidant Personality Disorder

• Dependent Personality Disorder

• Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder

characteristics of paranoid PD?

• Cluster A

• Irrational suspicion and mistrust

• Reluctant to confide

• Worry people will take advantage of them

• Read hidden meaning as threats

• Suspect infidelity 

• Bears grudges constantly 

• Tendency to counterattack 

• Self-fulfilling prophecy (giving reason to mistrust individual causes others to “betray” them or actually break their trust)

characteristics of schizotypal PD?

• Cluster A

• Positive symptoms of schizophrenia 

• “Magical thinking”: clairvoyance, 6th sense, superstition, ideas of reference (everything relates to me)

• Suspicious paranoid thoughts

• Unusual dress/appearance 

• Strange speech—overly metaphorical, elaborate, or tangential 

• Flat or inappropriate affect (difficulty relating to others)

• IMPORTANT: no delusions/hallucinations, no psychosis

characteristics of schizoid PD?

• Cluster A

• Negative symptoms of schizophrenia 

• Lack of interest and detachment from social relationships 

• No close friends; solitary

• No sex interests

• Anhedonia 

• Indifferent to praise and/or criticism

• Flat affect

characteristics of histrionic PD?

• Cluster B

• historically gendered to women

• Attention-seeking

• Overly dramatic, but also superficial 

• Uncomfortable when not the center of attention 

• Inappropriate seductive/provocative behavior to charm people

• Rapid shifting/shallow emotional expressions 

• Vague, flowery style of speech

characteristics of antisocial PD?

• Cluster B

• most dangerous

• Consistent disregard for the rights of others, social norms, and rules 

• Repeated criminal behavior

• Irresponsibility 

• Deceitfulness

• Impulsivity 

• irritable/aggressive 

• Reckless, no regard for safety 

• Usually no remorse or insight into behavior

characteristics of borderline PD?

• Cluster B

• Intense fear of rejection/abandonment 

• intense/unstable relationships 

• Unstable moods

• Commonly misdiagnosed as bipolar; borderline moods shift more chaotically, sometimes within minutes, not days

• Identity instability 

• Emptiness 

• Inappropriate anger 

• Self-damaging impulsivity (spending, sex, drugs, driving, binge-eating; non-suicidal self-injury)

• Suicidal behavior (disorder with higher rate for suicide)

• “I hate you, don’t leave me”

• Transient paranoia or dissociation 

• A lot of people seek treatment

characteristics of narcissistic PD?

• Cluster B

• Entitlement (needs favorable treatment)

• Grandiose (exaggerates achievements; overly high view of who you are)

• Envy (both ways: envious of others and think others are envious)

• Arrogant/haughty/cocky behaviors

• Fantasies of unlimited power and success 

• Believe they are “special” and “unique”

• Require excessive admiration, but if others do it too much they stop respecting them 

• Exploitative and transactional 

• Lacks empathy (not incapable, just not motivated)

characteristics of avoidant PD?

• Cluster C

• Avoid work and social activities with interpersonal contact

• Hypersensitive to criticism and rejection from everybody

• Restrained in relationships—want to avoid shame

• Hyperprotective through avoidance 

• Feels inadequate and inferior; especially in social situations

characteristics of dependent PD?

• Cluster C

• Pervasive need to be taken care of 

• Submissive, clingy, and helpless 

• Won’t disagree or initiate 

• Constant reassurance/nurturing

• Needs others to assume responsibility for them and constant reassurance

• Always in a relationship

characteristics of obsessive-compulsive PD?

• Cluster C

• NOT OCD; OCPD

• Rigid conscientiousness 

• Perfectionism interferes with performance 

• Preoccupied with details, lists, rules, order

• Believe only they are able to get things done in correct way

• Excessive devotion to work 

• Won’t delegate 

• Overly frugal 

• Interestingly—hoarding behavior is common