Personality Disorders Notes

Criterion A for General Personality Disorder

An enduring pattern that deviates markedly from the expectations of the individual’s culture, manifested in at least two of the following areas: Cognition, Affectivity, Interpersonal functioning, and Impulse control.

Criterion B for General Personality Disorder

The enduring pattern is inflexible and pervasive across a broad range of personal and social situations, leads to clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning, and the pattern is stable and of long duration, with its onset traceable back to at least adolescence or early adulthood.

Alternative Names for Cluster A Disorders

Odd-Eccentric, Strange-Bizarre, Peculiar-Erratic, or Atypical-Unusual.

Similarities among Cluster A Disorders

Topographical characteristics and behaviors are similar to Schizophrenia, but symptoms do not reach the severity seen in Schizophrenia. Patients can still function independently.

Cluster A Disorders

Paranoid Personality Disorder, Schizotypal Personality Disorder, and Schizoid Personality Disorder.

Schizotypal Personality Disorder

Involves discomfort with and deficits in interpersonal relations, but individuals still desire close relationships. Individuals who experienced physical and sexual abuse in their past are more likely to develop this disorder.

Schizoid Personality Disorder

May present as a lack of reaction to significant emotional events, such as not reacting when getting evicted, even when upset is the expected response.

Alternative Name for Cluster B Disorders

Dramatic-Emotional.

Focus of Individuals in Cluster B

Appearance the most.

Core Fear of Cluster B

Abandonment.

Histrionic Personality Disorder

Also known as the “attention-seeking disorder.” Individuals learn from selective interpersonal reinforcement by family and peer relationships that leads to excessive attention-seeking behaviors.

Antisocial Personality Disorder

Initially referred to as moral insanity. In DSM-III, it is overly focused on criminality. Someone who steals and has utter disregard for the law may be diagnosed with it. Individuals are most likely to get bored easily.

Borderline Personality Disorder

Characterized by suicidal thoughts, self-injurious behaviors, a history of unstable interpersonal relationships, persistent fears of abandonment, intense and inappropriate bouts of anger, and periods of paranoid ideation and dissociative symptoms. Individuals most likely experience instability in self-concept and fear of abandonment. Early learning factors include more maternal and paternal absences, a higher likelihood of having experienced early trauma like sexual abuse, and an invalidating early attachment style. There are genetic predispositions. Formerly described as “emotionally unstable disorder”.

Narcissistic Personality Disorder

Two subtypes: Grandiose and Vulnerable. Those in a grandiose state are not aware that they might need help, therefore they are not actively searching for it. Grandiosity cannot be maintained and oscillates or co-occurs with vulnerable self-states and affective dysregulation. Someone aware they have a personality disorder and seeks help is likely in the Vulnerable subsection. Having helicopter parents or childhood trauma would most likely predispose a person to develop this disorder.

Classical Conditioning Model for Paraphilias

Pairing of a neutral stimulus with sexual arousal. Early sexual experiences influence the shaping of subsequent sexual desires and fantasies. After the classical conditioning sexual arousal fetishes with most participants, outside of the lab, it became extinct over time.

Partialism

Distinct and specific attraction to their partner's foot (at the expense of the rest of their partner’s body).

Definition of Paraphilias

A persistent, intense, atypical sexual arousal pattern, independent of whether it is the source of impairment or distress.

Jeffery Dahmer's Attachment Style

Most likely had a disorganized attachment. His experience with the display mannequin best highlights his want for a partner that he could entirely control and keep, without the risk of being abandoned.

What is Criterion A for General Personality Disorder?

An enduring pattern that deviates markedly from the expectations of the individual’s culture, manifested in at least two of the following areas: Cognition, Affectivity, Interpersonal functioning, and Impulse control.

What is Criterion B for General Personality Disorder?

States that the enduring pattern is inflexible and pervasive across a broad range of personal and social situations, leads to clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning, and the pattern is stable and of long duration, with its onset traceable back to at least adolescence or early adulthood.

What are the alternative names for Cluster A Disorders?

Odd-Eccentric, Strange-Bizarre, Peculiar-Erratic, or Atypical-Unusual.

What are the similarities between Cluster A Disorders and Schizophrenia?

Disorders that have topographical characteristics and behaviors similar to Schizophrenia, but their symptoms do not reach the severity seen in Schizophrenia. The patients can still function independently

What are the comprises of Cluster A Disorders?

Paranoid Personality Disorder, Schizotypal Personality Disorder, and Schizoid Personality Disorder.

What is Schizotypal Personality Disorder?

Involves discomfort with and deficits in interpersonal relations, but individuals still desire close relationships.

What is Schizoid Personality Disorder?

May present as a lack of reaction to significant emotional events, such as not reacting when getting evicted, even when upset is the expected response.

What is the alternative name for Cluster B Disorders?

Dramatic-Emotional.

What do Individuals in Cluster B Disorders focus on?

Individuals in this cluster focus on their appearance the most.

What is the core fear of Cluster B Disorders?

A core fear of Cluster B is abandonment.

What is Histrionic Personality Disorder?

Also known as the “attention-seeking disorder

What is Antisocial Personality Disorder?

Initially referred to as moral insanity. In DSM-III, it is overly focused on criminality.

What is Borderline Personality Disorder?

A patient presenting with suicidal thoughts, self-injurious behaviors, a history of unstable interpersonal relationships, persistent fears of abandonment, intense and inappropriate bouts of anger, and periods of paranoid ideation and dissociative symptoms.

What is Narcissistic Personality Disorder?

The two subtypes of narcissism are: Grandiose and Vulnerable.

What is the Classical Conditioning Model of Paraphilias?

Pairing of a neutral stimulus with sexual arousal. Early sexual experiences influence the shaping of subsequent sexual desires and fantasies.

What is Partialism?

If someone is distinctly and specifically attracted to their partner's foot (at the expense of the rest of their partner’s body).

What is the Definition of Paraphilias?

A persistent, intense, atypical sexual arousal pattern, independent of whether it is the source of impairment or distress.

Who is Jeffery Dahmer?

Most likely had a disorganized attachment. His experience with