Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is associated with:
Childhood sexual maltreatment
Poor parental bonding stemming from perceived abandonment or actual separation
Reference: Trull (2013).
Histrionic personality disorder (HPD) may arise from parent-child relationships where parental affection is contingent upon a child's attractiveness and sexual provocativeness.
This may create a scenario where a daughter's self-worth is linked primarily to her father's treatment of her, which could lead to the same pattern repeating in adulthood with other men.
Reference: Sparry (2015).
Theories concerning narcissistic personality disorder (NPD) focus on feelings of inadequacy that drive an individual to seek acknowledgment from others.
References: Roepice & Veter (2014).
Cognitions related to dramatic personality disorders are summarized in Table 10.14:
"I should be the center of attention" (histrionic).
"I cannot tolerate boredom" (histrionic).
"Other people should satisfy my needs" (narcissistic).
"Lying and cheating are okay as long as you don't get caught" (antisocial).
"If I want something, I should do whatever is necessary to get it" (antisocial).
Source: Excerpt from Rack et al. (1990), pp. 269-263.
Biological Risk Factors for Dramatic Personality Disorders
Dramatic personality disorders encompass antisocial, borderline, histrionic, and narcissistic disorders.
Genetic predispositions for these disorders have heritability estimates of approximately 0.32 to 0.50.
Reference: Kendler et al. (2011).
The traits of impulsivity and aggression are particularly linked to borderline and antisocial personality disorders.
Example:
An individual like Duane, diagnosed with ASPD, exhibits a low threshold for action and tends to act impulsively without adequate deliberation.
Such individuals often fail to anticipate negative consequences and do not learn from past experiences.
Impulsive aggression is associated with reduced serotonin levels.
Source: Coccaro, Fanning, Phan, & Lee (2015).
Psychopathy in adults and conduct disorder in boys correlate with diminished brain size in regions tied to moral development.
Affected brain areas include:
Amygdala
Frontal cortex
Temporal cortex
Superior temporal gyrus
Hippocampus
Reference: Del Casale et al. (2015).
In borderline personality disorder, impulsivity may relate to dysfunction in the orbitofrontal cortex.
Another significant concept regarding dramatic personality disorders is affective instability.
Individuals exhibiting high levels of affective instability often experience rapid and intense mood swings when faced with frustration, criticism, or separation.
The noradrenergic neurotransmitter system is closely linked to these emotional fluctuations.
Substances that stimulate catecholamine release affect the noradrenergic system, inducing notable emotional reactivity.
Those with considerable mood instability may be hypersensitive to changes within the noradrenergic system.
Affective instability in borderline personality disorder can also correlate with poor function in the frontal cortex and other emotional-regulating regions.
Odd or eccentric personality disorders likely arise from both genetic predispositions and environmental stressors.
A genetic predisposition, such as a family history of schizophrenia, may prompt changes contributing to the emergence of an odd or eccentric personality disorder.
This genetic diathesis may shape the familial environment, as emotionally withdrawn parents may resort to physical or emotional abuse of their children.
Additionally, a genetic diathesis could influence dysfunction in the dopamine neurotransmitter system linked to cognitive and perceptual deficits in odd or eccentric personality disorders.
Environmental Risk Factors for Odd or Eccentric Personality Disorders
Family issues significantly contribute to the evolution of odd or eccentric personality disorders.
Factors such as parental maltreatment, neglect, and emotional withdrawal are closely associated with these disorders as well as other mental health issues.
Reference: Laulik, Chou, Browne, & Allam (2013).
Cognitive distortions also play a critical role in the development of these disorders.
For instance, paranoid personality disorder (PPD) may develop when paranoid beliefs are reinforced through cognitive patterns focusing on perceived malicious intentions from others.
Reference: Triebwasser et al. (2013).
Table 10.13 details examples of cognitions associated with odd or eccentric personality disorders:
"My privacy is more important than closeness to people" (schizoid, schizotypal).
"I shouldn't confide in others" (schizoid, schizotypal).
"I cannot trust other people" (paranoid).
"Other people have hidden motives" (paranoid).
"It isn’t safe to confide in other people" (paranoid).
Source: Beck et al. (1990), pp. 359-363.
Biological Risk Factors for Odd or Eccentric Personality Disorders
Odd or eccentric personality disorders include paranoid, schizoid, and schizotypal types.
Genetics may have a minimal role in creating odd or eccentric personality disorders, with heritability estimates ranging from 0.29 to 0.38.
Reference: Kendler et al. (2011).
Schizotypal personality disorder may share a genetic risk factor with schizophrenia, aligning with the perspective that it exists on the "schizophrenia spectrum" with overlapping symptoms and syndromes.
Reference: Rosell et al. (2014).
Genetic predisposition could lead to cognitive and perceptual disorders relevant to odd or eccentric personality disorders, exemplifying the psychobiological theory of personality disorders.
Reference: Millon & Strack (2015).
Individuals with these disorders often struggle to focus on and select pertinent stimuli within their environment.
Misunderstandings, distrust of others, extreme social detachment, and difficulties distinguishing reality from imagination may manifest due to biologically based issues.
Twin studies indicate a genetic influence on personality traits such as limited emotional expression, suspiciousness, and cognitive distortion.
These three traits are crucial in defining odd or eccentric personality disorders.
Reference: Perez-Rodriguez, New, & Siever (2013).
Genetics may also induce fluctuations in dopamine neurotransmitter levels, possibly leading to odd or eccentric behaviors.