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🧠 The 10 types of Personality Disorders 🧠

There are ten distinct types of personality disorder (PD). These are:


  1. paranoid PD (distrust, suspiciousness)

  2. schizoid PD (detachment, restricted emotion)

  3. schizotypal PD (cogn + perceptual distortions)

  4. antisocial PD (disregard, violation of rights)

  5. borderline PD (emotional instability, impulsivity)

  6. histrionic PD (excessive emotionality, attention seeking)

  7. narcissistic PD (grandiosity, lack of empathy)

  8. avoidant PD (social inhibition, feelings of inadequacy)

  9. dependent PD (submissive, clingy)

  10. obsessive-compulsive PD (orderliness, perfectionism, control)

I will go through each of these in turn describing the common symptoms and prevalence of these ten disorders. The disorders come under three clusters. Cluster A, B and C. I won’t go into much detail about these groups, a quick google search will get you up to speed and this handy diagram below will get you the basic understanding needed behind the groups.

Paranoid PD

Symptoms include preoccupation with harm, disloyalty, deception. A reluctance to confide in people. Unforgiving, perceive attacks on own reputation, pathologically jealous and problems with intimate relationships. Also a high need for control.

The prevalence is 2.3-4.4% in national surveys and the disorder is more commonly diagnosed in males.

Schizoid PD

Symptoms include a persistent detachment from social relationships and limited emotional expression. The person is withdrawn and reclusive and do not have close ties with other people. They generally prefer to be alone, lack sexual desires. They focus mainly on themselves and are often seen as flat, cold, humorless, and dull. They also have difficulty expressing anger in response to provocation.

This disorder is estimated to effect 1-4.1% of the population; and it is slightly less likely to occur in men than in women.

Schizotypal PD

the symptoms include a range of interpersonal problems marked by extreme discomfort in close relationships, constricted affect, odd (even bizarre) ways of thinking, and behavioral eccentricities. Also difficulty keeping their attention focused; conversation is typically digressive and vague, even sprinkled with loose associations


The prevalence ranges from 0.6% (Norwegian) to 4.6% (US) community samples. Slightly more common in males

Antisocial PD

People with this disorder tend to be reckless, irresponsible, impulsive and failure to plan ahead. Repeated lying, conning for personal profits or gains and also persistently disregard and violate others’ rights.

This is most linked to adult criminal behavior – thus, researchers frequently look for people with antisocial patterns in prison populations (approx. 70%). There are higher rates in people with alcohol or substance disorders and an individual cannot be diagnosed until they are over 18.

The prevalence is 2% to 3.6% meet the criteria for this disorder in US and 4 times more common in men than women

Borderline PD

Symptoms:

Frantic efforts to avoid abandonment (real and imagined)

Instability and extreme intensity in interpersonal relationships

Identity disturbance/unstable sense of self

Impulsive behaviour (reckless spending and sexual promiscuity)

Recurrent suicide attempts, suicidal gestures and self mutilation

Extreme emotional instability, problems controlling anger

Chronic feelings of emptiness

Paranoid thinking and dissociative/psychotic symptoms triggered by stress

prone to bouts of anger, which sometimes result in physical aggression and violence

But also direct their impulsive anger inward and harm

10% eventually commit suicide (Zanarini et al., 2005)


the prevalence is 1.5 – 2.5% of the general population, 6% in primary care settings, 10% outpatients, 20% in psychiatric inpatients. Close to 75% of those diagnosed are women

Histrionic PD

Symptoms in people include being extremely emotional, continually seek to be the center of attention. Engaging in attention-getting behaviors and are always “on stage”. Often described as vain, self-centered, and demanding. Inappropriate sexually seductive or provocative behaviour. Some make suicide attempts often to manipulate others.

It was once believed to be more common in women than in men, but research revealed gender bias in past diagnoses. The prevalence is around 2-3% of adults, with males and females equally affected

Narcissistic PD

Symptoms:

Grandiose sense of self-importance, need for admiration

feel no empathy with others

exaggerate their achievements and talents, appear arrogant

seldom interested in the feelings of others

Exploitative, take advantage of others to achieve own ends


The prevalence is around 1% of adults (studies estimates range from 0-6%) and up to 75% of these are men.

Avoidant PD

Symptoms include being very uncomfortable and inhibited in social situations. Feeling overwhelmed by feelings of inadequacy, and extremely sensitive to negative evaluation, fear of being ridiculed or rejected. Feelings of inferiority and often have few close friends.

it is said to be similar to social phobia – both include a fear of humiliation and low self-confidence.

key difference: social phobia mainly fear social circumstances, while people with avoidant personality disorder tend to fear close social relationships.

As many as 1% and 2.4% of adults have avoidant personality disorder, men as frequently as women


Dependant PD

Symptoms of this disorder include being pervasive, excessive need to be taken care of. Being clinging and obedient, fearing separation from their loved ones. Difficulties making decisions – rely on others advice and reassurance, obtain nurturance and support of others. Also pessimism, self-doubt, belief in own worthlessness. A central feature of the disorder is a difficulty with separation.

The prevalence is less than 1% of the population. More frequently diagnosed in females in clinical settings, though some studies show equal rates of males and females

Obsessive-compulsive PD

Symptoms:

Preoccupation with details, rules, order, inflexible

Perfectionism interferes with task completion, over-conscientious

Excessively devoted to work and productivity

Inflexible, rigidity, stubbornness

Belief that closely related to OCD (anxiety disorder)

share similar symptoms, but research found no specific links


Estimates range 2.1-7.9% in the population – it is the most prevalent PD. white, educated, married, employed people are diagnosed most often. Men are twice as likely as women to display the disorder.

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