Abnormal Psychology - Personality Disorders PDF

Abnormal Psychology Mr. Symon M. Carpiso, RPm, MPsy Personality Disorders What is PERSONALITY? Personality Personality refers to the enduring characteristics and behavior that comprise a person’s unique adjustment to life, including major traits, interests, drives, values, self- concep...

Abnormal Psychology Mr. Symon M. Carpiso, RPm, MPsy Personality Disorders What is PERSONALITY? Personality Personality refers to the enduring characteristics and behavior that comprise a person’s unique adjustment to life, including major traits, interests, drives, values, self- concept, abilities, and emotional patterns. (APA, 2023). Personality Disorder - a persistent pattern of emotions, cognitions, and behavior that results in enduring emotional distress for the person affected and/or for others and may cause difficulties with work and relationships (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). Categorical and Dimensional Models Categorical – Presence or absence of symptoms/disorder. Ex: Either you are anxious or not anxious. *DSM is categorical Dimensional – Rank on a continuous quantitative dimension. Ex: How anxious are you on a scale of 1-10. Personality Disorder Clusters Cluster A (odd/eccentric): Paranoid, Schizoid, Schizotypal Cluster B (dramatic, emotional, erratic): Antisocial, Borderline, Histrionic, Narcissitic Cluster C (anxious/fearful): Avoidant, Dependent, Obsessive-Compulsive, Cluster A Paranoid Personality Disorder People with paranoid personality disorder are excessively mistrustful and suspicious of others, without any justification. They assume other people are out to harm or trick them; therefore, they tend not to confide in others. Causes: genetics (w/ schizophrenia), psychological (less certain), distorted schemas, cultural factors. Treatment: Cognitive Therapy, Schizoid Personality Disorder People with this personality disorder show a pattern of detachment from social relationships and a limited range of emotions in interpersonal situations. They seem aloof, cold, and indifferent to other people. Individuals with schizoid personality disorder seem neither to desire nor to enjoy closeness with others, including romantic or sexual relationships. Causes: genetic (childhood shyness), abuse and neglect, biological (overlaps with autism). Treatment: Value of social relationship, learning empathy, social skills training. Schizotypal Personality Disorder People with schizotypal personality disorder are typically socially isolated, like those with schizoid personality disorder. They also behave in ways that would seem unusual to many of us, and they tend to be suspicious and to have odd beliefs. Schizotypal personality disorder is considered by some to be on a continuum (that is, on the same spectrum) with schizophrenia. People given a diagnosis of schizotypal personality disorder have psychoticlike (but not psychotic) symptoms (such as believing everything relates to them Schizotypal Personality Disorder These individuals are often considered odd or bizarre because of how they relate to other people, how they think and behave, and even how they dress. They have ideas of reference. Individuals with schizotypal personality disorder also have odd beliefs or engage in “magical thinking,”. They report unusual perceptual experiences, including such illusions as feeling the presence of another person when they are alone. Those with schizotypal personality disorder tend to be suspicious and have paranoid thoughts, express little emotion, and may dress or behave in unusual ways Schizotypal Personality Disorder Causes: genetics (phenotype of a genotype “schizophrenia), childhood maltreatment, neurological (damage in the left hemisphere). Treatment: similar to depression (medical/psychological), community treatment, social skills training, CBT, Cluster B Antisocial Personality Disorder Characterized as having a history of failing to comply with social norms. They perform actions most of us would find unacceptable, such as stealing from friends and family. They also tend to be irresponsible, impulsive, and deceitful. They are often described as being aggressive because they take what they want, indifferent to the concerns of other people. They show no remorse or concern over the sometimes devastating effects of their actions. Antisocial Personality Disorder Substance abuse is common in people with antisocial personality disorder and appears to be a lifelong pattern among these individuals. Other terms: manie sans delire (mania without delirium), moral insanity, egopathy, sociopathy, and psychopathy. Conduct Disorder It provides for the designation of two subtypes; childhood-onset type (the onset of at least one criterion characteristic of CD prior to age 10 years) or adolescent-onset type (the absence of any criteria characteristic of CD prior to age 10 years). An additional subtype, new to the DSM-5, is called “with a callous- unemotional presentation”. Many children with conduct disorder— most often diagnosed in boys—become juvenile offenders and tend to become involved with drugs. Antisocial Personality Disorder Causes: genetic influences (gene-environment factors), underarousal hypothesis (low cortical arousal) and fearlessness theory. Psychological (aggression) and social (interactions with the parents). Treatment: incarceration, CBT (early), parent training, Borderline Personality Disorder Their moods and relationships are unstable, and usually they have a poor self-image. These people often feel empty and are at great risk of dying by their own hands. They tend to have turbulent relationships, fearing abandonment but lacking control over their emotions. They often engage in behaviors that are suicidal, self- mutilative, or both, cutting, burning, or punching themselves. People with this personality disorder are often intense, going from anger to deep depression in a short time. Borderline Personality Disorder This instability extends to impulsivity, which can be seen in their drug abuse and self-mutilation. Causes: genetic (mood disorders), neurological (limbic network, low serotonergic activity), cognitive factors, early trauma (sexual & physical abuse) Treatment: medications (mood stabilizers), dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) Histrionic Personality Disorder Individuals with histrionic personality disorder tend to be overly dramatic and often seem almost to be acting. People with histrionic personality disorder are inclined to express their emotions in an exaggerated fashion. They also tend to be vain, self-centered, and uncomfortable when they are not in the limelight. They are often seductive in appearance and behavior, and they are typically concerned about their looks. Histrionic Personality Disorder They seek reassurance and approval constantly and may become upset or angry when others do not attend to them or praise them. People with histrionic personality disorder also tend to be impulsive and have great difficulty delaying gratification. Speech is often vague, lacking in detail, and characterized by exaggeration. Causes: Predisposition Treatment: Reward-punishment, therapy focuses on problematic interpersonal relationship Narcissistic Personality Disorder People with narcissistic personality disorder have an unreasonable sense of self-importance and are so preoccupied with themselves. They aren’t comfortable unless someone is admiring them. Their exaggerated feelings and their fantasies of greatness, called grandiosity, create a number of negative attributes. They also tend to use or exploit others for their own interests and show little empathy. When confronted with other successful people, they can be extremely envious and arrogant. And because they often fail to live up to their own expectations, they are often depressed. Narcissistic Personality Disorder Causes: parental failure in teaching empathy, social (Western ideas). Treatment: Cognitive therapy, coping strategies (relaxation) Cluster C Avoidant Personality Disorder People with avoidant personality disorder are extremely sensitive to the opinions of others and although they desire social relationships, their anxiety leads them to avoid such associations. Their extremely low self-esteem—coupled with a fear of rejection—causes them to be limited in their friendships and dependent on those they feel comfortable with Avoidant Personality Disorder Causes: integration of biological and psychosocial factors (temperament and parental rejection), childhood neglect Treatment: behavioral therapy with therapeutic alliance. Dependent Personality Disorder Individuals with dependent personality disorder sometimes agree with other people when their own opinion differs so as not to be rejected. Rely on others to make ordinary decisions as well as important ones, which results in an unreasonable fear of abandonment. Causes: disruptions in life, genetics Treatment: therapy focuses on being independent Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder People who have obsessive-compulsive personality disorder are characterized by a fixation on things being done “the right way”. Because of their general rigidity, these people tend to have poor interpersonal relationships. Causes: moderate genetic contribution, personality traits, distorted thinking patterns Treatment: cognitive reappraisal techniques, CBT Activity Look for a fictional character (movie, books, series, etc) Analyze their character in the story and try to identify their personality disorder. Write a simple analysis about the character citing the reasons for coming up for the personality disorder. 1-2 pages, to be submitted next meeting.