Personality Disorder

What is personality disorder?

Personality disorders are a group of mental health conditions that are characterized by inflexible and atypical patterns of thinking, feeling, and behaving. These inner experiences and behaviors often differ from the expectations of the culture in which someone lives.
If you have a personality disorder, you may have a difficult time relating to others and dealing with everyday problems in the ways that are expected by your cultural group. You may not be fully aware of this discrepancy between your thoughts and behaviors and those accepted by society.
You may have a view of the world that’s quite different than that of others. As a result, you could find it difficult to participate in social, educational, and family activities.
These behaviors and attitudes often cause problems and limitations in relationships, social encounters, and work or school settings. They may also make people you feel isolated, which can contribute to depression and anxiety.

What are the general symptoms?

Cluster A: Suspicious:

Paranoid personality disorder: People with paranoid personality disorder may be distrustful of others and suspicious of their motives.
Schizoid personality disorder: People with schizoid personality disorder can display little interest in forming personal relationships or partaking in social interactions. They can have trouble interpreting social cues, causing them to seem emotionally distant.
Schizotypal personality disorder: People with schizotypal personality disorder often believe that they can influence other people or events with their thoughts. They may misinterpret behaviors, leading to inappropriate emotional responses. They may also avoid having intimate relationships.

Cluster B: Emotional and impulsive:

Antisocial personality disorder: People with antisocial personality disorder tend to manipulate or treat others without expressing remorse for their actions. They may engage in dishonest behavior like lying and stealing, and they may be prone to heavy alcohol and drug use.
Borderline personality disorder: People with borderline personality disorder often feel empty and abandoned, regardless of family or community support. They may have difficulty dealing with stressful events and have episodes of paranoia. They also tend to engage in risky and impulsive behavior, such as binge drinking and gambling.
Histrionic personality disorder: People with histrionic personality disorder frequently try to gain more attention by being dramatic or provocative. They may be easily influenced by other people and are sensitive to criticism or disapproval.
Narcissistic personality disorder: People with narcissistic personality disorder often believe that they’re more important than others. They tend to exaggerate their achievements and may brag about their attractiveness or success. Other symptoms include a deep need for admiration but lack empathy for other people.

Cluster C: Anxious:

Avoidant personality disorder. People with avoidant personality disorder often experience feelings of inadequacy, inferiority, or unattractiveness. They may dwell on criticism from others and avoid participating in new activities or making new friends.
Dependent personality disorder. People with dependent personality disorder depend on other people to meet their emotional and physical needs. They usually avoid being alone and regularly need reassurance when making decisions. They may also be more likely to tolerate physical and verbal abuse.
Obsessive-compulsive personality disorder. People with obsessive-compulsive personality disorder have an overwhelming need for order. They strongly adhere to rules and regulations, and they feel extremely uncomfortable when perfection isn’t achieved. They may even neglect personal relationships to focus on making a project perfect.

A primary care doctor or mental health professional will ask you questions based on these criteria to determine the type of personality disorder. In order for a diagnosis to be made, the behaviors and feelings must be consistent across many life circumstances.

They should also cause significant distress and impairment in at least two of the following areas:

the way you perceive or interpret yourself and other people
the way you act when dealing with other people
the appropriateness of your emotional responses
how well you can control your impulses

What causes personality disorders?

The cause of personality disorders isn’t known. However, it’s believed that they may be triggered by genetic and environmental influences, most prominently childhood trauma.

How are personality disorders treated?

Treatment can vary depending on the type and severity of your personality disorder. It may include psychotherapy and medications.

Psychotherapy: Psychotherapy, or talk therapy, may help in managing personality disorders. During psychotherapy, you and a therapist can discuss your condition, as well as your feelings and thoughts. This can provide you with insight on how to manage your symptoms and behaviors that interfere with your daily life.
Medication: There aren’t any medications approved for the treatment of personality disorders. However, certain types of prescription medications might be helpful in reducing various personality disorder symptoms, such as:

antidepressants, which can help improve a depressed mood, anger, or impulsivity
mood stabilizers, which prevent intense mood changes and reduce irritability and aggression
antipsychotic medications, also known as neuroleptics, which can help reduce symptoms of psychosis like hallucinations and delusions
anti-anxiety medications, which can help relieve anxiety, agitation, and insomnia

NGO's willing to help.

Various Non Profit Organizations as well as NGO's providing counselling and resources for anxiety.
Some of these centres are:

Samaritans Mumbai :- 8422984528
COOJ Mental Health Foundation 0832-2252525
Aasra 9820466726