PERSONALITY DISORDERS

What are Personality Disorders?

Our personality affects how we think, feel, and behave, which makes us distinct from others. Our personality may be influenced by our environment (surroundings and life situation), inherited characteristics, and experiences. Our personality generally remains stable throughout our life.

A personality disorder occurs when an individual behaves, feels, and thinks in a manner that differs from what is deemed acceptable in their local community, creating functional issues and distress that lasts for an extended period.

There are ten key types of personality disorders. These personality disorders manifest in long-term inner experiences and behavioural patterns that are significantly different from expectations. These symptoms and patterns develop during late adolescence to early adulthood, causing distress and functional impairment in many areas of life. Without proper therapy for personality disorders, they can last a long time. Personality disorders typically impact more than one area listed below:

• Perspective about others and themselves

• Emotional response

• Interpersonal relationship

• Self-control

Types of personality disorders

As mentioned earlier, there are 10 key types of personality disorders, such as:

• Anti-social personality disorder causes the individual to not adhere to social norms, violating or disregarding others' rights.

• Avoidant personality disorder causes the individual to not be willing to interact with people due to fear of inadequacy, rejection, or being disliked by others. They become extremely shy and sensitive to criticism.

• Borderline personality disorder causes the individual to avoid abandonment by taking drastic measures such as repeated attempts to commit suicide or displaying ongoing emotional emptiness or inappropriate and intense anger.

• Dependent personality disorder causes the individual struggles to make decisions without the need to seek reassurance and approval from others, often resulting in the feeling of helplessness due to the fear of not being to care for themselves.

• Histrionic personality disorder cause the individual to feel uncomfortable if they are not the key attraction, and may result in shifting or exaggerating physical appearance or emotions to get the attention of others.

• Narcissistic personality disorder causes the individual to feel the need for entitlement and self-importance, resulting in them lacking empathy and taking advantage of others.

• Obsessive-compulsive personality disorder causes the individual to be hyper focused on control, perfection, and orderliness. Note that this is different from an obsessive-compulsive disorder.

• Paranoid personality disorder causes the individual to develop a pattern of suspecting others of harming them or being deceitful, spiteful, or mean to them.

• Schizoid personality disorder causes the individual to become detached from emotion and social connections and thus chooses to remain alone and does not care about others' criticism or praise.

• Schizotypal personality disorder causes the individual to develop a pattern of eccentric behaviour and distorted thinking or excessive social anxiety, thus becoming uncomfortable in developing close connections.

Here is a really good summary (if we do say so ourselves!) of the ten types of personality disorders and how they are categorised into three key clusters:

Cluster A: The "odd or eccentric"

Disorders under Cluster A are characterised by social awkwardness, withdrawal, and cognitive distortions.

Cluster B: The "dramatic, emotional, or erratic"

Disorders under Cluster B are typified by impulse control and emotional regulation.

Cluster C: The "anxious or fearful"

Disorders under Cluster C usually present with high levels of anxiety and an inability to regulate their anxiety.

Living with personality disorders

Most individuals with a personality disorder might not even realise that their life's difficulties are caused by a personality disorder. The diagnosis of personality disorders is made through the observation of long-term functioning patterns and symptoms. Seemingly common stresses and problems feel harder to resolve. Family and friends may start to observe patterns that occur across that person’s life; the same patterns that result in serious problems with relationships and work.

Depending on the diagnosis, the clinical psychologist is able to ascertain better the type of therapy for the personality disorder(s). An individual may suffer from a few personality disorders. Obtaining a diagnosis is not a shameful affair. It only means you now know that the way forward to getting better. And like with tackling any problem, the process of addressing the disorder involves dealing with the root cause.

Addressing personality disorders

There are many forms of therapy for personality disorders in Singapore. Psychotherapy is one of the preferred forms of therapy for personality disorders. During psychotherapy, the individual gains insight about the disorder and its contributing symptoms. They also will have the space to freely discuss their behaviours, emotions, and thoughts in a safe and nonjudgmental space. Psychotherapy enables the individual to understand how their behaviour affects others, hence teaching them to manage their symptoms and reducing problematic behaviours.

Other common therapies for personality disorders in Singapore include:

• Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT)

• Psychodynamic or psychoanalytic therapy

• Group therapy

• Dialectical behaviour therapy (DBT)

Having good mental health is vital not only for yourself but also for the people around you. There is no shame in seeking professional help. And as with any other form of medical treatment or mental health therapy, knowing what you are dealing is an enormous first step in the right direction. Speak to one of our psychologists if you need advice on getting started addressing it.