A personality disorder is a type of mental disorder that affects the patient’s interpretation of reality. This affects their response to aspects of life. Individuals with personality disorders may have trouble connecting with other people, maintaining or starting relationships, and controlling their impulses. In most circumstances, the patient does not realize that their behavior and perception of the world is different from that of others. This causes them to hold others liable for the challenges they face in life. Their behavior seems natural to them despite it going against the cultural norm.

All this results in the patient feeling isolated from the world and alone. This may cause the individual to seek solace in substance abuse. Due to this, addiction is a common occurrence in individuals who are diagnosed with personality disorders. People who have personality disorders also tend to be suicidal or have self-harm tendencies. They are also at a higher risk of developing other mental health conditions such as depression due to their difficulty in coping with emotions and isolation from the world.

What Causes Personality Disorders?

The cause of personality disorders is not well defined or well known. It is, however, believed that a combination of the genetic tendency to develop a personality disorder and one’s environment could be a cause. Individuals who go through trauma in childhood are at a high risk of developing personality disorders.

Personality disorders begin in the individual’s teenage life or early adulthood.

Types of Personality Disorders

There are ten types of personality disorders that are classified into three different groups:

Cluster A

Individuals with personality disorders in this category tend to have uncommon and peculiar behavior.

The personality disorders in this group include:

1. Paranoid Personality Disorder

This disorder is identified by the severe mistrust in other people and living in suspicion of one’s surroundings. The individual believes that there is a plan to harm them, and they tend to distort their life experiences to fit this narrative.

2. Schizoid Personality Disorder

This disorder is characterized by the person lacking any need for social interaction. They do not feel the need to follow social norms and, in most cases, lack appropriate emotional responses. All their attention is directed to their own lives.

3. Schizotypal Personality Disorder

This entails strange behavior, dressing, or speech from the individual. They tend to have odd beliefs, suspicions, and fear of social gatherings and interactions. They also have delusions and obsessive thoughts. Individuals who have schizotypal personality disorder are at a higher risk of developing schizophrenia later in life.

Cluster B

Individuals who have personality disorders in this cluster exhibit impulsive and erratic or emotional behaviors. They include:

1. Antisocial Personality Disorder

Individuals who have antisocial personality disorders do not follow social rules. They also tend to act impulsively and feeling no guilt about how they make other’s feel. They lack empathy towards others and lack appropriate emotional reactions.

2. Histrionic Personality Disorder

An individual with this disorder tends to seek and crave attention. They live off people’s approval, and their self-worth comes from what others say of them. They may also come off as dramatic and tend to portray provocative behaviors.

3. Narcissistic Personality Disorder

Individuals who have a narcissistic personality disorder have an overemphasized sense of importance. Their minds are preoccupied with thoughts of gaining power, and they tend to look down on others.

4. Borderline Personality Disorder

A person with this disorder tends to have a contorted self-image. They are impulsive and have fierce emotions. They also tend to have a pattern of unstable relationships, even with family and friends. Individuals with this disorder are at a high risk of developing other mental health conditions such as depression.