Personality Disorders: DSM Axis IIA. Definitions- Personality – enduring & pervasive pattern of behaviors, thoughts, and feelings- Personality Disorder – personality causes significant functional impairment and/or distressB. Characteristics- Onset by late adolescence- Prevalence: 10-15% of population; 30-40% of treatment (Axis I) cases- People almost never seek treatment for Axis II disorder itself- Personality disorders are dimensional, not categorical (thus, most people have at least some non-diagnosable Axis II characteristics)C. Personality Disorder Clusters- Cluster A (odd/eccentric) – schizotypal, paranoid, schizoid- Cluster B (dramatic/impulsive) – histrionic, narcissistic, borderline, antisocial- Cluster C (anxious/neurotic) – avoidant, obsessive-compulsive, dependentCluster A:1) Schizotypal – odd perceptions & beliefs, social discomfort (residual schizophrenia?)2) Paranoid – looks like mild version of delusional disorder; hostile/suspicious3) Schizoid – looks like Asperger’s syndrome; reclusive/little desire for social interactionCluster B:1) Histrionic – crave attention, loud, dress provocatively, “drama queens”, extreme but shallow emotional reactions2) Narcissistic - sense of entitlement (think they deserve “special” treatment); self absorbed, crave admiration, grandiosity3) Borderline – self-mutilation, extreme black-and-white thinking (love/hate relationships), intense fear of abandonment, impulsive, confused self-image4) Anti-social – violate others’ rights, violent behavior, lack of remorse/empathy, violate social norms, impulsiveCluster C:1) Obsessive-Compulsive – perfectionistic, overly high standards, can’t delegate, “anal”, big-time procrastinators2) Dependent – feel like can’t live or function without significant other, clingy, often in abusive relationships, extremely poor self-image3) Avoidant – look like low-grade social phobics, anxious about negative evaluation by others in social situations, feel like they’re ugly/uninteresting/undesirable, intensely shy, unwilling to open up unless certain of being
View Full Document