Symptoms and Causes of Personality Disorders
A personality disorder can manifest in a variety of ways. Learn about the symptoms and causes of personality disorders here.
Living With a Mental Illness
These challenges can create significant problems in all areas of life, including social activities, school, work, and building close personal relationships.
Living With Multiple Personality Disorders
It’s not unusual for a person to be diagnosed with more than one personality disorder. For example, an individual can have both a paranoid personality disorder and an antisocial personality disorder. It’s easy to see how the two could be related. Feeling paranoid could lay the foundation for antisocial behaviors or vice versa.
Personality Disorder Types
In some cases, it can be difficult to make a “textbook” diagnosis, because the symptoms blur together and cross boundaries. It is important to entrust a licensed medical professional to differentiate which disorder most accurately applies to you in order to plan the most relevant road to recovery.
Cluster A Personality Disorders
Cluster A disorders include:
The overriding characteristic of Cluster A disorders includes eccentric, odd, or bizarre behavior.
Cluster B Personality Disorders
Cluster B disorders include:
Cluster B disorders involve overly erratic or dramatic actions.
Cluster C Personality Disorders
Cluster C disorders include:
Feelings of anxiety and fear describe Cluster C disorders.
Personality Disorder Causes and Risk Factors
Several factors come together to shape an individual’s personality. A combination of emotions, behaviors, and thoughts makes each person unique.
Personality disorders also result from a combination of factors. Causes of personality disorders may include genetics, brain function, and the environment or culture in which a person grows up.
Genetics
Other studies are exploring genetic links to anxiety, aggression, and fear. These traits may also play a role in personality disorders. These studies and more shed light on the connection between the genes we inherit and our mental health.
Brain Function
While most experts agree that treating the whole person without separating “brain” from “mind” (which has a broader definition) is the best course of action, new information about brain function helps individuals with personality disorders and their loved ones to understand that some thoughts and behaviors are out of their control.
Environmental, Cultural, and Social Factors
There’s no doubt that all types of abuse, including verbal abuse and negative interaction with peers, can plant the seeds of a personality disorder.
Signs and Symptoms of Personality Disorder
Recognizing the warning signs and symptoms of personality disorder can be difficult. In the early stages, signs of personality disorder may be too subtle to recognize as a potential health problem. Because most personality disorders begin during the teenage years or early adulthood symptoms may be confused with “normal” teenage behavior.
Borderline Personality Disorder Symptoms
Symptoms of borderline personality disorder include:
Symptoms of borderline personality disorder may also include signs of paranoia, especially in response to stressful situations.
Narcissistic Personality Disorder Symptoms
As the name implies, symptoms of narcissistic personality disorder revolve around the individual and their ego and may include:
Feelings of envy may preoccupy a person with narcissistic personality disorder. They may spend an unusual amount of time talking about how others envy them or about the people they envy.
Symptoms of Multiple Personality Disorders
An individual who has been diagnosed with more than one personality disorder may display some symptoms more strongly or frequently than others. Their behavior may seem erratic: deep into magical thinking one day and angry or hostile the next.
General Personality Disorder Symptoms
Symptoms describe a pattern of behavior, not an occasional show of stubbornness or isolated incidences of antisocial behavior.
Personality Disorder Treatment
Do you recognize the signs of personality disorder in someone you love?
If you or someone you care about regularly feels negative effects from rigid, paranoid, or fearful beliefs or displays erratic, risky behavior, or any combination of the aforementioned symptoms, it may be time to seek professional help.
Fortunately, personality disorder treatment can be highly effective. There are a variety of treatment options available, and it is important that the symptoms and experiences of the individual are taken into account when delivering recovery opportunities. At Anew Treatment Center, we will ensure that your method of recovery is specific to your unique needs and expectations.
Treatment Options
After diagnosis, your treatment team may recommend:
Anew Treatment Center
Find the help and ongoing support you need to manage the symptoms of personality disorder at Anew Treatment Center. Our caring professionals understand the challenges of living with a personality disorder. We provide comprehensive care, including care for individuals who have been diagnosed with multiple personality disorders.
Resources
- https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/personality-disorders/symptoms-causes/syc-20354463
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2252069/
- https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/hide-and-seek/201205/the-10-personality-disorders
- https://www.apa.org/topics/personality-disorders/causes
- https://psychcentral.com/news/2017/09/04/brain-scans-clarify-borderline-personality-disorder#1
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11213788/
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0010440X01668895
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