 If I say the phrase, personality disorder, what do you think of? Psychopaths and serial killers? People like John Gacy or the fictional Patrick Bateman from American Psycho? Even those who are well-versed in psychological disorders like depression, anxiety, and schizophrenia may have a shallow understanding of personality disorders, which can contribute to the stigmas that are attached to them. And while psychopathy falls under a particular personality disorder, antisocial personality disorder, there are actually 10 personality disorders in the DSMV. If you're interested in learning more about personality disorder, we're sharing a quick crash course for you. Personality disorders are defined as a type of mental disorder in which your thinking, functioning, and behavior are rigid and unhealthy. These unhealthy traits can cause significant problems and limitations in relationships, social activities, work, school, and other situations. The DSM sets out criteria for 10 personality disorders, and these disorders are grouped into three clusters or categories, clusters A, B, and C. Cluster A is considered the odd eccentric cluster and consists of paranoid personality disorder, schizoid personality disorder, and schizotypal personality disorder. People in this cluster often behavior in strange ways and may in particular struggle with social situations. Paranoid personality disorder. Have you ever had feelings of paranoia or assumed someone walking behind you was following you? For someone with paranoid personality disorder, they often have extreme feelings of paranoia. They feel everyone is out to get them and are hyper aware of danger. They mistrust others and often don't get close to people for fear that person will hurt them. Schizoid personality disorder. Do you know someone who is a bit of a loner or who seems detached from others? People with schizoid personality disorder take the idea of being a loner to the extreme. It is characterized by social detachment and restricted emotions. They prefer solitude to others' company, but they tend to miss social cues and come across as cold or aloof. Schizotypal personality disorder. This one is similar to schizoid with one key difference. Do you know someone who believes in odd things? Various, magic, things that are otherwise considered strange? One of the key features in schizotypal personality disorder is a so-called magical thinking. They are often awkward in social situations, much like those with schizoid personality disorder, but also experience perceptual and cognitive distortions, as well as displaying erratic behavior. This personality disorder is likeable to the more well-known condition schizophrenia. They are very closely linked with a lot of overlap. One movie that portrays schizophrenia, which we recommend is the movie A Beautiful Mind from 2001. Due to the overlap, this gives you an idea of what people with a schizotypal diagnosis are like. Cluster B is considered the dramatic cluster and consists of borderline personality disorder, histrionic personality disorder, narcissistic personality disorder, and antisocial personality disorder. People in this cluster often behavior in dramatic ways, which can lead them to struggle to maintain stable relationships. Borderline personality disorder. Do you have a friend who seems to switch opinions on people very quickly or experiences mood swings and instability? These are key features of the next personality disorder, which seems to be the most common. People with borderline have a big problem with instability, both in moods and in their sense of self. They may also tend to engage in risky, impulsive behaviors like drugs and self-harm. Seeing the world in black and white can also influence some to engage in splitting, which is when their feelings towards a person swings drastically. Borderline personality disorder is portrayed in the film Girl Interrupted. The main character is diagnosed with borderline personality disorder after a suicide attempt, and the film focuses on her stay in a mental institution. Histrionic personality disorder. We all know someone who loves being the center of attention, right? And thrives in the spotlight? People with histrionic disorder take this to the extreme. They tend to excessively show their emotions and are very uncomfortable when they are not the center of attention. They also tend to be easily influenced by others' opinions. People who love to be the center of attention at parties, in class, or other situations could be suffering from this disorder. Are you enjoying this video? We run a quarterly magazine which is currently running a miniseries on personality disorders. To find out more, check out the Patreon. www.patreon.com slash Psych2Go magazine. And our store, www.psych2go.shop. Narcissistic personality disorder. This is a term we've all heard. People talk about having met narcissists in their lives very often. But what does it mean to truly have narcissistic personality disorder? Narcissistic personality disorder sufferers have an inflated ego. They feel they are somehow special and unique. They also tend to be preoccupied by fantasies of power and have a powerful sense of entitlement. They are devastated by normal human limitations and their self-worth can rapidly fall if they encounter these limitations. There are a few characters with a diagnosis of this in film, but there are many characters who could fit the bill. For example, Miranda Priestley in The Devil Wears Prada or All This Snow in Forgetting Sarah Marshall have been suggested by some to have NPD. You'll also find articles on NPD often portraying narcissists as abusers. It's important to remember not all people with NPD are abusive and not all abusers have NPD. Anti-social personality disorder. This is another personality disorder people have often heard about. You might have heard it by the names psychopathy and sociopathy. The main issue in anti-social personality disorder is an utter lack of empathy. They tend to disregard others' feelings and can often engage in criminality. They also tend to be impulsive and typically don't feel remorse for their actions. As previously mentioned, serial killers such as John Gacy or fictional killers such as Patrick Bateman are examples of people with anti-social personality disorder. However, not all people with anti-social personality disorder go on to become killers or even break the law. Cluster C is considered the anxious cluster and consists of avoidant personality disorder, dependent personality disorder, and obsessive-compulsive personality disorder. People in this cluster often behave in very anxious ways, impacting on their lives greatly. Avoidant personality disorder. Do you know someone who seems to completely avoid others or who's sensitive to criticism and feels rejected often? These are some of the key characteristics of avoidant personality disorder. The individual may be extremely sensitive to criticism and have chronic fear of rejection. Due to this, they tend to completely avoid social situations and social relationships. Like with schizoid personality disorder, they often come across as a loner, but unlike schizoid personality disorder, they have no desire to make friends. They have a chronically low self-esteem and don't feel good enough. They may be a student in your class who never seems to contribute or a co-worker who takes every bit of criticism to heart. Dependent personality disorder. Do you know someone who seems to depend on others? Who needs a lot of attention and care from people? As the name suggests, people with dependent personality disorder have a strong need to be taken care of. They often come across as very clingy and they intensely fear losing their relationships in their lives. You might have heard people say they have co-dependent relationships. This very well could fall under dependent personality disorder. Obsessive compulsive personality disorder. We all know a perfectionist who likes to get their own way. Obsessive compulsive personality disorder is like this, but to the extreme. Those with obsessive compulsive personality disorder are obsessed with order, control, and getting things done right. They are extreme perfectionists and struggle to work with others as they think everything should be done their way. They also tend to be tight with money, worrying about future events. No, this is different to obsessive compulsive disorder, which is an anxiety disorder. Which personality disorder did you find the most interesting? Would you like to know more about any of the disorders we discussed today? 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