Personality Disorders Therapy and Counseling Treatment Options

10 Types of Personality Disorders

Correctly diagnosing a personality disorder requires a mental health professional to become familiarized with an individual’s long-term symptom history and other factors. People under 18 years old cannot typically be diagnosed with a personality disorder because personalities still develop through the teenage years. Some individuals may also have more than one personality disorder or mixed symptoms. The types of personality disorders include:

Cluster A (Suspicious) Personality Disorders

Suspicious personality disorders typically involve unusual and eccentric behaviors or thinking. These disorders include:

• Schizoid personality disorder – Someone with this disorder is typically disconnected from social relationships and will choose to spend time alone. They seem not to be concerned with receiving criticism or praise from others.
• Paranoid personality disorder – People with this disorder are suspicious of others and will typically assume people are there to be mean or malicious to them. They do not become close to others or confide in anyone.
• Schizotypal personality disorder – Someone with this disorder might be highly uncomfortable in close relationships, have eccentric behavior, and distorted thinking. They might also have abnormal speech or extreme social anxiety. 

Cluster B (Emotional and Impulsive) Personality Disorders

Emotional and impulsive personality disorders typically involve erratic and dramatic behaviors. People with these conditions display unstable and intense emotions, as well as impulsive behaviors. These disorders include:

• Antisocial personality disorder – Someone with this disorder might disregard or violate other people’s rights. They might also continually lie to others, behave impulsively, and not conform to social norms.
• Narcissistic personality disorder – Someone with this disorder may desire admiration and display a lack of empathy for others. They might also have an inflated sense of self-importance, take advantage of others, or have a sense of entitlement. 
• Histrionic personality disorder – Someone with this disorder might tend to be excessively emotional and seek out attention. They may also feel uncomfortable when attention shifts from them or use their physical appearance to draw attention to themselves.
• Borderline personality disorder (BPD) – Someone with this disorder may have low self-worth, deep emotions, impulsive behavior, and unstable relationships. They might display anger at inappropriate times, have repeated suicide attempts, persistent feelings of emptiness, or take drastic measures to avoid feeling abandoned. 

Cluster C (Anxious) Personality Disorders

Anxious personality disorders typically involve severe fear or anxiety. These disorders include:

• Avoidant personality disorder – Someone with this disorder can be overly sensitive to criticism, have feelings of unworthiness, and be excessively shy. They might also be unwilling to associate with others, see themselves as socially awkward, and be highly concerned with feeling rejected or criticized.
• Dependent personality disorder – Someone with this disorder might be submissive and exhibit clingy behavior or the need for someone else to care for them. They may have trouble making routine decisions without assurance from others and feel helpless or uneasy when alone because they feel unable to care for themselves or make decisions on their own properly. 
• Obsessive-compulsive personality disorder – Someone with this disorder can be preoccupied with control, perfection, and order. They may be intensely focused on schedules, tend to work excessively with a desire for maximizing productivity, and not make time for recreational time or relationships. 

Symptoms of Personality Disorder

Each personality disorder type has unique symptoms or signs. It is essential first to determine whether an individual has the condition. Once someone realizes they have a personality disorder, it is easier to seek out and follow treatment to see improvement.

As a general rule of thumb, most personality disorders typically involve issues with the following:

• Relationships – People with personality disorders tend to be unable to form stable and close relationships with others because of their disordered beliefs and behaviors. They might be emotionally detached, overly in need of attention, or lack empathy and respect for others. 
• Identity and a sense of self – People with personality disorders typically lack a stable or realistic image of themselves. How they view themselves can change depending on their situation or who they are with. As a result, their self-esteem can be unnaturally low or high. 

Lack of self-awareness – People with personality disorders often have no insight or awareness of how their problematic thoughts and behaviors affect their relationships with others.