Personality disorders are characterized by enduring patterns of behavior and thought that deviate from what is expected. Borderline, paranoia, schizotypal… Psychiatry counts 10 personality disorders.
Definition: what is a personality disorder?
According to the classification of DSM-5, the fifth version of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders and Psychiatric Disorders, a personality disorder “is an enduring mode of behavior and lived experience that deviates significantly from what is expected in the individual’s culturewhich is invasive and rigid, which appears in adolescence or early adulthood, which is stable over time and which is source of suffering or impaired functioning“. Distinguish between personality disorders personality traits which describe the ways of behaving, of perceiving and thinking about one’s environment and oneself. They only constitute disturbances when they are rigid, unsuitable and cause subjective distress or significant impairment in functioning.
What is the list of 10 personality disorders?
The 10 personality disorders are divided into three groups. These may have common characteristics.
► We find in cluster A (group 1):
1. Paranoid personality disordercharacterized by a suspicious distrust of others whose intentions are interpreted as malicious.
2. Schizoid personality disordercharacterized by a detachment from social relationships and a restriction of the variety of emotional expressions.
3. Schizotypal personality disordercharacterized by acute discomfort in close relationships, cognitive and perceptual distortions and eccentric behavior.
► We find in cluster B (group 2):
4. Antisocial disorder, characterized by disregard and infringement of the rights of others.
5. Borderline personality disordercharacterized by marked impulsiveness and instability of interpersonal relationships, self-image and affects
6. Narcissistic disorder, characterized by grandiose fantasies or behaviors, a need to be admired, and a lack of empathy
7. Histrionic disorder, characterized by excessive emotional responses and attention seeking.
► We find in cluster C (group 3):
8. Obsessive-compulsive disordercharacterized by a preoccupation with order, perfection and control.
9. The Avoidant Personalitycharacterized by social inhibition, feelings of inadequacy, and hypersensitivity to negative judgment
from others.
10. The dependent personalitycharacterized by a submissive and “clingy” behavior linked to an excessive need to be taken care of.
According to the DSM-5, subjects often suffer several personality disorders belonging to different groups. According to prevalence estimates given by the DSM-5, “group A concerns 5.7% of the population, group B 1.5%, group C 6%“. In total 9.1% of the population is affected by one of the personality disorders.
What is the cause of a personality disorder?
“We do not know the causereports psychiatrist Emanuel Loeb, there are also few psychiatric disorders whose cause is known“. On the other hand, there are combinations of factors“as hereditary predisposition, traumatic events especially during childhood andinfluence of the environment“.
What are the typical symptoms of personality disorders?
“There are no common characteristics because each is defined precisely by its own symptoms, except that they are assessed in adulthood.“, reports doctor of psychiatry Emanuel Loeb. According to the DSM-5, personality deviations must be manifest in at least two of the following areas:
- Cognition, i.e. the perception and vision of oneself, others and events
- Affectivity, i.e. the diversity, intensity, lability and adequacy of the emotional response
- Interpersonal functioning
- impulse control
The diagnosis of a personality disorder is made whena clinical examination. It can be put during one or more consultations with a psychiatrist or psychologist. “A clinical reading is made with regard to the classifications, explains Emanuel Loeb. Diagnosis is made in adulthood. But as part of the construction of his personality, an adolescent may engage in behaviors that resemble certain disorders but which will resolve spontaneously.“.
“These are the comorbidities of the disorders that must be treated”
What is the treatment for personality disorders?
“To this day, there is no no treatments that cure personality disorders“, explains psychiatrist Emanuel Loeb. Nevertheless, “it is the comorbidities of the disorders that must be treated, such as mood disorder, eating disorder or addiction“. Medications can therefore have an effect on certain symptoms, the health professional “avoid all treatments that induce addiction“. The patient can be referred to different types of psychotherapy such as cognitive behavioral therapies (CBT) and others. Depending on their degree of intensity, personality disorders can be considered as mental illness and give rise to a approach MDPH when the latter is handicapped.
Thanks to doctor Emanuel Loeb, psychiatrist in Paris