General Information About Personality Disorders
Disease Details and Frequently Asked Questions
These are mental conditions where a person's ways of perceiving the world, relating to other people, and reacting to events are inflexible, unhealthy, and persistently faulty.
Illnesses such as depression or panic attacks start later and occur in episodes (crises). Personality disorders, however, settle in during adolescence as part of the individual's character (self) and tend to continue unchanging throughout life.
Cluster A (Odd/Eccentric): Schizoid, Paranoid, and Schizotypal disorders.
Cluster B (Dramatic/Erratic): Borderline, Narcissistic, Antisocial, and Histrionic disorders.
Cluster C (Anxious/Fearful): Avoidant, Dependent, and Obsessive-Compulsive Personality disorders.
The biggest feature of personality disorders is that they are 'Egosyntonic' (in harmony with the self). This means patients generally do not see any abnormality in their thoughts or behaviors; they believe the problem is always with 'other people' or 'the world'.
There is no blood test. The diagnosis is made according to DSM-5 criteria by expert clinical psychologists or psychiatrists evaluating the patient's long-term behavioral patterns, relationship history, and clinical interviews.
Medications cannot change a person's character or perception; therefore, the core treatment is always long-term Psychotherapy (Schema Therapy, CBT, etc.) sessions. Medications are only used as an adjunct to suppress accompanying anger outbursts, anxiety, or depression.
Our health library contents are prepared for informational purposes only and with scientific data available at the time of recording. For all your questions, concerns, diagnosis, or treatment regarding your health, please consult your doctor or a healthcare institution.
