Guide To The Major Types Of Personality Disorders

Borderline Personality Disorder

Borderline personality disorder is a personality disorder that occurs when an individual has extreme difficulties regulating their emotions. Patients with this condition experience heightened and intense emotions, and these emotions may last for longer than with a neurotypical individual. After an event causes an emotional trigger, it is difficult for an individual with borderline personality disorder to go back to their baseline. The difficulty with emotional regulation is often accompanied by poor impulse control, a lack of self-confidence, intense emotional responses to stress, and turbulent relationships. Borderline personality disorder patients are also at a higher risk of turning to self-harming behaviors to try to help with self-regulation. Nearly three out of every four individuals who have borderline personality disorder are women. However, some research indicates men may develop this disorder with the same frequency as women and be misdiagnosed with depression or post-traumatic stress disorder. Patients with borderline personality disorder often have mood swings and may feel unstable and insecure. They may lash out in relationships or engage in efforts to avoid imaginary abandonment by family members and friends.

Read more about the major types of personality disorders now.

Narcissistic Personality Disorder

Narcissistic personality disorder is a personality disorder that occurs when an individual needs constant attention or validation but is unable to handle criticism. This is a difficult personality disorder to treat because the patient needs to recognize and learn how to accept criticism first. Individuals with narcissistic personality disorder experience intense feelings of anxiety and an intense fear of being rejected, which often makes them miserable. Those with this disorder have an inflated sense of self-importance that helps them avoid fears and insecurities. They need other people to validate this image, which is what leads to patterns of dysfunctional behavior. Narcissistic personality disorder patients have an excessive need to be admired, a lack of consideration and empathy for others, and self-centered and arrogant thought patterns This sense of self affects all aspects of the individual's life from work to home to school. Even when the behavior causes problems, those with narcissistic personality disorder tend to be resistant to changing it. They also tend to react poorly to even small criticisms, as these feel like personal attacks.

Get more details on the major types of personality disorders now.