Guide To The Major Types Of Personality Disorders

Borderline Personality Disorder

Borderline personality disorder occurs when an individual has extreme difficulties regulating their emotions. Patients with this condition experience heightened and intense emotions. 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 this disorder to go back to their baseline. The difficulty with emotional regulation is often accompanied by poor impulse control, a lack of self-confidence, and intense emotional responses to stress. Turbulent relationships are common too. Patients are also at a higher risk of turning to self-harming behaviors 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 it with the same frequency as women. The difference is that they may be misdiagnosed with depression or post-traumatic stress disorder. Patients with this condition 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.

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Narcissistic Personality Disorder

Narcissistic personality disorder occurs when an individual needs constant attention or validation but cannot handle criticism. It is a complex condition to treat because the patient needs to recognize and learn how to accept criticism first. Individuals with this condition experience intense anxiety and fear of being rejected, which often makes them miserable. They have an inflated sense of self-importance that helps them avoid fears and insecurities. They need others to validate this image, which is what leads to patterns of dysfunctional behavior.

Narcissistic personality disorder patients have an excessive need to be admired and display a lack of consideration and empathy for others. They will also have 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 this disorder tend to be resistant to changing it. They also tend to react poorly to even small criticisms, as these feel like personal attacks.

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