Overview of Personality Disorders

Definition:

Key Features:

Inflexible and Pervasive Behavior: Present across various contexts.

Early Onset: Behavior is stable and typically begins in adolescence or early adulthood.

Exclusion Criteria: Must rule out other mental disorders, medical conditions, or substance use as primary causes.

Common Diagnostic Challenges

Overlap with Other Disorders:

Trauma Considerations: .

Specific Personality Disorders and Trauma-Informed Perspectives

Paranoid Personality Disorder:

Mnemonic: "SUSPECT" - Suspiciousness, unforgiving, perceives attacks, etc.

Trauma Link: May develop from environments with distrust or betrayal.

Schizoid Personality Disorder:

Mnemonic: "DISTANT" - Detached, indifferent to praise/criticism, tasks done solitarily, etc.

Trauma Link: Chronic exposure to trauma may lead to emotional numbing and detachment.

Schizotypal Personality Disorder:

Mnemonic: "ME PECULIAR" - Magical thinking, eccentric behavior, anxiety in social situations, etc.

Trauma Link: Development of odd beliefs or behaviors may stem from a need to cope with a traumatic environment.

Avoidant Personality Disorder:

Mnemonic: "CRINGES" - Certainty of being liked, rejection preoccupies thoughts, intimacy restrained, etc.

Trauma Link: Likely related to experiences of rejection or abandonment, leading to extreme caution in relationships.

Dependent Personality Disorder:

Mnemonic: "RELIANCE" - Reassurance required, expressing disagreement difficult, life responsibilities assumed by others, etc.

Trauma Link: Often linked to enmeshed or controlling family environments, where independence was discouraged.

Antisocial Personality Disorder:

Mnemonic: "CORRUPT" - Conformity to law lacking, obligations ignored, reckless, etc.

Trauma Link: May develop from a criminogenic environment or chronic trauma leading to a disregard for societal norms.

Borderline Personality Disorder:

Mnemonic: "AM SUICIDE" - Abandonment fears, mood instability, suicidal behaviors, etc.

Trauma Link: Strongly associated with early abandonment or chaotic environments.

Histrionic Personality Disorder:

Mnemonic: "PRAISE ME" - Provocative behavior, relationships considered more intimate than they are, uncomfortable not being center of attention, etc.

Trauma Link: May develop as a way to gain attention in emotionally neglectful environments.

Narcissistic Personality Disorder:

Mnemonic: "SPECIAL" - Believes they are special, preoccupied with fantasies of success, lacks empathy, etc.

Trauma Link: Possible development as a defense mechanism in response to trauma or low self-esteem.

Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder:

Mnemonic: "LAW FIRMS" - Loses point of activity due to detail, friendships excluded due to work, inflexible, etc.

Trauma Link: Rigidity and control may arise from environments where safety and predictability were lacking.

Differential Diagnosis and Considerations

Rule Out Other Disorders:

Mood disorders with psychotic features.

Autism spectrum disorders.

Substance use disorders.

Importance of Context:

Acculturation and Intergenerational Trauma:

Treatment and Systemic Considerations

Personality Disorder Stigma:

Trauma-Informed Care:

Treatment Barriers:

Chapters:00:00:00 - Differential Diagnosis of Personality Disorders from a Trauma-Informed Perspective00:06:56 - Characteristics of Paranoid Personality Disorder00:13:38 - Trauma's effect on mood and libido00:20:22 - Unusual Perceptions and Magical Thinking00:27:13 - Characteristics of Dependent Personality Disorder00:33:59 - Borderline Personality Characteristics00:40:54 - Differential Diagnosis and Co-occurring Disorders00:47:27 - Differential Diagnosis of Personality Disorders00:54:12 - Differentiating Personality Disorders from Other ConditionsLearn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices