Personality Disorders - AP Psychology

People with histrionic personality disorder feel highly uncomfortable and/or offended when they are not the center of attention. They have rapidly shifting emotions, which are used to garner attention from others.

Obsessive-compulsive disorder is an anxiety disorder, not a personality disorder.

The other listed conditions are all personality disorders.

Personality disorders are diagnosed on axis II of the DSM-IV (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual). However, the multiple axes have been abolished in the latest version of the DSM, called the DSM-V. Some of the most common personality disorders include antisocial personality disorder and borderline personality disorder.

Women are more likely to suffer from internalizing disorders, including depression and anxiety. Men are more likely to suffer from externalizing disorders, including antisocial personality disorder, substance abuse disorder, and conduct disorder.

Histrionic personality disorder is characterized by a strong need for attention from others, and manifests in dramatic, exaggerated, and potentially overly flirtacious actions and behaviors. One who suffers from histrionic personality disorder may be uncomfortable if not the center of attention, and may even threaten to commit suicide in order to get it. This disorder is thought to be mainly the result of parenting, where the child may have never received negative attention or received positive attention inconsistently. The disorder tends to run in families, so a genetic component is possible, but this could also be a result of learned behavior from the parents.

Antisocial personality disorder is ultimately defined by a lack of empathy for other people and egocentrism, which entails a wide range of destructive symptoms. Many of those diagnosed with antisocial personality disorder disregard the division between right and wrong, and tend to tailor ethics to their own impulses, which can be destructive. As such, they can make harmful choices for which they could be incarcerated.

Insanity is NOT a medical diagnosis, rather it is a legal definition used to evaluate a person's capacity to be legally held accountable for their actions. While "insanity" is often used colloquially, it DOES have legal significance.

Antisocial Personality disorder is characterized by long-term patterns of behavior that disregard the rights and well-being of others. The individuals are known to show a lack of conscience when it comes to wrongdoing, regardless of their relationship to the wronged party.

Borderline Personality Disorder is categorized by traits such as unstable relationships full of distrust and/or idealization, issues with abandonment fears, emotions such as emptiness and anger at inappropriate times, paranoia, and impulsiveness.

Schizotypal personality disorder affects about 3% of the population. It can be a precursor for Schizophrenia but often has a stable course and can be diagnosed by the symptoms provided in the question. Schizotypal personality disorder can be confused with schizophrenia. The main difference between the two disorders is that people with schizotypal personalities may experience brief psychotic episodes accompanied by delusions or hallucinations; however, these delusional episodes are not as frequent, prolonged, or intense as the psychosis experienced by individuals with schizophrenia.

The essential components of "borderline personality disorder" include a pattern of impulsivity and instability of behaviors, interpersonal relationships, and self-image. This personality disorder typically begins in early adulthood (ages 18-25), but has temperamental underpinnings in childhood and adolescence.

Personality disorders are not typically diagnosed until age 18. Children with symptoms of certain personality disorders may be diagnosed with other developmental psychiatric illnesses like conduct disorder (CD).

"Post-traumatic stress" is an anxiety disorder characterized by intense periods of anxiety after intense trauma. Examples of such trauma include warfare, car accidents, assault, etc. They are known to continue for long periods of time. As John has returned from warfare and his anxiety seems to be continuing, it is likely that he is experiencing post-traumatic stress.

Personality disorders are set apart from other disorders due to their inflexible nature over time. The theory is that the dysfunction/distress stems from deviations in personality that are much more difficult to change compared to the causes of other kinds of mental disorders.

The multi-axial system of the DSM (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders) was created in 1994 to address the "whole person" when making psychiatric diagnoses.

Axis I refers to the principal disorder in question (e.g., schizophrenia), axis II refers to personality disorders, axis III lists medical disorders that impact a client's psychiatric state, axis IV takes psychosocial factors into account (e.g., recent divorce leading to depression), and axis V gives an overall global functioning score on a scale of 0-100.

People with histrionic personality disorder feel highly uncomfortable and/or offended when they are not the center of attention. They have rapidly shifting emotions, which are used to garner attention from others.

Obsessive-compulsive disorder is an anxiety disorder, not a personality disorder.

The other listed conditions are all personality disorders.

Personality disorders are diagnosed on axis II of the DSM-IV (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual). However, the multiple axes have been abolished in the latest version of the DSM, called the DSM-V. Some of the most common personality disorders include antisocial personality disorder and borderline personality disorder.

Women are more likely to suffer from internalizing disorders, including depression and anxiety. Men are more likely to suffer from externalizing disorders, including antisocial personality disorder, substance abuse disorder, and conduct disorder.