Personality Disorders: Part 2

Personality disorders are more common than most people realize, but that does not make them any easier to live with. If you have a disorder that you cannot control, you may end up feeling hopeless, helpless, and completely alone.

Understanding your situation may help you control your actions and emotions better, or at least feel comfort in knowing that there are others like you dealing with the same issues. That is why we’re here to present part two of our common personality disorders series.

You can read about obsessive compulsive personality disorder, antisocial personality disorder, schizotypal disorder, and paranoid personality disorder in Common Personality Disorders: Part One.

Schizoid Personality Disorder

The term schizoid was coined by Bleuler in 1908 to refer to a natural tendency to avoid the external world in favor of your inner life. A patient with schizoid personality disorder is often detached from the world and spends a great deal of time in what may be deemed a “fantasy land.”

Most schizoid patients are able to function in society, but they are reluctant to form close relationships with other people. They are not concerned by what others think about them and their apparent disorder, and thus few of them choose to get treatment.

For those who do choose treatment though, therapists work with them to see the good in the world and enjoy it as if it were like their personal fantasies.

Borderline Personality Disorder

Borderline personality disorder is named such because it is thought to lie on the “borderline’ between neurotic disorders like anxiety and psychotic disorders like schizophrenia. Patients with borderline personality disorder feel empty and fear abandonment.

They lack a sense of self, which often causes them to get into unstable and intense relationships. They are impulsive, emotionally unstable, and sometimes violent when faced with criticism.

Patients must work with a counselor to control their outburst and make better decisions about their relationships and overall actions in life.

Narcissistic Personality Disorder

Narcissistic personality disorder derives its name from the story of Narcissus, a mythological character who fell in love with his own reflection. Patients with narcissistic personality disorder have a high sense of self entitlement and self-importance.

They need to be admired at all times, and they often lash out when they feel ridiculed by others. These patients are also jealous of others they feel are in a better state in life. Therapists work with these patients to humble themselves and appreciate their current accomplishments.