A personality disorder is a mental health problem that affects how you think and feel. Personality disorders can make it difficult to interact with others and can lead to a lack of self-esteem.
Symptoms vary between individuals, but they typically include poor impulse control and a tendency to use substances, according to the Mayo Clinic. Medications can help reduce these symptoms.
People with personality disorders often don’t realize they have one, because their behavior and thinking seem so natural. They also sometimes believe they are having a normal emotional problem, so they don’t seek help for their symptoms until something terrible happens.
There are ten common signs that you or someone you know may have a personality disorder:
Avoidant Personality Disorder: A person with this personality disorder tends to avoid social situations, preferring to isolate themselves in order to avoid rejection or criticism. They also may experience extreme sensitivity to criticism and worry a lot about what others say about them.
Schizoid Personality Disorder: A person with schizoid personality disorder can have problems with their relationships and have unusual thoughts, such as’magical thinking’ – that is, believing they can influence others by their thoughts.
Cluster C Personality Disorder: A person with this personality type may have a distorted view of the world and their place in it. They often lack emotion and are prone to feeling paranoid.
Borderline Personality Disorder: A person with this personality pattern has unstable relationships and often behaves erratically. They may also suffer from anger directed at themselves or others.
Histrionic Personality Disorder: A person with histrionic personality disorder tends to be overly dramatic, emotionally intense and sexually provocative in order to attract attention or to feel like the center of attention. They may have shallow, rapid-changing emotions; be easily influenced by other people; think that friends are closer to them than they really are; and have excessive concern with their physical appearance.
Narcissistic Personality Disorder: A person with narcissistic personality disorder may be self-absorbed and have a grandiose sense of self-importance. They may also be prone to manipulating or taking advantage of others.
Antisocial Personality Disorder: A person with this disorder acts impulsively and recklessly without considering how their actions will affect others. They may also have a lack of empathy for others and be prone to violence.
Depressed/Selective Mood Swings: A person with a personality disorder may have frequent and severe mood swings, according to the Mayo Clinic. They may become irritable, anxious or depressed when they don’t get what they want or are unhappy with their life.
Emotional Abuse: A person with a personality disorder may abuse alcohol or drugs to cope with their feelings of stress or depression. They can also engage in other behaviors, such as gambling or stealing, that are not normal for healthy adults.
Negative Emotions: A person with a personality disorder often feels a sense of loss and guilt, and they may have negative emotions such as anger or sadness. They may also have difficulty focusing on work, school or family activities and have problems making decisions.
