Chapter Sixteen: Personality Disorders

A set of uniquely expressed characteristics that influence our behaviors, emotions, thoughts, and interactions

When people display an enduring, rigid pattern of inner experience and outward behavior that impairs their sense of self, emotional experiences, goals, capacity for empathy, and/or capacity for intimacy

Disorders are classified by the severity of personality traits rather than by the presence or absence of specific traits

Beliefs that unrelated events pertain to them in some important way

Sensing an external force or presence

Some parents unintentionally teach antisocial behavior by regularly rewarding a childs aggressive behavior

Peoples capacity to understand their own mental states and those of other people

A comprehensive treatment approach, applied particularly in cases of borderline personality disorder and/or suicidal intent; includes both individual therapy sessions and group sessions

A personality disorder currently undergoing study for possible inclusion in a future revision of DSM-5

People experience negative emotions frequently and intensely

Unstable emotions

Repetition of certain behaviors despite repeated failures

People tend to withdraw from other people and social interactions

Little reaction to emotionally arousing situations

Inability to feel pleasure or take interest in things

People behave in ways that put them at odds with other people

People have unusual and bizarre experiences