What Is a Personality Disorder?

Those with psychological personality disorders have traits that cause them to feel and behave in socially distressing ways, typically resulting in discord and instability in many aspects of their lives. Depending on the specific disorder, these personalities are generally described in negative terms such as hostile, detached, needy, antisocial or obsessive.

While many other psychological disorders fluctuate in terms of symptom presence and intensity, as with normal personality, personality disorders typically remain relatively constant throughout life, although they do vary in severity from individual to individual.

Classification of Personality Disorders

According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM-IV-TR), the reference used to clinically define mental illnesses, there are ten different personality disorders categorized into three main groupings or clusters.

Cluster A: Odd or Eccentric Behaviors

Schizoid Personality Disorder

Individuals with schizoid personality are characteristically detached from social relationships and show a restricted range of expressed emotions. Those with SPD may be perceived by others as somber and aloof, and often are referred to as "loners."

Paranoid Personality Disorder

Those with this disorder are typically distrustful and suspicious of others. Although they are prone to unjustified angry or aggressive outbursts when they perceive others as disloyal or deceitful, those with PPD more often come across as emotionally “cold” or excessively serious.

Schizotypal Personality Disorder

This disorder is characterized both by a need for isolation as well as odd, outlandish, or paranoid beliefs. In social situations, they may show inappropriate reaction or not react at all, or they may talk to themselves.

Cluster B: Dramatic, Emotional, or Erratic Behavior

Antisocial Personality Disorder

APD is characterized by lack of empathy or conscience, a difficulty controlling impulses and manipulative behaviors. This disorder is sometimes also referred to as psychopathy or sociopathy, however, Antisocial Personality Disorder is the clinical terminology used for diagnosis.

Borderline Personality Disorder

This mental illness interferes with an individual’s ability to regulate emotion. The characteristic emotional instability results in dramatic and abrupt shifts in mood, impulsivity, poor self-image and tumultuous interpersonal relationships. Borderlines are highly sensitive to rejection, and fear of abandonment may result in frantic efforts to avoid being left alone, such a suicide threats and attempts.

Narcissistic Personality Disorder

NPD is characterized primarily by grandiosity, need for admiration, and lack of empathy. Narcissism occurs in a spectrum of severity, but the pathologically narcissistic tend to be extremely self-absorbed, intolerant of others’ perspectives, insensitive to others’ needs and indifferent to the effect of their own egocentric behavior.

Histrionic Personality Disorder

Individuals with this personality disorder exhibit a pervasive pattern of excessive emotionality and attempt to get attention in unusual ways, such as bizarre appearance or speech. With rapidly shifting, shallow emotions, histrionics can be extremely theatrical, and constantly need to be the center of attention.

Cluster C: Anxious, Fearful Behavior

Avoidant Personality Disorder

Those with avoidant personalities are often hypersensitive to rejection and unwilling to take social risks. Avoidants display a high level of social discomfort, timidity, fear of criticism, avoidance of activities that involve interpersonal contact.

Dependent Personality Disorder

People with dependent disorder typically exhibit a pattern of needy and submissive behavior, and rely on others to make decisions for them. Dependent personalities require excessive reassurance and advice, and are extremely sensitive to criticism or disapproval.

Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder

Individuals with OCPD, also called Anankastic Personality Disorder, are so focused on order and perfection that their lack of flexibility interferes with productivity and efficiency. They can also be workaholics, preferring the control of working alone, as they are afraid that work completed by others will not be done correctly.