About Paranoid, Antisocial, and Avoidant personality disorders
Digging Up the Dirt on Several Personality Disorders
What Is A Personality Disorder?
· A personality disorder is a personality trait (patterns of thinking, feeling, or behaving) that causes a person a lot of distress or significantly disturbs his or her ability to function in the world. Personality disorders are divided into ten types: paranoid, schizoid, schizotypal, antisocial, borderline, histrionic, narcissistic, avoidant, dependent, and obsessive compulsive.
· There is not really a cause that has been identified for personality disorders. Heredity and a person’s experiences (through child and adolescence), so there is not one treatment that works for all personality disorders. Patients receive psychotherapy, and some receive medication.
In this report, however, I will explain three out of ten personality disorders: paranoid, antisocial, and avoidant personality disorders, the three I found were most interesting.
Paranoid Personality Disorder -
Paranoid Personality Disorder is a delusional system of thinking that results from internal causes (not external circumstances) and it is reflected on a person’s actions. This disorder does not involve psychotic symptoms such as delusions and hallucinations, and is considered a less extreme and disabling than delusional disorder or paranoid schizophrenia.
A person with paranoid personality disorder is suspicious of other people and takes malevolent intentions and attributes them to themselves. They may think everyone else wants to exploit, deceive, or harm him or her, even if there is no evidence of it. Paranoid people think there are plots going against them and fear attacks. They may believe they have been injured by friends or strangers and they see other people as enemies. They scrutinize the actions of others, looking for signs of betrayal, and are reluctant to confide in associates or friends. They can avoid personal questions and find hidden meanings that don’t exist. Paranoid people bear grudges and are unwilling to forgive and can counterattack when they feel they are insulted and can display anger. These kind of people seem hostile, aloof, sarcastic, secretive, combative, or hypervigilant. Because they don’t trust other people, they might try to control everyone they come in contact with and develop negative stereotypes (such as racial, ethnic, or religious prejudice), are very critical (although they don’t accept criticism for themselves). An estimated 0.5 % - 2.5 % of the general population suffer from paranoid personality disorder, males more often than females. It first appears in childhood or adolescence, with some symptoms as underachievement in school, or hypersensitivity. Paranoid personality disorder occurs more commonly among families where close relatives have chronic schizophrenia than in the general population. Psychotherapy has not been very successful in most cases of paranoia. Being allowed to express suspicions in psychotherapy may at least take the edge off of the fears and helps patients function better in society. Antipsychotic, antidepressants, and antianxiety drugs may help paranoid patients overcome some symptoms. Psychologists don’t fully understand the chemical nature of the disorder. Drug therapy must be very carefully monitored, because a paranoid person may become suspicious of the treatment itself and may stop taking it: by merely pretending to take their medicine.
Antisocial Personality Disorder -
Antisocial Personality Disorder is a disregard for the rights and feelings of others. Some people with this disorder have been arrested repeatedly for harassing others, stealing, or pursuing other illegal activities. At times, this disorder has been called psychopathy, sociopathy, and dissocial personality disorder. The typical symptoms of Antisocial Personality Disorder include aggression toward people or animals and destruction of property. Antisocial patients are frequently involved in fights because they are irritable or aggressive and have a reckless disregard for safety and may drive while drunk, substance abuse, and high-risk sexual behavior. An antisocial person blames the victim for his or her fate and don’t care about a person’s suffering. They are dishonest, and manipulate others, which is in common with the borderline personality disorder, although an antisocial person is deceitful to obtain power, profit, or material gratification. Antisocial people are impulsive and thy don’t plan ahead and they go ahead and do something right away. Men and women suffering from this disorder are extremely irresponsible and might be unemployed for a very long time. Being absent from school or work is also very common. They are also financially irresponsible: bad checks, providing child support, and defaulting on debts. An antisocial person’s attitudes include arrogance, grandiosity, and inflated egos. Because they cause harm and trouble for others, an antisocial person also faces the consequences and often flunk out of school, become homeless, or go to prison. About 3 % of men and 1 % of women suffer from antisocial personality disorder. Antisocial Personality Disorder occurs in men more than women because men are usually more aggressive than females. People with the disorder do not respond well to treatment. Group therapy may help, and medication is useful mainly in reducing associated symptoms (anxiety & depression) as well as controlling violent outbursts of anger. He or she may be forced to have treatment, which has less success. As the person grows older, the extreme manifestations or even the entire disorder begins to subside.
Avoidant Personality Disorder -
Avoidant Personality Disorder is a general sense of inhibition, inadequacy, and hypersensitivity to criticism. People who suffer from this disorder often withdraw from work or school activities for fear of rejection and criticism. The person is most likely to be shy and to steer clear of any action that could call attention to him or herself. They are very quiet and are convinced they are inferior. They believe that no matter what they say, other people will consider it wrong, and sometimes say nothing. They are very self-doubtful. Avoidant people may not take risks and engage in new activities for fear of embarrassment. They also tend to exaggerate potential dangers in ordinary situations, and use excuses to not complete a job or task. They generally lack an extensive social network to help them and are often described as timid, lonely, or isolated. People with the disorder have a desperate longing for acceptance, they are afraid of putting their welfare in the hands of others because of feelings of inadequacy. Their doubts about personal and social acceptance are even worse among strangers. They may fantasize about ideal relationships. Between 0.5 % and 1 % of the population suffers from the disorder, and is around equally frequent men and women. Avoidant behavior can begin as early as infancy or childhood with shyness and fear of strangers or new situations, although a diagnosis of the disorder in children or adolescents because lacking confidence for a short period in time might be because of development. Some people have it worse, and become worse in the late teen years and early adulthood. These are the people that might be diagnosed with the avoidant personality disorder. Cognitive therapy or behavioral therapy can help the patient become more social, better at functioning, and become more assertive. Group sessions help patients build supportive relationships and help each other practice their social skills. Psychotherapy can help the patient open up without fear of being criticized. Medication is not generally used, but may help ease social phobia.
There's no conclusion because we didn't need one. Yeah.