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Healthinmind/Mental Health Disorders The defining characteristics of personality disorders are that they endure for a long time, are pervasive and inflexible, and cause distress or impairment. Thus, by definition, they are both troublesome and difficult to change. The short-term outlook for personality disorders is, therefore, not favorable. However, the picture is not entirely bleak; antisocial and borderline personality disorders may become less severe as the person ages. If the person reaches the 30s and 40s, his or her adjustment is likely to improve. Improvement with age for the other types of personality disorders is less likely. If a person with a personality disorder enters psychotherapy, some improvement may occur, despite the great difficulty of treating people with these problems. DSM-IV lists 10 types of personality disorder, in addition to "personality disorder not otherwise specified." The 10 specific types are generally grouped into three classes that seem to be related. The first class is made up of the paranoid, schizoid, and schizotypal types. The second class includes the antisocial, borderline, histrionic, and narcissistic types. The third class includes the remainder: obsessive-compulsive, avoidant, and dependent. However, not everyone classifies the disorders in this way; for example, one could classify borderline, histrionic and narcissistic types with the dependent type because all of them seem to be preoccupied in one way or another with their relationships to other people. A lot more knowledge about the causes of, and effective treatments for, personality disorders is needed. Select one of the names below to read more
about a specific disorder. Visit a web site with more information on personality disorders. Last updated 12/19/03 |
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