How are Personality Disorders Diagnosed?

Personality Disorders are complex conditions which involve deep-rooted personality traits. As such, making a diagnosis can be complicated.

A diagnosis is typically made by a mental health professional. If a person believes they have a personality disorder, then they should book an appointment to see a Doctor as a first step.

What is a Personality Disorder?

Personality Disorder: A Personality Disorder is a condition which involves an individual thinking, behaving, feeling or relating in a very different way from the average person. There are ten different personality disorders, split into three clusters. The clusters are “odd and eccentric”, “dramatic, emotional and erratic’” and “anxious and fearful”. The different disorders vary considerably, and thus the symptoms of each differ too. Those with a personality disorder may find their symptoms cause them distress, and results in them not living their life how they want to.

The diagnostic process

At an appointment, a Doctor will ask the individual a series of questions in regards to their symptoms. Questions will focus on the impact of the symptoms on life, behaviour, thoughts and feelings.

If they suspect a personality disorder may be present, they will refer the individual to a Community Mental Health Team (CMHT) – a team of mental health professionals.

A member of the CMHT will carry out a full assessment of symptoms, and aim to make a diagnosis. They will ask further questions, and aim to generate a full picture of how an individual’s personality traits are causing them distress, and see if a diagnosis can be made.

It is of imperative importance that an individual answers all questions truthfully – as this will ensure an accurate diagnosis can be made.

In terms of the actual symptoms, each personality disorder will have certain criteria that needs to be fulfilled.

For instance, symptoms associated with Borderline Personality Disorder are markedly different than those for Schizotypal Personality Disorder.

Diagnostic criteria

However, for a diagnosis to be made, as a starting point, there are some basic requirements that need to be met for an individual to be considered to have a personality disorder:  

• The individual’s personality strays significantly from the norm if someone’s culture. This may include how an individual interprets experiences, their emotional response to experiences, the way an individual acts around others, or their ability to control urges and impulses (at least two of these areas)
• The symptoms displayed haven’t been caused by substance abuse
• The personality of an individual remains the same in many different contexts and experiences
• The personality of an individual cause them significant distress and/or impairment in multiple areas of functioning
• The personality in question is long-standing, and can be dated back to adolescence or early adulthood
• The symptoms displayed cannot be better explained by an alternate mental health condition

As a reminder, each personality disorder has its own diagnostic criteria, as well as the above criteria. There are several types of personality disorders.

Sometimes, an alternative condition may be diagnosed, if the symptoms of an individual are better-suited to a different condition. For example, this could be Depression, or a trauma-based condition among others.

Summary

The sooner an individual seeks help for their symptoms, the better. Even if a Personality Disorder isn’t present, seeing a doctor can lead to a proper diagnosis being made.

Treatment can certainly help, and in many cases will lead to recovery. This should always be the aim with a personality disorder.

See Also

1. Everything You Need to Know About Personality Disorders
2. What Are The Different Types of Personality Disorders?
3. What Are The Symptoms of Personality Disorders?
4. What Are The Causes of Personality Disorders?
5. How are Personality Disorders Diagnosed?
6. How Can Personality Disorders Be Treated?
7. What is the Prognosis For Personality Disorders?
8. 10 Tips on Living With a Personality Disorder