Home Conditions What Are The Symptoms of Personality Disorders?

What Are The Symptoms of Personality Disorders?

Modified date: September 10, 2024

A Personality Disorder will often cause significant distress in the life of an individual. There are ten different types of Personality Disorders – each of which differ from others.

As a result, symptoms vary enormously throughout the various disorders. Even in the same disorders – some people will find their symptoms differ significantly from another person.

Those with Personality Disorders exhibit a range of symptoms

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 impact of symptoms

In general, someone with a personality disorder will exhibit personality traits that cause them difficulty in life.

Someone’s personality is the result of an enormous array of factors, generally involving the way someone thinks, feels and behaves.

Sometimes, some symptoms that match a personality disorder may not affect an individual negatively. For instance, someone with Obsessive-Compulsive Personality disorder may think their overriding need for perfectionism is a good trait.

Across all of the personality disorders, the symptoms will typically lead to impairment in social and work-based environments. Building and sustaining relationships with others is a particularly impaired area across all personality disorders.

Some disorders have a high propensity for impulsive actions – which can lead to an increase in the likelihood of self-harm.

But in any case, if the symptoms listed causes distress, or leads an individual to harm someone else, it is likely they are suffering from a personality disorder.

Symptoms

Here, we take a look at some key symptoms involved in the ten personality disorders.

Paranoid Personality Disorder

Feelings of paranoia – especially towards others
Hypervigilance
General mistrust of others.
Irrational suspicions of others

Schizoid Personality Disorder

Lack of interest and detachment from social relationships
Often seen as a “loner”
Lack of emotion throughout multiple contexts
Exhibit a rich fantasy world

Schizotypal Personality Disorder

Will exhibit a range of eccentric and bizarre behaviours
Show peculiar mannerisms and abnormal beliefs
Struggle to interact socially.
Has some similarities to Schizophrenia

Antisocial Personality Disorder

Exhibits an overall disregard for others
Manipulative
Show a lack of empathy to others, and may violate their rights
Impulsive – doesn’t care about the consequences

Borderline Personality Disorder (Emotionally Unstable Personality Disorder)

Intense mood swings
Unstable relationships with others – either love or hate someone, no in between
Unpredictable behaviour
Often involves self-harm due to their impulsive behaviour

Histrionic Personality Disorder

Long-term pattern of attention-seeking behaviour
Showcase excessive emotions
Take particular care in how they look
They may dress in a promiscuous fashion, and act overly seductive

Narcissistic Personality Disorder

Normally see themselves as superior to others, and believe they should receive special treatment
They will require admiration and acceptance from others
Lack empathy, and have little regard for the feelings of others
Manipulate and take advantage of others for their personal gain

Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder (Anankastic Personality Disorder)

Rigid conformity to rules
Overall need for control and perfectionism
Exhibit anxiety when there is a lack of control over situations
Judgemental, and sensitive to criticism. and a need to control circumstances and events

Avoidant Personality Disorder

Overwhelming feelings of anxiety
Fear of rejection from others, and need for acceptance
Poor self-esteem – feeling insecure and inferior to others
Very sensitive to criticism from others

Dependent Personality Disorder

Pervasive need to be cared for by other people
Making others make decisions for them
Fear of abandonment
Be passive throughout life

Summary

As mentioned earlier, the symptoms of each personality disorder differ. The symptoms given above are only a few of many – more information is available on each page for a personality disorder.

In general though, due to how likely it is for symptoms to cause distress, accessing treatment is very important.