r/personalitydisorders Jun 05 '24

Mod Post What is relevant to personality disorders

17 Upvotes

This post will cover why we will not allow posts discussing DID, astrology, or MBTI without clear reference to a personality disorder or other personality theories backed by science. To skip to this section, scroll towards the bottom of this post.

It seems there is a lot of confusion about what personality disorders are and are not. Many of the posts to this subreddit are off-topic and discussing disorders or symptoms that have little to do with personality disorders so I think we should clear some things up.

Personality disorders are patterns of behavior brought about through childhood development that cause an individual to behave in a way that may be harmful to themselves or others. These may be the direct result of how they were treated by parents and peers, or the result of genetic factors; often both.

Personality disorders recognized by the DSM-V are as follows (with a very superficial depiction):

Paranoid—feelings of suspicion towards others and sensitivity to potential threats and slights

Schizotypal—atypical beliefs, appearance, and behaviors, and discomfort with creating social connections

Schizoid—appears to have a flat affect and limited interest in relationships and many activities

Antisocial—disregard for the rights of others, lack of empathy and guilt, impulsivity, and manipulation of others

Narcissistic—fantasies of success, power, and attractiveness, feeling special when compared to others, struggles to place self in the shoes of others (may present with grandiosity or with deep insecurity)

Borderline—strong reactions to real or perceived abandonment by others, emotionally turbulent, impulsivity, and self sabotage (SH, upending relationships and employment, making relationships with people who are harmful to them, etc), and lacking a sense of stable identity

Histrionic—superficial relationships that are perceived as significant but may be fleeting, seeks the attention of others (whether positive or negative), stretches the truth or fabricates information or stories about themselves or others, easily influenced by others (molds into their social situation), and often behaves theatrically

Dependent—difficulty making decisions (even little ones) independently, lacks confidence in their independence, takes on the opinions of others as their own (struggles to disagree or hold their own opinion), endures unpleasant experiences to maintain relationships. (May present as a need to depend on others or as a need to have others depend on them).

Avoidant—sensitivity to rejection or criticism, isolated but desires close relationships, fears not being liked by others and may avoid situations in which they are not sure they will meet approval, anxiety about new situations, chronic trouble with self-esteem

Obsessive compulsive—need to be in control of tasks or situations, inflexible and rigid in opinions and actions, struggles to let go of projects and participate in leisurely activities, fails to finish tasks when they cannot reach perfection, stingy with money and belongings even with close relationships and family in need.

There are other personality disorders theorized by Theodore Millon, the father of personality disorders. These may not be recognized by other official bodies as some of these symptoms may be related to other conditions such as bipolar disorder, major depression, or they may be more of a subtype or mixed personality disorder. More information and research is certainly needed here. These other personality disorders are as follows:

Melancholic—believes sadness and defeat are inevitable, accepts punishment and volatility towards themselves and others, perceived helplessness

Turbulent—impulsive in seeking out new opportunities for life fulfillment without regard for safety or reasonable limits, perpetually seeking to pursue activities and interests, uncomfortable with moments of passivity (downtime, rest, even emotional stagnation towards an activity), and mood may fluctuate between extreme positivity and hopelessness.

Sadistic—seeks to control and hold power over their environment and other people, expresses inner pain by inflicting upon others

Negativistic—resentful, seeks to meet their own needs, conflict between perceived selfishness and gaining respect, perception that others are more fortunate

Masochistic—protects self from distress by seeking pain, may believe suffering is inevitable or that it is strength, subjects themselves to their ‘negative fate’, believes they are undeserving of positive treatment

https://millonpersonality.com/diagnostic-taxonomy/

By Millons conception, everyone falls into these base patterns of behavior by way of their life circumstances and experiences. However, most people may not have a level of severity that would constitute a disorder (a system of symptoms that disrupts functioning in one or more areas of life). You may very well see family and friends, even yourself in these patterns. This may be because of the behavioral pattern moreso than a disorder. Only a qualified professional can determine if you have a personality disorder and which one you may have.

These disorders are diagnosed through a combination of interview, questionnaires, and formal assessment tools.

It may be helpful to learn about one’s own traits as this can guide an individual to identify their treatment options, however, an individual cannot reasonably self-diagnose these disorders (especially as those with these disorders may be prone to a lack of insight prior to treatment).

The goal of treatment is to reduce harm to the individual and to their peers when necessary. Treatment may be successful at changing adaptive strategies and reducing the severity of symptoms so that an individual can become functional in ways they previously were not. There is no known “cure” for personality disorders.

Treatment may include a regimen of medications, CBT, DBT, and other methods of therapy. There is research supporting other interventions such as ECT especially for those with BPD.

Now that we have clarified personality disorders a little bit, let’s address some of the common misconceptions about personality disorders we see on this subreddit.

MBTI—this tool was not created by those educated in the field of psychology or psychiatry. This tool does not stand up to scientific scrutiny as it is subject to fluctuation with mood and other external influences. This is not related to personality disorders and on its own will be removed from this subreddit.

DID (previously MPD)—this deserves a post on its own, but we will just focus on relationship to personality disorders. DID and other dissociative disorders are concerned first and foremost with dissociation. DID is not the presence of multiple full personalities or personality disorders (especially when an individual mistakes interests or mood for personality). Content insinuating otherwise will be removed for misinformation. Personality disorders are not on their own related to dissociative disorders. Without a clear and descriptive connection to personality disorders, content related to this separate condition will be removed for being off-topic.

Astrology—This is more akin to spiritual belief and has no bearing on scientific understanding. This has no bearing on personality disorders and will be treated as off-topic.

Tuplas—this is a spiritual concept in Tibetan Buddhism and will be considered a religious idea and not on-topic for this subreddit similar to other religious conversation unrelated to personality disorders.

Interests—interests vary between people based on their social groups, economic status, exposure, and other incidental factors. Interests such as hobbies, ideologies, or participation in activities may be influenced by one’s personality, but do not themselves constitute a personality.

Individuality—natural variation between individuals does not constitute a personality or difference in personality. Personality is determined by one’s pattern of behavior. Other things such as political stances, employment, economic status, religion, cultural identity, etc. vary between all people and are not determined by one’s personality.

Mood—moods, do not constitute personality or personality traits. Moods shift in all people for various reasons and these often change one’s thinking temporarily. If a personality is a climate, mood is equal to weather. We must look at the bigger picture, traits and behaviors over time rather than a picture at one point in time.

If you have any questions or concerns, please either comment here or message modmail.


r/personalitydisorders 20h ago

Diagnosed I recently got diagnosed with mixed personality disorder F61. Ask me anything.

0 Upvotes

So i was in therapy for 1 year and 3 months and finished it 2 weeks ago. I got diagnosed in the last week. Halfway through the therapy i openly told my therapist, that i had a suspicion of being a sociopath. After that i did a bunch of paperwork, so called “ICD Personality Tests”, and lots of talking about the results. It did take several months for the final diagnosis which likely was due to the therapy being focused on depression. I know that “Sociopathy” is not a real Diagnosis, but more like a specific combination of Symptoms that are part of an antisocial personality disorder. Nonetheless, i consider myself a sociopath, because many of those symptoms are present in my daily behavior.

Note: Some grammar could be ass. I'm german.


r/personalitydisorders 22h ago

What Should I Do am i the only one who likes having anxiety?

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1 Upvotes

r/personalitydisorders 1d ago

Seeking Answers About Myself 19F, rocky but stable relationship of 3 years, dealing with irritability, mood swings, anxiety, and depression

1 Upvotes

Hi all, I was looking for possible answers as to some of my behaviors over the past few years. I’ve had a therapist for I believe almost 4 years, and while she’s super nice, shes a little too validating for my liking. Any time I tell her about behaviors or actions I have had, she tells me that it’s valid and completely okay to act that way, when I know it’s not.

A little background: I was in a psychiatric ward for about 2 weeks back in 2023, where I got diagnosed with severe depression and severe anxiety, as well as suicidal ideations. A few months later, I met my current boyfriend, and somehow he hasn’t broken up with me yet.

I have switched anxiety medications several times to find one that works for me, and currently I am taking sertraline. I’ve always had “anger issues” but nothing ever really got diagnosed in that aspect. I’ve always been short tempered and quick to argue with people, even over little things.

Currently, I am 19 and a female. My mom’s side has a history of bipolar disorder, and while my mom doesn’t have it, both her sister and mother have it. I don’t believe i’ve ever experienced mania, but I have experienced sudden mood shifts (extremely happy to extremely sad, neutral to extremely irritated over tiny things, etc).

Over the past three years with my lovely boyfriend, I have: yelled at him countless times over little, insignificant things; raised my hand at him and regrettably slapped him a few times (he told me it didn’t physically hurt, but it emotionally did); started arguments with him over minor disagreements that most people would be able to calmly talk over; guilt tripped him to make him feel bad; had happy conversations with him which suddenly takes a sharp turn to negative ones because I started a fight; been irritable at literally nothing and started a fight over it; and probably many more things that i just can’t think of right now. I also cry a lot, even when im happy I’ll sometimes get an overwhelming wave of sadness. I will add an edit or comment if i think of more.

I think its also worth noting that some of these situations lead to me feeling extremely depressed or suicidal (which I never do anything I would regret, but still), and then i’ll feel extremely guilty for how I acted. In the moment, I usually don’t realize that i’m being a jerk, but afterwords i’ll feel extremely guilty which leads to me feeling depressed or worthless. I constantly question how he still stays with me, and how he even cares about me too. Obviously, there are countless times that i’m a perfect girlfriend to him, but i’m only talking about the negatives right now.

Also, I grew up around a lot of fighting, not physical but verbal. My dad has “anger issues”, as well as my stepdad, sometimes my mom, etc. I also tend to deflect blame a lot or say sorry all the time. Any advice would be greatly appreciated, and I apologize if this post is poorly worded or all over the place. Thank you in advance!


r/personalitydisorders 2d ago

Undiagnosed Am i the only one who constantly doubts whether i have something wrong with me or not.

8 Upvotes

There's always the fear that I'm just overreacting, misdiagnosing, and just blowing everything out of proportion.

This may come from the fact that my father tells me that i don't have any serious problems compared to more conventional issues everyone assumes count as "real problems", but it just makes so ashamed for even doing this in the first place.

Hell, I'm ashamed even writing this down because i know I'll always be less in some ways, and might just anger someone on this subreddit. I just think my experiences just doesn't matter compared to anyone else's problems.


r/personalitydisorders 1d ago

Other Looking for lived experiences with ‘favorite person’ dynamics

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1 Upvotes

r/personalitydisorders 2d ago

Other ASPD under the DSM 5 vs Dissocial personality disorder under ICD 10

3 Upvotes

I have been reading about ASPD and DPD recently and I have the general understanding that DPD (dissocial personality disorder) generally puts factor 1 and factor 2 qualities equivalent to each other a the time of diagnosis, while ASPD leans more towards factor 2 qualities. My question here is if anyone here has also been diagnosed with DPD alongside or in place of ASPD, and is it generally the right idea that people who make the checklist for DPD but not ASPD are generally more high functioning? e.g. meeting 3/6 points for DPD being lying and deceitfulness, lack of emotional empathy and "blame shifting" while only having 2/7 of the ASPD point checklist such as deceitfulness and lack of remorse. Is it generally correct to assume that high functioning "psychopaths" or "sociopaths" which have the maturity burnout at around 18, would generally be diagnosed with DPD under the ICD standard instead of ASPD under the DSM5 standard?


r/personalitydisorders 1d ago

What Should I Do What mental disorder did my ex have?

0 Upvotes

I sometimes wonder.

Hmmm At first, it was ADHD then brain fog then derealisation then autism… I m loosing count. I started to look up on how to help him. Until he started using these as an excuse for his awful behaviour such as comparing me to 5 different girls and not putting effort in this relationship.

An example that I am still struggling to understand is that we have been fighting about this for months. He faked an entire sexual scenario with a girl that never even happened, compared me to her and made me insecure. In front of everyone, he put an act of some clueless misunderstood guy aaaha wtf. He was lying all along. Also his enabler friend says things like “it’s not that bad. Sometimes in psychology, I learn we start believing other person’s perspective and make it our reality.

He admitted to lying to his therapist about all this too….


r/personalitydisorders 2d ago

Public Figures Hi BoJack Horseman fans, what mental health issues do you think our dear BoJack Horseman has?

2 Upvotes

I've been watching the BoJack Horseman series for a few months now; I have to say it's a great pastime. I love analyzing the characters psychologically. What psychiatric disorders do you think BoJack Horseman has?


r/personalitydisorders 2d ago

Undiagnosed Helloo! Need advice about my diagnosis

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1 Upvotes

r/personalitydisorders 2d ago

Other *Mod approved* Research Study: Australian parents and carers of children experiencing suicidal thoughts and behaviours

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2 Upvotes

r/personalitydisorders 3d ago

Seeking Answers About Myself I know self-diagnosis isn't reliable, and I'm not trying to diagnose myself. I'm 18 and plan to see a psychiatrist when I can afford it. Right now, I'm just trying to understand myself and would appreciate honest feedback on what professionals might consider looking into.

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6 Upvotes

r/personalitydisorders 3d ago

Diagnosed ASPD keep forgetting set boundaries

1 Upvotes

28f diagnosed Antisocial Personality Disorder a few years back.
In a newish relationship (4 months) with 35m.
He has addressed issues he has had with things I’ve done in the relationship.

I always apologize and genuinely feel sorry but I keep forgetting to change the behavior he had a problem with.
For example he asked me to let him know if I was going out after work and I said I would but I’ve forgotten to at least twice since we talked about it.

I’m not trying to cross his boundaries because I do love him but I genuinely keep forgetting and I don’t know why.
Please help. Thanks in advance for any help.


r/personalitydisorders 4d ago

Other New and small discord for personality disorders

1 Upvotes

Hello! My friend made a discord centered around personality disorders, they have BPD and I have AvPD. We wanted to make a server where all personality disorder clusters get equal attention and we can learn more about each other

https://discord.gg/CGuHcJCYk7


r/personalitydisorders 4d ago

Other Fascinating Book About Schema Therapy For People With Personality Disorders

6 Upvotes

Dr. Jeffrey Young developed a short-term treatment for people with personality disorders. After using this approach for 15 years, he published Cognitive Therapy for Personality Disorders: A Schema-Focused Approach (1999, 3rd ed.). It includes an assessment for identifying schemas. Dr. Young completed a fellowship with Aaron Beck, the founder of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy.

Schema therapy is used for people with personality disorders. It is also a treatment for depression, anxiety disorders, substance abuse disorders, and eating disorders.

My library had a copy of this book. It's short but thought provoking.

Schemas are important beliefs and feelings about oneself and the environment which the individual accepts without question…The schema usually does not go away without therapy. Overwhelming success in people’s lives is often still not enough to change the schema.” (81)

“Because schemas are developed early in life, they often form the core of an individual’s self-concept and conception of the environment. These schemas are comfortable and familiar, and when challenged, the individual will distort information to maintain the validity of the schema.” (10) Cognitive Distortions

“We view the world through our schemas.” (80)

Schemas can be very adaptive in someone’s dysfunctional/abusive family of origin, but become self-defeating in adulthood.

“It may feel very comfortable and even reassuring to patients to hold onto the schema, regardless of its negative consequences for their lives. We sometimes compare a schema to a comfortable old shoe that is not of much use anymore but feels too comfortable to throw out.” (22)

Dr. Young helps clients to refrain from viewing childhood experiences as evidence of the validity of maladaptive schemas. “We emphasize that these parental standards do not generalize to teachers, bosses, friends, and so on…The therapist emphasizes that children are often assigned roles in a family that are not in the children’s best interest, yet may serve a psychological need for one or both of the parents.” (41)

Descriptions of all the schemas: 18 Early Schemas Defined

These are the schemas most relevant to my OCPD and childhood trauma:

Emotional Deprivation "The expectation that one’s needs for nurturance, empathy, affection, and caring will never be adequately met by others." (13)

Mistrust "The expectation that others will willfully hurt, abuse, cheat, lie, manipulate, or take advantage." (13)

Unrelenting Standards "The relentless striving to meet extremely high expectations of oneself, at the expense of happiness, pleasure, health, sense of accomplishment, or satisfying relationships." (14)

Schemas are often unconscious.

RESOURCE

Schema Therapy | Psychology Today


r/personalitydisorders 4d ago

Diagnosed always the bad guy for being mentally ill

7 Upvotes

i feel like if you tell someone about your diagnosis they will forever keep it in their pocket for the moment shit goes sideways, they genuinely think they can’t do anything wrong to you and that it’s always your fault just because you have a PD. for one it’s good to communicate that you function differently but on the other hand if they know they’ll always view it as a weapon, in all my experiences at least


r/personalitydisorders 4d ago

Public Figures I question Kanika Batra's credibility

6 Upvotes

Kanika Batra had claimed before she was a diagnosed sociopath (ASPD F2), then later changed this to psychopath in her recent posts (ASPD F1). I have a boyfriend with ASPD, and I have a significant lack of affective emotional empathy myself, but half the things she shares about her experiences as a sociopath/psychopath just feel superficial and like a media stunt. She plays into the stereotypes of sociopaths/psychopaths being heartless monsters when most ASPD's ive met are chill af

I also looked at a video of this girl who dug up dirt on Kanika's past in wanting to be a politician, and she stated she believes more people need to live by a moral compass, but now shes saying she lives by no moral compass?

Idk js feels sketchy and harmful to people with ASPD. Not everyone with ASPD is violent, most if not majority just have a hard time intergrating into social situations and impulse control, not necessarily "I'm a diagnosed sociopath, and I find genuine joy in causing chaos."
But shes made that kind of the label for ASPD idk


r/personalitydisorders 4d ago

What Should I Do [ Removed by Reddit ]

1 Upvotes

[ Removed by Reddit on account of violating the content policy. ]


r/personalitydisorders 5d ago

Undiagnosed I think I have ASPD.

3 Upvotes

I’m 18 years old and I was recently diagnosed with BPD and conduct disorder (childhood type). “why do you think you have ASPD” I don’t know this for sure but I think the signs have always been there as a child. The more I learn and the more I actually look at my behaviors all point to ASPD. I have felt empathy a basic human function one time in my life. I have always had a disregard for rules, even know I don’t really think they “rules” I have to follow. Back to the empathy thing, I know I should have compassion for people in my life but I just can’t feel it. When I was a child I tortured bugs and I killed my first pet impulsively. I essentially match all the symptom. In all seriousness I wish I was normal but I know something else is wrong and it’s not just BPD

I don’t have anyone to turn to at the moment in my life, I don’t want to be demonized. A question “I had was can a person have multiple personalities disorders at once”


r/personalitydisorders 5d ago

What Should I Do any forums/servers for mentally ill people to talk to each other?

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2 Upvotes

r/personalitydisorders 5d ago

About a Loved One What is the meaning behind OCPD tantrums and unnecessary snarky remarks? Do they really mean it?

3 Upvotes

Since the LovedbyOCPD was closed, I will ask this question here, hoping to see answers from people who are suffering from OCPD or their loved ones. I'm struggling to put up with such behaviors that start to feel like verbal abuse and aggression.


r/personalitydisorders 5d ago

Undiagnosed Stalkers - DO THEY HAVE BPD

0 Upvotes

From watching I am a stalker on Netflix I am honestly wondering what goes through their brains, is it validation like they can’t be told no, I don’t know, it’s so serious no excuse but how do they create that much fear because they are not getting what they want?

Do they misinterpret rejection as temporary or as a challenge to overcome.


r/personalitydisorders 5d ago

Diagnosed Is it normal for friend to micromanage tasks / project their OCPD anxiety through intentional behaviors

3 Upvotes

My boyfriend has a friend/roommate who typically every time we are spending time together relaxing messages him about an invisible problem with the intent of pivoting his attention to that “issue” or causing him what I feel is intentional anxiety or discomfort, due to that I perceive HE (friend) is feeling that way. I’m wondering if this is a common symptom of OCPD or something else, as a controlling behavior in seeking self-soothing from others through making them feel their own anxiety intentionally/projecting it through a means of manipulating or manufacturing a situation or problem.


r/personalitydisorders 5d ago

Seeking Treatment Therapeutic Residential Programs

1 Upvotes

My 20-year-old son has complex mental health challenges, significant social withdrawal, rigidity, and difficulty launching into adulthood. We’re considering programs such as McLean, Menninger, Skyland Trail, Cornerstone, and Path at Stone Summit. Has anyone had direct experience with these programs, especially for young adults who are intelligent and high-functioning but struggle with motivation, perspective-taking, and independent living? He had three neuropsych evaluations when he was younger, and all identified him as “mild” autism. He just had a psychological assessment and the psychologist said no to the autism diagnosis, but schizoid and anti-social personality trait’s. I do not feel confident with the personality diagnosis because it does not make sense. He is young and it’s situational for him right now. He wants to go to a therapeutic residential program and just looking to see if anybody has any knowledge about these or any other recommendations.


r/personalitydisorders 5d ago

Seeking Answers About Myself I need advice on my mental health

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1 Upvotes