Counseling/Personality Disorder Cheat Sheet

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Personality Disorder
Personality describes characteristic ways of thinking, feeling and behaving. A personality disorder describes a personality that is not necessarily disorganized, but has a way of being that is maladaptive. Personality disorders are divided into three groups or "clusters": Cluster A: is odd or eccentric personality disorders Cluster B: dramatic, emotional, or erratic personalities Cluster C: fearful and anxious personalities The diagnosis of personalitiy disorders is highly controversial due to the lack of reliability in research and replication.

(Diagnostic Criteria, Polythetic Format, Personology and Psychiatry)

Cognition

 * Interpersonal relationships
 * Impulse control
 * Affect

Characteristics of Personality Disorders

 * Inflexible traits
 * Maladaptive behavior
 * Long-standing
 * Pervasive
 * Difficult to treat
 * Ego syntonic

Types of Personality Disorders

 * Schizoid
 * Paranoid
 * Schizotypal
 * Narcissistic
 * Histrionic
 * Borderline
 * Antisocial
 * Avoidant
 * Compulsive
 * Dependent
 * Depressive
 * Negativistic

Schizoid

 * Cluster A
 * Odd beliefs and “magical thinking” that influences behavior and is inconsistent with cultural norms
 * Odd, constricted affect; inappropriate or flat affect
 * Apathetic, remote solitary, indifferent
 * Little need for attachment
 * Not aware of feelings
 * Few drives or ambitions
 * withdrawn, emotional suppression, spouses complain of lack of intimacy
 * Develop anxiety, somatoform reactions, brief reactive psychosis

Avoidant

 * Cluster C
 * Hesitant, self-conscious, embarrassed
 * Fears rejection, anxious
 * Avoids occupational activities that involve significant interpersonal contact because of fears of criticism, disapproval, rejection, etc
 * Inept, inferior, unappealing, lonely
 * Hypersensitive to evaluation
 * Profound feelings of inadequacy
 * Sensitive to signs of disapproval
 * Use fantasy as defense (if only…)
 * Risk for developing social phobia

Depressive

 * Somber, pessimistic, fatalistic, brooding
 * Valueless, guilty, impotent
 * Worthy of criticism and contempt
 * New scale, not a lot of validity
 * Gloomy, passive, quiet, pessimistic
 * Down, hard to please, defeatist
 * Difficulty expressing anger
 * High scores could be due to major depression or dysthymia

Dependent

 * Cluster C
 * Difficulty making everyday decisions without an excessive amount of advice and reassurance from other
 * Difficulty expressing disagreement or saying “no” because of fear of loss of support/approval
 * Helpless, incompetent, submissive
 * Irresponsible, weak, fragile
 * Submissive, acquiescence, concerns about being abandoned, fears of rejection, self-blame, insecure
 * Co-morbid with depression and anxiety

Histrionic

 * Cluster B
 * Uncomfortable in situations where s/he is not the center of attention
 * Dramatic, seductive, shallow
 * Interactions with others characterized by inappropriate sexual, seductive, and/or provocative behavior; very flirtatious
 * Attention seeking, exhibitionistic, “attractive”, “charming”
 * Colourful
 * Center of attention
 * Consistently uses physical appearance to draw attention to self
 * Shallow emotions

Narcissistic

 * Cluster B
 * Has a strong sense of entitlement; tend to be interpersonally exploitative or manipulative
 * Believes that s/he is special/unique and can only be understood or associate with other special or high-status people
 * Egotistical, arrogant, entitled, grandiose
 * Feelings that s/he is “Admirable”, “superior”
 * Egocentricity, independence, grandiosity, feelings of superiority
 * Self-centered, entitled, constant praise
 * Bubble bursts… prone to depression, paranoia, substance abuse

Antisocial

 * Cluster B
 * Impulsivity or failure to plan ahead
 * Deceitfulness, repeatedly lying, use of aliases or cons for personal gain
 * Impulsive, irresponsible, deviant, unruly
 * Lack of remorse, indifferent, or rationalizes behaviors
 * Non-reflective, self-serving
 * Disrespectful, free, independent
 * Motivated to avoid control and domination
 * Aggressive, hostile, reckless
 * Reckless disregard for safety of self or others
 * Competitive, blunt, intimidating
 * Prone to legal, vocation and marital difficulties

Sadistic
(Not official PD, diagnosis – PD NOS)
 * Hostile, abrasive, cruel, dogmatic
 * Explosive, intimidating, dominating
 * opinionated and close-minded
 * Dominating, mean, cruel, aggressive
 * Top Dog persona
 * Publicly “ok” – successful
 * Private “monster”
 * Type A personalities

Compulsive

 * Cluster C
 * Pervasive pattern of preoccupation with orderliness, perfectionism, mental and interpersonal control at the expense of flexibility, openness, and efficiency
 * Restrained, conscientious, respectful
 * Rigid, conventional, regulated
 * Reliable, efficient, productive
 * Organized, perfectionistic, impatient, good morals, obedient behavior, suppression of emotions
 * Overly conscientious, scrupulous, and inflexible about matters of morality, ethics, and values
 * Fears disapproval
 * Might be a style
 * NOTE: This is different from true Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder.

Negativistic

 * Resentful, skeptical, discontented
 * Resisting, inefficient
 * Angry, moody, irritable, sullen

Passive-aggressive negativistic
Not official, PD NOS
 * Twisted, conflicted personalities
 * Irritable, hostile, negativistic
 * complaining, disgruntled
 * feel unappreciated, pout
 * disillusioned
 * Vacillate from compliance to oppositional
 * predictor of loss of control over emotions
 * Indicator of serious psychiatric illness

Self-defeating (Masochistic)

 * effacing, servile, blameful
 * Defeatist, self-condemning
 * Self-sacrificing, deserve to suffer
 * Martyr-like, endures abuse
 * Look for victimization
 * Not a well-validated scale
 * Not official anymore – PD NOS

Paranoid

 * Cluster A
 * Guarded, defensive, distrustful
 * Feeling “persecuted”
 * Suspects, without a sufficient basis, that others are exploiting, harming, or deceiving him/her*Hypervigilance
 * Sensitivity
 * Rigid and argumentative
 * Annoyance with others
 * Grandiosity
 * Edgy defensiveness
 * Secretive
 * Preoccupied with unjustified doubts about the loyalty and trustworthiness of friends/associates

Schizotypal

 * Eccentric, bizarre, absent
 * Peculiar, odd, disconnected
 * Cognitive impairments
 * Self-absorbed in own thoughts
 * Ideas of reference
 * Detachment, social isolation
 * Self-conscious and anxious

Borderline

 * Cluster B
 * Borderline between merely neurotic and fully psychotic
 * Unpredictable, manipulative, unstable
 * Feelings of emptiness
 * Identity disturbance/lack of strong identity; unstable self-image or sense of self
 * Fears abandonment
 * Frantic efforts to avoid real or imagined abandonment
 * Moody, contrary
 * Unstable mood, anger, guilt, dependency seeking, Impulsive, self-damaging
 * Suicidal
 * Constantly seek approval
 * Prone to brief psychotic reactions
 * Poor sense of self and boundaries