personality disorders

What is personality disorder?

If you are suffering from a personality disorder you are likely to differ significantly from an average person in terms of how you think, feel or relate to other people. Personality disorders typically emerge in adolescence and continue into adulthood. There are different types of personality disorder that present with different sets of symptoms. The different types of personality disorder have been grouped into three clusters, cluster A, B and C. Some of the common symptoms are listed below:

 

Cluster A

Difficulty relating to others, often there is a lack of wish to form relationships

Odd and eccentric behaviours

The types of personality disorder that fall under cluster A are paranoid, schizoid and schizotypal.

 

Cluster B

Difficulty relating to others but often there is a wish to form close relationships

Dramatic, emotional and unpredictable behaviours

The types of personality disorder that fall under cluster B are borderline, antisocial, histrionic and narcissistic.

 

Cluster C

Difficulty relating to others, often there is a wish to form close relationships

Anxious and fearful thinking and behaviour

The types of personality disorder that fall under cluster C are avoidant, dependent and obsessive-compulsive (the latter being a different diagnosis to obsessive-compulsive disorder).