Counseling/Personality Disorder Cheat Sheet

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withdrawn, emotional suppression, spouses complain of lack of intimacy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