🧩 Personality Disorders Overview

Personality disorders affect long-standing patterns of thinking, feeling, and relating to others. These patterns are persistent, often begin early in life, and can make daily life or relationships more difficult.

Personality disorders are medical conditions — not character flaws — and support can help.

❓ What Personality Disorders Are 

Personality disorders involve enduring patterns that differ from cultural expectations and cause distress or difficulty functioning.

These patterns may affect:

• How emotions are experienced and expressed
  
  

• How relationships are formed and maintained
  
  

• How situations are interpreted and responded to
  
  

Change is possible, but it usually takes time and support.

📂 Common Types of Personality Disorders 

Personality disorders are often grouped by shared features.

Some common types include:

• Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) — intense emotions, fear of abandonment
  
  

• Narcissistic Personality Disorder — difficulty with empathy, need for validation
  
  

• Avoidant Personality Disorder — fear of rejection, social inhibition
  
  

• Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder (OCPD) — rigidity, perfectionism
  
  

• Antisocial Personality Disorder — disregard for rules or others’ rights
  
  

Not everyone fits neatly into one category.

⚠️ Common Signs and Patterns 

Patterns may include:

• Strong emotional reactions
  
  

• Difficulty maintaining stable relationships
  
  

• Rigid thinking or behaviors
  
  

• Sensitivity to rejection or criticism
  
  

• Trouble adapting to change
  
  

Symptoms can vary in intensity over time.

🧠 What’s Happening in the Brain 

Personality disorders involve differences in brain systems that regulate emotion, impulse control, and social processing.

This may include:

• Heightened emotional reactivity
  
  

• Differences in stress and threat responses
  
  

• Patterns reinforced over time through experience
  
  

Brain biology and life experiences both play a role.

🩺 How Personality Disorders Are Evaluated 

Evaluation usually includes:

• Detailed clinical interviews over time
  
  

• Discussion of long-term patterns, not just current symptoms
  
  

• Screening tools and behavioral observations
  
  

Diagnosis focuses on persistence and impact, not isolated events.

💊 Common Treatment Options 

Treatment focuses on building skills and stability.

Common approaches include:

• Long-term therapy (such as DBT or CBT-based approaches)
  
  

• Skills for emotional regulation and relationships
  
  

• Medications in some cases to support mood or anxiety
  
  

Treatment is collaborative and individualized.

🛠️ What Helps Day to Day 

Helpful supports may include:

• Learning emotion-regulation skills
  
  

• Clear boundaries and routines
  
  

• Consistent therapeutic support
  
  

• Addressing co-occurring anxiety or mood symptoms
  
  

Progress is often gradual and meaningful over time.

🚨 When to Seek Immediate Help 

Seek immediate help if symptoms include:

• Thoughts of harming yourself or others
  
  

• Severe emotional distress
  
  

• Feeling unsafe or out of control
  
  

In the U.S., call or text 988 for the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.
If you are in immediate danger, call 911.

➡️ What’s Next 

Understanding personality patterns can reduce shame and support growth.

You may also want to explore:

• Mood Disorders Overview
  
  

• Trauma & PTSD Explained
  
  

• Anxiety Disorders
  
  

• Brain Networks
  
  

With support, healthier patterns can be learned and strengthened.