Personality disorders are characterized by inflexible and unhealthy patterns of thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. These patterns tend to deviate from what is expected depending on the culture of the country where the person lives. Those people with these disorders often have difficulties when interacting with other people and when carrying out activities of their daily life. They generally think that their way of thinking and acting is completely normal. However, they tend to see the world in a very different way from others. Due to the above, the person sees various areas of her life altered: social, educational / professional and family. The most important aspect of treating a personality disorder is recognizing that there is a problem. As we said, people with this type of disorder believe that their personality traits are normal, so they may feel upset when someone suggests that they have a personality. In this Psychology-Online article, we will talk about personality disorders: symptoms and treatment.
In order to diagnose a personality disorderIn addition to knowing the symptoms that occur to determine the type of personality disorder, these symptoms (behaviors, feelings ...) must occur in different circumstances in the person's life and cause a significant alteration in at least two of the following areas:
- The way in which the person perceives or interprets himself and other people.
- The way in which the person relates to others.
- The adequacy of the person's emotional responses.
- Impulse control.
Treatment depends on the type and severity of the personality disorder. It can include psychotherapy and medication in combination.
Psychotherapy
In psychotherapy, the person can talk about her feelings and thoughts and acquire strategies in therapy to manage the symptoms and behaviors that interfere with her daily life.
There are many different types of psychotherapy. Some of those that are used are:
- The cognitive behavioral therapy: It is about teaching the person how to change negative thought patterns so that he can face the challenges that come his way.
- The dialectical therapy It can be done in a group or individually, it focuses on the person learning to tolerate stress and improve their relationships.
Medication
There are psychotropic drugs that can help reduce some symptoms of personality disorder:
- Antidepressants: they can improve depressed mood, impulsivity or anger.
- Stabilizersmood: reduce irritability, aggressiveness, and mood swings.
- Antipsychotics: can be beneficial for those who lose touch with reality
- Anxiolytics to reduce anxiety, agitation and insomnia.
This article is merely informative, in Psychology-Online we do not have the power to make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your particular case.
