How to LIVE with someone with a PERSONALITY DISORDER

Thanks to the change in mentality of the society in which we live, it is more common to meet people who suffer from a personality disorder. However, despite increasing awareness of the existence of these disorders, it is very difficult to find guidelines and recommendations that help us know how to act correctly with these people.

That is why, in this Psychology-Online article, we address the issue how to live with someone with a personality disorder. Where we want to introduce you to the different types of existing disorders and how to promote a proper coexistence with them. Facilitating strategies to act when their pathological behavior is present.

Index

1. What is personality disorder
2. How to treat a person with personality disorder
3. How to live with a cluster a
4. How to live with a cluster b
5. How to live with a cluster c

As we find defined in the DSM-V (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders), a personality disorder is a

There are a total of ten personality disorders specific grouped in what is known as clusters, which will be discussed later. In addition, three other non-grouped disorders are also described in the manual. These are personality change due to another medical condition, specified personality disorder, and unspecified personality disorder.

The characteristics common to all personality disorders are stable behavior patterns over time that begin in adolescence or early age and that give rise to a discomfort or deterioration in the life of the person presenting it. These characteristics are requirements for the diagnosis of a personality disorder.

Overall, we cannot give a series of specific recommendations to deal with someone who suffers from a disorder of personality since each person is completely different and can meet a series of diagnostic criteria than another not.

For this reason, we recommend informing ourselves adequately about the person's personality disorder and speaking with a specialist who can explain to us what traits he has and how we can act correctly in front of his behaviour.

It is important to know that personality disorders consist of maladaptive personality traits. That is to say, the way of thinking, feeling and behaving of people with a personality disorder is not the usual one and is very discomforting for them. In addition, the personality is stable, so that person cannot drastically change the way they function from one day to the next. Therefore, personality disorders are not cured as such. However, by psychological therapy You can understand the origin of personality traits, become aware of those that are beneficial and those that are not beneficial for yourself and for others and, thus, learn to regulate them.

Therefore, the three essential things about how to treat a person with personality disorder are:

• Understanding the disorder.
• Support for the person.
• Support for adherence to psychological treatment.

Within this first cluster we find three disorders, where the subjects tend to seem weird or eccentric. These three patterns have as a common point the mistrust from which people who suffer from it start. They tend to suffer from constant preoccupation with the world around them.

Paranoid personality disorder

The paranoid personality disorder is characterized by a pattern of distrust and suspicion that causes the intentions of others to be maliciously interpreted.

For those with paranoid personality, it is recommended explain carefully what is happening when we feel that they start to worry, since they can create conspiracy theories against them. Contrary to the other two disorders, in this one there are no delusions, that is, those issues that concern them could be totally rational and truthful.

Schizoid personality disorder

The schizoid personality disorder consists of a pattern of disconnection from social relationships and restriction of emotional expression.

The schizoid personality starts with the disadvantage that the person who suffers from the disorder is not aware of it, since it does not imply any difficulty in their day to day life. They tend to isolate themselves from everything that surrounds them to a pathological point, so it is recommended that progressively be helped to strengthen interpersonal relationships with the people around them, be they with relatives, with co-workers, etc.

Schizotypal personality disorder

Schizotypal personality disorder consists of a pattern of intense discomfort in personal relationships, perceptual distortions and behavioral eccentricities.

In schizoid personality disorder again a pattern of anosognosia is found, that is, they are not aware of the disorder they suffer from. In these cases, it is recommended that the people who live with them encourage them to see a specialist, as it is possible that they need psychiatric treatment due to the delusions that the disorder can cause.

Characteristic in this group are those subjects who usually seem dramatic, emotional, or unstable:

• Antisocial personality disorder: pattern of contempt and violation of the rights of others.
• Borderline personality disorder: pattern of instability in interpersonal relationships, self-image and affections, and a notable impulsiveness.
• Histrionic personality disorder: pattern of excessive emotionality and demand for attention.
• Narcissistic personality disorder: pattern of grandeur, need for admiration, and lack of empathy.

These people have the characteristic of being quite impulsive regardless of the consequences of your actions, so it is very important set a series of limits on their behavior. This will make you see which of your behaviors can be accepted and which cannot.

Sometimes people with cluster b personality disorder tend to react by saying hurtful comments as a way of expressing their emotions. For this reason, it is very important that these comments are not taken personally, since it is their form of expression.

Finally, you have to know that these people can reach threaten self-harm so that they are allowed to exceed the established limits when there is an act that they want to perform and it is prevented. It is recommended to call the Suicide Prevention Line or the emergency services, since it is possible that they will carry out such behavior. Here you will find more information about prevention and management of suicidal behavior.

Finally, in this group we find subjects characterized by being anxious or fearful:

• Avoidant Personality Disorder: pattern social inhibition, feelings of incompetence and hypersensitivity to negative evaluation.
• Dependent personality disorder: submissive and clingy behavior pattern related to a excessive need for care.
• TObsessive-compulsive personality disorder: pattern concern for order, perfectionism and control. Here you will find more information about the Perfectionist personality.

People included in this group tend to develop feelings of inferiority. In the first of the disorders, the person's main behavior is to avoid relating to new people. In turn, she is constantly worried about her limitations and what people around her will say about her. It is very appropriate to help them understand and manage your anxiety when they begin to have such thoughts, as well as encouraging them to create new relationships and increase their self-esteem.

A dependent personality has a constant need to be cared for by those around them. They tend to be very submissive so the people they live with tend to feel that all decisions fall on them. Since they are afraid of losing those around them, they agree to do whatever they want. asks them, so this can put their health and physical integrity at risk in some cases. People who live with them are recommended to progressively introduce responsibilities get out of what is known as their comfort zone, as well as to be encouraged to carry out some activities independently, thus fostering an increase in their confidence.

This can be a disorder that makes coexistence quite difficult, since people who suffer from it have three basic needs that need to be met throughout the day, these are: control, security and approval. They need to plan and review everything they do, and they always try to justify their behavior as a search for perfectionism. Since when these people fail to perform the actions they feel necessary, their anxiety increases, it is recommended that the people who live with them try to alleviate their anxiety. To do this, it is very positive to explain to them that nothing will happen if they do not comply with the compulsion (impulse or desire to do something) that they suffer. But always do it from understanding and without judging, since if they feel attacked it can increase their symptoms.

Finally, due to the difficulty that living with someone who suffers from a personality disorder, whatever the cluster may be, it is recommended that people go to a specialist to also be able to express their emotions since that person's disorder can also affect your emotional state.

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.

If you want to read more articles similar to How to live with someone with a personality disorder, we recommend that you enter our category of Personality.

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• Peris, L. (2016). Dual Pathology in Personality Disorders. Barcelona: EdikaMed. Recovered from http://www. edikamedformation. com / courses / 22 / pdf / personality. pdf.
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