What are personality disorders?
Personality disorders are names given to explain and categorise
patterns of thought, behaviours and feelings. Personality disorders
usually cause a great deal of distress to the individual and others
around them because they affect a person's ability to function
normally.
Personality disorders are chronic, which means they usually
start in childhood and continue throughout a person's life. These
problems affect many aspects of the person's life including work,
play and relationships with themselves and others. However, this
does not mean every part of their life is bad, or unhappy, just
that their thoughts, feelings and behaviours may influence the way
they think, feel and experience things.
What are the different types of personality disorders,
and how are they classified?
There are 10 personality disorders that are divided into three
clusters. Cluster A is signified by odd or eccentric behaviour and
includes paranoid, schizoid, and schizotypal personality disorders.
Cluster B is determined by dramatic, emotional or erratic behaviour
and involves antisocial, borderline, histrionic, and narcissistic
personality disorders. Cluster C is classified as anxious or
fearful behaviours and includes avoidant, dependent and
obsessive-compulsive personality disorders.