Diseases associated with personality disorders. What is a personality disorder? Agoraphobia with panic disorder

Every fifteenth inhabitant of our planet suffers from a personality disorder. Moreover, he himself hardly perceives his condition as a disease that requires an appeal to specialists. He will justify all his actions and consider his behavior normal. Treatment denies, and the consequences are unpredictable.

Personality disorder: adaptation difficulties

Personality disorder is a maladaptive pattern of behavior caused by a persistent mental disorder that is not associated with a somatic or neurological disease. This pathology is difficult to correct, because the patient does not believe that he needs treatment. There is no motivation, which is a catalyst for positive changes. The individual himself does not seek to get rid of the violation and does not make good contact with psychotherapists.

Late appeal to specialists leads to the fact that the patient gets an appointment with a psychiatrist already in the stage of deep neglect of the disease. It can be difficult to relieve symptoms and cure.

The first signs of the disease are actively manifested in adolescence. Before this period, individual episodes are possible, but only after the period of puberty can we talk about the problem. Individuals with cognitive personality disorder do not understand why others talk about any of their problems. After all, they believe that behavior and actions are normal.

People with personality disorders are poorly perceived in society. They often have difficulties in personal communication. But at the same time, patients do not feel pangs of remorse and have no sympathy for others. After a certain time, their relationship with the world is built not according to the principle of personal adaptation to society, but according to the scheme, when the society is forced to accept or not accept a problematic person. The lack of motivation and desire to be treated exacerbates the problem, since not every doctor can find an approach to such a patient, relieve the symptoms of exacerbation and help get rid of the problem.

Specific personality disorders

In Soviet times, overly emotional individuals were often called psychopaths. Such a characterization and classification was not inherent in Western psychiatry. Psychopathy is a serious behavioral disorder, in which, against the background of underdevelopment of a number of personality traits, one clearly dominates. This includes a number of deviations.

Types of personality disorders:

• Paranoid - the patient is dominated by overvalued ideas. He attaches special importance to his personality. But he treats others with hostility, suspecting them of malicious intent. A person with a pathology does not recognize its presence. When relatives or friends pay attention to a cognitive deviation and try to take him to a specialist, he will assure that everything is in order with him and deny the existence of a problem. Very sensitive to criticism.
• Schizoid - this diagnosis is characterized by introversion, isolation, a decrease in interest in life's things. The patient does not perceive the accepted norms of social behavior, often behaves eccentrically. Schizoid personality disorders are associated with a great passion for some kind of activity in which the individual succeeds. For example, he may be pathologically addicted to various health systems, to the point of attracting other people to his interests. Experts believe that in this way a certain asociality is replaced. Also, such patients may have problems with alcohol, drugs or other types of addiction.
• Dissocial - a characteristic feature of such a personality disorder is the defiant cognitive behavior of the patient in order to obtain the desired. With all this, such patients are able to win over people, including doctors. This type is especially pronounced in late adolescence.
• Hysterical - the main goal of such patients is to draw attention to their person in any way, including defiant behavior. The diagnosis is more typical for women. Atypical capriciousness, inconstancy of desires, extravagance, deceit are observed. In order to attract attention, the patient invents non-existent diseases for himself, the symptoms of which can be given out by the autonomic system and which is difficult to remove.
• Obsessive-compulsive - patients with this type of personality disorder pathologically strive for order and perfection. They have no sense of humor, they try to be perfect in everything. When the set ideal goals are not achieved, they can fall into depressive states.
• Anxious - such a personality disorder is characterized by the cultivation of a personal inferiority complex. Patients are in a state of perpetual anxiety and uncertainty. From childhood, such patients are shy and timid. Often suspect others of hostility. They are prone to depression.
• Narcissistic - a deviation in which a person manifests narcissism from childhood, a desire to be constantly admired. Such a patient does not accept criticism: he reacts to it either with resentment or with aggression. Indifferent to the feelings of other people, prone to exploiting them to achieve their own goals.

Different forms of psychopathy require an individual approach to treatment. Personality disorders should not be confused with character accentuation. In the latter case, a person also has behavioral characteristics, but they lie within upper bound norms. In addition, it is adapted to social conditions. The classification of classical psychopathy is inappropriate here. Diagnosis and types are different.

Causes that cause personality and behavioral disorders

All specific personality disorders are usually divided into three clusters. Their classification:

• types of psychopathy cluster A: paranoid and schizoid;
• Cluster B psychopathy: hysterical, asocial, narcissistic;
• types of psychopathy cluster B: obsessive-compulsive, depressive.

The causes of cluster A psychopathy are considered to be genetic and hereditary. The fact is that among the relatives of patients who have a personality disorder, as a rule, there is at least one with schizophrenia.

A hereditary predisposition to pathologies can also be traced in cluster B and C psychopathy. The first option can also be aggravated by problems with alcohol: in families of people who drink, children often develop with disorders.

There is a version that cognitive specific personality disorders may be associated with hormonal disorders in the body. If a person has elevated levels of testosterone, estrone and estradiol, the consequences of this are manifested in the form of aggression. In addition, he does not produce enough endorphins, which, in turn, leads to depressive disorders.

The social factor also plays an important role in the formation of the psychotype. For active children, space is important. If they are forced to be brought up in a closed space, small areas, this leads to the appearance of hyperactivity. Anxious babies from birth can become balanced if they are raised by emotionally stable parents. A calm mother can help a child become confident, and an anxious one can not remove, but increase his personal anxiety state.

Character traits become noticeable already in early childhood. In adolescence, they can already develop as a personality disorder. Cognitive impairment is manifested in a decrease in memory, increased fatigue. Pathologies nervous system are observed more often in persons of an asocial temperament.

Mixed personality disorder

This type of psychopathy has been studied less than others. The classification has no special criteria. The patient manifests forms of one or the other type of disorders that are not persistent. Therefore, this type of disorder is also called mosaic psychopathy. But it is also difficult for a person with a mixed type of disorder to get along in society because of the peculiarities of their behavior.

Instability of character is often the basis that contributes to the development different types dependencies. Mixed personality disorder may be accompanied by alcoholism, drug addiction, gambling addiction.

Mosaic psychopathy can combine symptoms of the schizoid and paranoid types. Such people do not know how to build social contacts in society, they are obsessed with overvalued ideas. With the predominance of paranoid symptoms, patients suffer from increased suspicion. They are prone to scandals, threats, like to write angry complaints about everyone and everything.

Specialists are alarmed if signs (classification) of several disorders coexist in one patient: schizoid, hysterical, asthenic, excitable. In this case, there is a high risk of developing schizophrenia.

Brain injuries or complications after a number of diseases can lead to mosaic types of pathology. This mixed personality disorder is considered acquired. If we consider the situation in detail, it will look like this: a person already has an innate tendency to mosaic psychopathy, which, due to certain circumstances, is superimposed by organic pathology.

Mosaic disorder requires specific treatment only when symptoms worsen, or if there is organic build-up. Then neuroleptics, tranquilizers, vitamins can be prescribed by a specialist.

Infantile personality disorder

With this type of psychopathy, signs of social immaturity are pronounced. A person is not able to withstand stressful situations and relieve tension. In difficult circumstances, he does not control his emotions in the same way as children do. Infantile personality disorders for the first time clearly declare themselves in adolescence. Hormonal storms that occur at this time with a person cause changes in the psycho-emotional sphere. As you get older, the diagnosis can only progress. It is possible to finally talk about the presence of the disease only after reaching 16-17 years. In stressful circumstances, the patient manifests himself immature, poorly controls aggression, anxiety, fear. Such a person is not hired for military service, they are denied employment in law enforcement agencies. Permits to carry weapons or obtain a driver's license are decided on a limited and strictly case-by-case basis, according to an assessment of signs and condition.

transient personality disorder

This diagnosis refers to borderline conditions, when the symptoms of deviation are difficult to attribute to any type of personality disorder. The main causes of psychopathy are long-term stressful situations.


AT modern world a person is surrounded by many unfavorable factors: troubles at work, military operations, difficult family circumstances, financial failures, moving ... All this disrupts the usual way of life and unbalances. If such circumstances last too long, the human psyche does not always have a reserve to survive and overcome them.

Transient personality disorder has its own characteristics:

• disorientation;
• hallucinations;
• rave;
• inhibition of verbal and motor functions.

Even one of the symptoms may already signal a disorder. This diagnosis is special in that the disease does not last too long: sometimes only a day, and sometimes a month. It suddenly arises and just as it passes. Sometimes a person can go to sleep with a disturbance, and get up in a normal emotional state with residual effects in the form of increased anxiety or sleep disturbances. With each new stress, a spontaneous return of pathology is possible.

Such a diagnosis does not pass without a trace. In the event that there are signs of delirium or hallucinations, such a person requires special treatment, because his condition can also threaten those around him. In the period between exacerbations, the patient experiences emotional burnout, in which nerve cells are also destroyed. Therefore, even for preventive purposes, it is recommended to take vitamins and herbal remedies.

As historical examples show, partial transient personality disorder is not a benign condition. Many of the famous serial killers and maniacs had this diagnosis. They led a normal life, had families, work, but during the period of exacerbations they committed crimes. When Western experts studied the brains of executed criminals, they did not find significant changes in it. All its parts corresponded to the norm of a healthy person. And only stressful conditions could lead to the appearance of signs of a personality disorder, which entailed antisocial acts. Perhaps, if during the period when the first signs of the disease appeared, there would have been a person nearby who noticed this and helped to contact a specialist, such consequences could have been avoided. Being face-to-face with continuous stressful situations, the psyche simply could not stand it. The mechanism of the development of the disease was launched.

Treatment for personality disorders

When a person is diagnosed with psychopathy, he rarely agrees with him. The peculiarity of this disease is that the patient does not see problems in himself, but looks for them in others. Treatment in this case is always difficult. According to statistics, only one in five of them agree to accept help.

Treatment of psychopathy is carried out individually. It includes sessions of psychotherapy and, if necessary, the use of drugs. In difficult cases, when the antisocial behavior of the patient poses a threat to others, treatment can be carried out in a hospital.

Disputes among specialists are caused by the treatment of borderline conditions. Some believe that the patient needs help only during exacerbations, while others insist on constant support. In any case, the treatment of psychopathy has been going on for many years. With the patient's tendency to impulsive acts that can threaten life and health, psychotropic drugs are connected.

Over the past decades, psychiatrists have been trying to classify personality disorders, which are a persistent lack of human adaptive functions. The most complete picture was presented in the DSM-5, the American manual for diagnostics and statistical accounting. mental disorders. However, many questions about personality disorders remain unanswered. How many personality disorders are there? How different are they from each other? How long do symptoms of a disorder need to be present before a diagnosis can be made? And most importantly: are personality disorders treatable?

Narcissistic, antisocial, borderline personality disorder - these psychological terms are familiar to many of us due to their active use in books, films and TV shows. Thus, it can be said that personality disorders are becoming part of the culture.

However, psychiatrists and psychologists still cannot say with certainty whether personality disorders are separate diseases or whether they are all manifestations of the same mental process.

Professor Sylvia Wilson of the University of Minnesota used interpersonal theory to identify interpersonal communication styles in a given personality disorder. Communication style is determined individual approach person to the situation of communication with another person and to relationships in general. Communication style includes the emotions that a person experiences when communicating with other people, the goals of communication, and how a person perceives and interprets communication with other people and their behavior.

A person's communication style is usually clear at the first meeting: he may seem friendly and open, or, conversely, aggressive, suspicious and cold. The idea of ​​comparing the communication style of an individual and a personality disorder is quite natural, because it is in the course of communication with other people that a mental disorder manifests itself most clearly.

Psychological theories of interpersonal communication of the mid-20th century say: "All communication reflects an attempt by a person to establish and maintain self-esteem, avoiding anxiety." It turns out that in any relationship a person strives to feel comfortable. Recognition of one's own weakness entails a feeling of anxiety. Based on this theory, the purpose of communication for a person is to obtain external approval and confirmation of one's own significance.

Using the theory of interpersonal communication, Wilson and colleagues proposed a gradation of human behavior in the process of interacting with other people (from dominance to submission) and a gradation of emotional participation in the process of communication (from warm to cold style of communication).

During the study, Wilson and colleagues evaluated more than 4,800 questionnaires of people with borderline disorder, containing answers to questions about interpersonal relationships. The authors conducted 120 separate analyzes of interpersonal communication in various contexts: family, friendship, parent-child and romantic. The gender, age and mental disorder of the individual (clinical or non-clinical case) were taken into account. The authors were able to identify the main features of interpersonal communication for each of the 10 personality disorders.

The results of the study are useful not only for classification, but also for understanding how people with a particular personality disorder approach relationships. Understanding this allows those who are in relationships with people suffering from this or that disorder to better understand their partners.

Consider the difference between communicating with a person with a particular personality disorder.

Paranoid. People with this disorder are usually pathologically suspicious, vengeful, and cold. Sometimes they show persistence and climb into other people's business.

Schizoid. Coldness coupled with avoidance of social contact are the main features of schizoid disorder. Such people are usually extremely closed, they make contact only when necessary. People with this disorder are generally not inclined to exploit other people.

Schizotypal. People with schizotypal personality disorder usually combine features of the two previous personality disorders. They are vindictive, cold, extremely difficult to make contact. This disorder is characterized by strange, eccentric and socially frowned upon behavior.

Dissocial. This personality disorder is characterized by aggressiveness, vindictiveness, impulsiveness, and an inability to form close relationships. In another way, antisocial disorder is called psychopathy.

Border. People with this disorder are very vindictive, they are accustomed to blaming others for their own problems. One of the features of this disorder is the habit of interfering in the affairs of other people. In dealing with such people, you will often feel that they violate the boundaries of what is permitted.

Histrionic. This disorder is extremely rare. People with histrionic disorder are hysterical, they seek to establish power and dominance. They completely do not notice the boundaries in communication with others and are very surprised if someone refuses to obey them.

Narcissistic. People with this disorder are convinced of their own uniqueness and superiority over others. Behaviorally, narcissistic disorder is very similar to antisocial personality disorder. He is also characterized by dominance, vindictiveness and coldness.

Avoidant. This disorder is characterized by social isolation, excessive anxiety, excessive dependence on the opinions of others. People with this disorder do not have a desire for power. They prefer loneliness, closeness and contact with other people only when necessary.

Dependent. People with a dependent disorder are in dire need of care and attention, which they constantly try to get from other people. They are characterized by submission and at the same time the desire to manipulate others. Not having achieved what they want, they begin to take revenge on their offender.

Obsessive-compulsive. Excessive perfectionism, rigidity, restraint in terms of expressing emotions are the main features of people with obsessive-compulsive personality disorder. Of course, this set of qualities provokes problems at work and in personal life, but people with this disorder more often than others achieve a high social status and material well-being. People with this disorder tend to pay too much attention to one side of life to the detriment of the other. Usually they devote themselves entirely to work, forgetting about the family. It is worth noting that this disorder is almost imperceptible in communication with a person, so it is not easy to diagnose it.

Summing up the above, the authors of the study conclude that personality disorders are always associated with dysfunctional patterns of behavior and communication. All of the above disorders to some extent affect relationships with other people. First of all, this influence extends to family relationships.

A better understanding of people with a personality disorder leads to more supportive relationships with them. You don't need to be a practicing psychiatrist to figure out the basic patterns of people's behavior in everyday life. By communicating with a person, you can understand what kind of disorder he suffers, and show empathy, while maintaining a realistic view of the situation.

Original article: American Psychiatric Association (2013). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders- Revised (DSM-5). Washington DC:Author

Translation: Eliseeva Margarita Igorevna

Editor: Vyacheslav Simonov

Keywords: personality disorder, mental disorder, psychological health

personality and behavior, which, unlike neurotic disorders, are not painful for a person, do not cause any autonomic disorders and are accepted as their own characteristics.

Specific personality disorders

Psychopathy(from the Greek psyche - soul and pathos - suffering) - a congenital or developed in the early years an anomaly of the personality, causing the mental inferiority of the individual.

Each person has some personality accentuations (character traits, etc.), and this is normal. But when these features cause a violation of adaptation to a wide range of personal and social situations - this is a pathology.

The characterological feature of a psychopathic personality is the disharmony of its emotional-volitional sphere, with the relative safety of the intellect. Psychopathic personality traits make it difficult for her social adaptation, and under psychotraumatic circumstances lead to maladaptive behavioral acts.

Psychopaths do not have irreversible personality defects. Under favorable environmental conditions, their mental anomalies are smoothed out. However, in all mentally difficult conditions for them, a breakdown reaction, behavioral maladaptation is inevitable. Among violent offenders, psychopaths occupy a leading position. Psychopaths are characterized by immaturity of the psyche, manifested in increased suggestibility, a tendency to exaggeration, unreasonable suspiciousness.

paranoid personality disorder

1) Increased conceit (grandiosity);
2) Suspicion;
3) Propensity to form overvalued ideas, fanaticism;
4) Over-sensitivity to failures and rejections;
5) The tendency to constantly be dissatisfied with someone;
6) Constant attribution of what is happening to your account;
7) Militantly scrupulous attitude to issues related to the rights of the individual, which does not correspond to the actual situation;
8) rancor;
9) Deceit.

Schizoid personality disorder

1) Closure, autism, preference for solitary activities;
2) Emotional coldness, alienated or flattened affectivity;
3) Heightened preoccupation with fantasy and introspection;
4) Preoccupation with intellectual processes, passion for the computer.

antisocial personality disorder

1) Indifference to the feelings of others;
2) Neglect of social rules and duties;
3) Failure to maintain relationships;
4) Lack of attachment even to close people;
5) Tendency to alcoholism, drug addiction, theft, etc.;
6) Constant irritability, low threshold of aggression.

Emotionally unstable personality disorder (explosive, excitable, aggressive)

There are two varieties: impulsive type, borderline type. The boundaries between them are erased.
1) Impulsivity in behavior. Planning ability is minimal;
2) Emotional instability;
3) Lack of self-control;
4) Outbursts of cruelty and threatening behavior in response to the condemnation of others;
5) Intentions and internal preferences (including sexual ones) are often misunderstood or violated. Chronic feeling of emptiness.

Histrionic Personality Disorder (histrionic)

1) The desire to be in the center of attention, recognition from others;
2) Theatricality in behavior, exaggerated expression of emotions;
3) Superficiality and lability of emotionality;
4) Suggestibility, susceptibility to the influence of others, a tendency to imitate;
5) Inadequate seductiveness during appearance and behavior;
6) Excessive preoccupation with physical attractiveness associated with the desire to attract attention.

Anancastic personality disorder (obsessive-compulsive)

1) Excessive tendency to doubt and caution;
2) Preoccupation with details, rules, lists, procedures, organization, or schedules;
3) Excessive preoccupation with work, conscientiousness, scrupulousness;
4) Increased pedantry, perfectionism and adherence to social conventions;
5) Conservatism in matters of morality and ethics;
6) Inability to relax, avoidance of entertainment;
7) Rigidity and stubbornness;
8) The appearance of persistent and unwanted thoughts and desires;
9) Lack of emotion.

Anxious personality disorder (avoidant, avoidant)

1) Constant anxiety;
2) Tendency to self-doubt;
3) Low self-esteem. Ideas about their social incapacity, personal unattractiveness;
4) Avoidance of interpersonal contacts due to fear of criticism, disapproval or rejection .;
5) Limited lifestyle due to the need for physical security;
6) Increased concern for loved ones.

Dependent personality type disorder (asthenic, passive)

1) The tendency to shift responsibility to others;
2) Subordination of one's needs to the needs of other people on whom the individual depends;
3) Difficulty in expressing independent views;
4) Fear of loneliness Inability to live independently;
5) Difficulty in making day to day decisions on the advice of others.

Disorders of habits and drives

Behavioral disorders characterized by repetitive behaviors without a clear rationalization of motivation that are generally contrary to the interests of the patient and others. The person reports that this behavior is caused by urges that cannot be controlled. The reasons for these conditions are not clear.

Pathological attraction to gambling (gambling)

This disorder consists in frequent repeated episodes of participation in gambling, which dominate the life of the subject and lead to a decrease in social, professional, material and family values.

Pathological attraction to arson (pyromania)

This disorder is characterized by multiple acts or attempts to set fire to property or other objects without obvious motives, as well as thinking about objects related to fire and burning. There may be an abnormal interest in firefighting vehicles and equipment, in other items related to fire and in calling the fire brigade.

Pathological attraction to theft (kleptomania)

In this case, a person periodically experiences an attraction to stealing objects, which is not associated with a personal need for them or material gain. Items may be discarded, thrown away, or kept in reserve.

Trichotillomania

Inclination to pull out hair and noticeable loss of hair. Hair pulling is usually preceded by increasing tension, followed by a sense of relief and satisfaction.

Gender identity disorders

Transsexualism

Feeling of belonging to the opposite sex. A desire to live and be accepted as a person of the opposite sex, usually combined with a feeling of inadequacy or discomfort with one's anatomical sex and a desire to receive hormonal and surgical treatment in order to make one's body as conformable as possible to the chosen sex.

Transvestism

Wearing clothes of the opposite sex as part of a lifestyle to enjoy the temporary feeling of belonging to the opposite sex, but without the slightest desire for a more permanent change of sex or the associated surgical change. Cross-dressing is not accompanied by sexual arousal, which distinguishes this disorder from fetishistic transvestism.

Disorders of sexual preference

Homosexuality

Sexual preference for members of the same sex.

Fetishism

The use of any inanimate object as a stimulus for sexual arousal and sexual gratification.

Fetish transvestism

Wearing clothes of the opposite sex mainly to achieve sexual arousal.

Exhibitionism

An occasional or persistent tendency to expose one's own genitals to strangers (usually members of the opposite sex) or in public places, without the offer or intention of closer contact. There is usually, but not always, sexual arousal during the demonstration, often accompanied by masturbation. This tendency may only manifest itself during periods of emotional stress or crisis, punctuated by long periods without such behavior.

voyeurism

An occasional or constant tendency to observe people having sex or "intimate activities" such as stripping. This usually results in sexual arousal and masturbation and is carried out in secret from the observed person.

Pedophilia

Sexual preference for children is usually prepubertal or early puberty. Some pedophiles are only attracted to girls, others only to boys, and still others are interested in children of both sexes.

Sadomasochism

Preference for sexual activity that involves inflicting pain or humiliation. If an individual chooses to be subjected to this kind of stimulation, this is called masochism; if he prefers to be its source, sadism. Often the individual derives sexual satisfaction from both sadistic and masochistic activities.

Abuse of non-addictive substances

This can include a wide variety of medicines, over-the-counter drugs and folk remedies treatment. Although a drug may be prescribed or recommended for the first time by a healthcare professional, it is then taken on a long-term basis, unnecessarily and often in higher dosages, facilitated by the availability of the substance without a medical prescription. Although it is usually clear that the patient is strongly motivated to take the substance, dependence or withdrawal symptoms do not develop, which distinguishes these cases from substance use.

The most common misuse of antidepressants, analgesics, antacids, herbs and drugs traditional medicine, steroid or other hormones, vitamins, laxatives.

Personality disorders are a range of mental disorders that are accompanied by disturbances in consciousness, feelings, thoughts and actions. Previously, such a deviation was called constitutional psychopathy.

general information

A person with a personality disorder has a complete change in behavior. In social circles, behavior may differ from the generally accepted and "normal". This type of psychopathy is accompanied by the destruction of consciousness. Every person has a different disorder. More "light" forms only distort the idea of ​​the world and people, and the severe course of psychopathy leads to antisocial behavior and uncontrollability of one's actions. The symptoms of the disorder are as follows:

Causes

Personality disorder most often manifests itself in adolescents. In this case, the disease progresses and worsens the condition of a person at a more mature age.

According to the WHO (World Health Organization, marking F60-F69), every 20th person suffers from constitutional psychopathy.

As a rule, chronic and severe forms appear quite rarely.

The following aspects influence the development of the disorder:

Are personality disorders treatable?

It is impossible to answer this question unambiguously. To do this, you need to study 3 types of personality disorder. Their treatment is prescribed individually, based on the degree and type of disease:

A personality disorder is treated if a mental disorder has been detected on early stage. As a rule, many are embarrassed or afraid to visit a psychotherapist who would help fight internal "demons".

In 80% of cases, psychopathy ends with serious complications, which are accompanied by inappropriate behavior, communication problems. It all depends on the type and type of disorder. If there is a genetic predisposition, then the treatment will be difficult, long and ineffective. If psychopathy is acquired, then with the help of regular psychological assistance, attendance at trainings and the use of medications, a person will be able to lead a full-fledged lifestyle.

What is avoidant personality disorder?

AT clinical psychology this type of psychopathy is called anxious or avoidant. Most often occurs in adolescents and young people aged 16 to 25 years. The reason is indifference, aggression, violence from parents, guardians and peers.

Manifestations of anxiety disorder:

This type of psychopathy is a serious disorder that is rarely evaluated and treated. Deviation can only be detected in a clinical setting.

Diagnosis of psychopathy

Only a psychiatrist can make a clinical diagnosis and prescribe treatment. If the cause of a personality disorder is a head injury or neoplasm on soft tissues, then the patient is referred to a neurologist and surgeon, as well as to take an anamnesis: X-ray examination, MRI and CT.

In which cases diagnostics is needed are listed below:

Before making a diagnosis, a psychiatrist conducts dozens of tests and observes the patient. At this point, it is very important to be open and open about your past, especially if the issues involve relationships with parents and peers.

Treatment for a personality disorder

Two techniques are used to cure personality disorder. Treatment methods consist of medications and psychotherapy.

Treatment with medications is prescribed if psychological assistance does not help. Indications for use: depression, anxiety and paranoia. As a rule, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI labeling), anticonvulsants and sedatives are used. For example, the most effective antidepressant is Amitriptyline. It not only reduces anxiety, but also acts on the central nervous system as an antiserotonin drug. Antipsychotics include Haloperidol, Aminazine, Olanzapine and Rispolept.

Antipsychotics are psychotropic drugs that help with hallucinatory, paranoid, and delusional disorders. Antipsychotics are prescribed for the treatment of severe forms of personality disorder, which are accompanied by depression, manic excitations. The most powerful drugs are determined by the amount of the substance chlorpromazine and its antipsychotic action. The weakest are estimated at 1.0 coefficient, the strongest reach 75.0.

It is a proven fact that medications do not cure the root cause, but only muffle and calm the emotional state.

Also medicines designed to relieve painful symptoms (anxiety, apathy, anger). The work of a psychiatrist is to analyze the patient and draw up an overall picture.

In order for the treatment to be effective, rules are introduced. For example, control aggression or anger, change thinking and attitude to life. With a personality disorder, individual therapy is recommended first so that the specialist gains confidence in the patient. Then there are group sessions. On average, psychotherapy takes 2-4 years.

If mental health problems are ignored, it can lead to the development of new mental illnesses. Against the background of constitutional psychopathy, schizophrenia appears, paranoid, expansive and fanatical personalities develop, as well as psychosis, delusional disorder and Asperger's syndrome. It is important to remember that with a personality disorder, one cannot self-medicate, ignore warning signs and avoid the help of specialists.

Personality disorders, as a rule, occur in adolescents and actively develop to full mental maturity, often integrating into an established psychotype of a person. Professionals say that it is possible to make the above diagnosis only from the age of fifteen or sixteen: before that, mental features often associated with active physiological changes in the body.

Previously, personality disorder was not singled out as a special type of mental abnormality and attributed to classical psychopathy resulting from underdevelopment of the nervous system due to a number of factors (trauma, heredity, harmful environment, etc.).

This condition can lead to - from birth trauma and genetic predispositions to violence in various forms and certain life situations.

Quite often, personality disorder is confused with impaired perception, psychoses and the influence of various diseases, however, these conditions differ in complex clinical symptoms, qualitative and quantitative features of the psychiatric disorder,

Symptoms of disorders by type

Each type of disorder has its own symptoms:

Passive-aggressive

Patients are irritable, envious, rather vicious, threaten to commit suicide, but usually do not do it. The condition is aggravated by constant depression on the background of alcoholism, as well as various somatic disorders.

Narcissistic

There is a significant exaggeration of one's own talents and virtues, multiple fantasies on a variety of topics. They love to be admired, envious of successful people around them, and demand unwavering obedience to their own demands.

dependent

People with this syndrome often have very low self-esteem, they show self-doubt, try to avoid responsibility. In this case, the fundamental difficulties in making important decisions are considered a special problem; people with such a personality disorder easily endure insults and humiliation, and are afraid of loneliness.

alarming

Manifested in fear of a variety of environmental factors. They are afraid to speak in public, have a number of social phobias, are very sensitive to criticism, and require constant support and approval from society.

Anancaste

Excessive shyness, impressionability, self-doubt and self-doubt are observed. Such patients are often overcome by doubts, they are afraid of responsible work, sometimes they are overcome by obsessive thoughts.

histrionic

They crave constant attention, are very impulsive up to hysteria. Extremely volatile mood often change. People try to stand out in the most extravagant way, often lie and invent various stories about themselves in order to achieve more significance in society. Often in public they behave openly and friendly, but in families they are tyrants.

Emotionally unstable

They are very excitable, they respond to any events very violently, openly expressing anger, discontent, irritation. Their outbursts of anger often lead to outright violence if met with resistance/criticism from other people. Their mood is very changeable, unpredictable, there is a great tendency to impulsive actions.

dissocial

A tendency to ill-considered and impulsive actions, ignoring moral norms, indifference and aversion to duties. Such people do not regret their actions, often lie, manipulate others, while they do not have anxiety and depression.

Schizoid personality disorder

Such people strive for an isolated life activity, they do not want close relationships and ordinary contacts with others. Patients are indifferent to praise or criticism, show very little interest in sexual relations, but they often become attached to animals. The predetermining factor is the maximum possible isolation from the surrounding society.

paranoid

They almost always experience unfounded suspicions about deception, use or other actions on the part of society. Patients are not able to forgive other people, they believe that they are always right and understand only the authority of strength and power. In extreme forms, they can be dangerous, especially if they intend to persecute or take revenge on their imaginary enemies and offenders.

Diagnostics

All the main criteria by which personality disorders can be correctly diagnosed are contained in the international classification of diseases of the latest edition (ICD-10).

In particular, conditions that cannot be explained by brain diseases or extensive brain damage, as well as known mental disorders, become decisive.

1. The chronic nature of altered behavior that arose over a long period of time and is not related to the etymology of episodes of mental illness.
2. The style of altered behavior systematically disrupts adaptation to life or social situations.
3. Disharmony with behavior and own positions is revealed, manifested in deviations from the norm in perception, thinking, communication with other people. Lack of impulse control, affectivity, and frequent excitability/retardation are also diagnosed.
4. As a rule, the disorder described above is accompanied by a partial or complete loss of productivity in society or work.
5. The above manifestations occur in childhood as well as in adolescents.
6. The condition leads to large-scale distress, which manifests itself in the later stages of the development of the problem.

If at least three of the above signs are found in a patient who has been given a potential diagnosis of "Personality Disorder", then the likelihood of its correct formulation after receiving, if necessary, additional tests, is considered proven.

Personality Disorder Treatment

It should be understood that personality disorders are a rather severe mental disorder, so any treatment is mainly aimed not at changing the personality structure, but at neutralizing the negative manifestations of the syndrome and partially compensating for normal mental functions. AT modern medicine two main approaches are used.

Psychological-social therapy

In particular, these are individual, group, family therapies conducted by experienced neuropsychotherapists, psychological education, as well as treatment by the environment and exercises in special self-help groups.

Medical therapy

Recent studies show that the popular classic method of dealing with personality disorder is ineffective, so even in the FDA recommendations you will not find guidance on drug treatment. Some experts recommend using antipsychotics and antidepressants in this case, usually in small doses. Antipsychotics and benzodiazepines are widely used, mainly to suppress attacks of aggression, but their constant use can cause worsening of depressive states, drug dependence, and even the opposite effect of arousal.

In any case, it is simply impossible to treat or alleviate the symptoms of a personality disorder on your own. We recommend that you contact several independent experts at once in this matter, carefully weigh their suggestions and recommendations, and only after that make a decision, especially when it comes to taking certain groups of drugs on an ongoing basis or revolutionary methods of dubious unverified origin.

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