Let's face it: your book doesn't do a very good job of explaining the personality disorders that are highlighted on page 562. For those of you with inquiring minds or those of you wondering just what the heck a personality disorder is and how it differs from other disorders, fear not - your wishes are being answered.

It is important to recognize that at one time or another most of us have shown some of the symptoms seen in the personality disorders. At some point, we've been passive, self-centered, or guilt-free. But it doesn't mean that we have the d/o. What separates us from these folk with a PD? Well:

• An individual with the d/o will consistently use the behavior in question, whereas a nondisturbed person would use it only occasionally
• An individual w/ the d/o will show a more extreme level of the behavior.
• In the disturbed individual, the behavior results in prolonged problems with functioning or happiness.

Remember from the beginning of this chapter and the beginning of my lecture - behavior exists on a continuum. There is a range of behavior that is considered "normal." When behavior falls out of that range and begins to cause personal discomfort or discomfort to others, then there could be a problem. Also, it can be a problem when "normal" behaviors appear in situations in which are inappropriate. Ex: Killing another person may be viewed as a normal response to extreme threat - self-defense. Killing a person just for fun wouldn't be smiled upon. We're all a little dependent on others from time to time. However, when this becomes pervasive and marks your entire life, you may have a problem.

So, on with the show.

• Dependent Personality D/o
• What your book says: unhealthy submissiveness and dependence on others (clinging)
• These people have an excessive need to be taken care of (and I don't mean this in the fashion of pamper-me-feed-me-grapes-and-fan-me-while-I-lay-by-the-pool).
• A behavioral example:
• A person has difficulty making decisions w/o helps, needs others to assume responsibility, has difficulty expressing disagreement, is uncomfortable when alone
• You don't have to know this for the test, but it's interesting: more women than men have this PD
• Histrionic PD
• What your book says: excessive emotion and attention-seeking behavior
• These people like to be the center of attention and often act in overly dramatic and emotional ways to attract attention.
• They often use sexuality as a way of getting attention - dress seductively, flirt a lot. But whenever things heat up, they usually don't deliver the goods, if you know what I mean.
• Also, they overestimate the intimacy in relationships.
• Ex: you may have met this person only twice, but you may trumpet her as your "dearest, best, and most intimate of friends."
• Often uses physical appearance to attract attention
• A professor told me she had a patient who would tease her big dyed red hair so big it wasn't scary. And if that wasn't enough, she's spray glitter in it to make sure everyone noticed it.
• Blanch on the Golden Girls displays some of the qualities of this disorder
• She speaks in a very dramatic way
• Likes to be the center of attention
• Her looks are very important to her
• Flirty flirty flirty
• Consequently, as you may imagine, aging can be very rough on these people - they can get very depressed over the loss of what they used to attract attention: their youthful looks L
• You don't have to know this for the test, but it's interesting: more women than men have this PD
• Narcissistic PD
• What your book says: exaggerated self-importance and desire for constant admiration
• Do I really have to go more in depth on this?
• This person believes he or she is special, requires admiration, deserves this admiration, expects special treatment, behaves arrogantly, and tends to be pretty ignorant of the concerns and feelings of others
• Despite all that - these folks are really fragile. They neeeeeed other people to tell them how great they are
• Ex: The disorder was named for Narcissus, a character in Greek mythology. He fell in love with his own reflection in a pond. He became so absorbed in himself that he spurned the love of Echo, who then went off to die alone in a cave. Does that give you a good idea about this?
• You don't have to know this for the test, but it's interesting: more men than women have this PD (all you ladies are saying "Amen!" right now)
• Antisocial PD
• See what your book says and what my notes say
• Ex: Ted Bundy! Ted, not Al! (ha ha ha)
• Obsessive Compulsive PD
• What your book says: orderliness, perfectionism, and rigid routine
• This is « « not « « the same thing as Obsessive Compulsive Disorder!!!!!!!!!!!!!
• This person is preoccupied with details, rules, lists, order, and organization. Perfectionism interferes with task completion, devotion to work precludes leisure activities and friendships. Person is overconscientious, scrupulous, and inflexible.
• Why is this different from OCD? Well, these folks lack the presence of obsessions and compulsions as they exist in OCD. There isn't some nasty, unwanted, horrible thought that causes distress and engagement in some sort of activity to neutralize that anxiety.
• Ex from the media: The husband in Sleeping With the Enemy. He did like everything in a certain order, he was very neat, very meticulous, and very controlling. He had relationship problems because of this. He was also a nasty killer, which has nothing to do with OCPD. They just threw that one in to make the movie. So, don't go thinking that OCPD = nasty killer. Nope nope nope. Not true.
• Also, the personality disorder is less disruptive to normal living
• Fear not, I will not be mega-picky about this on the test
• Schizoid PD
• What your books says: limited emotion and lack of interest in close personal relationships with others
• What else? There is a detachment from social relationships and a restricted range of emotional expression. These folks don't seem to ever be really happy or really sad either.
• This person doesn't enjoy relationships, chooses solitary activities, lacks friends, is emotionally cold and has a flat affect, is indifferent to praise and to criticism, and take little pleasure in life
• For the most part, they people are really not distressed by their personality d/o.
• How the heck is this different from schizophrenia? It's big time different. These people don't have psychotic symptoms - the delusions and hallucinations.
• You will not have a question about this on your test. I can guarantee. Aren't I nice?
• Avoidant PD
• What your book says: discomfort of social situations, fear of evaluation, timidity
• These people are very sensitive to social rejection - to the point that they will avoid relationships unless they are certain they won't be rejected
• You will not have a question about this on your test. I can guarantee. Aren't I nice?
• Borderline PD
• What your book says: extremely unstable self-image, relationships, moods, and impulses
• They folk fear abandonment. They will often say that they feel empty. They form intense but unstable relationships. They show impulsivity in spending, sex, eating, substance abuse and other behaviors. They also engage in recurrent suicidal or self-mutilating behaviors. They are very emotionally unstable.
• Interesting, but not on test: more women than men have this PD
• Paranoid PD
• What your book says: A deep distrust and suspiciousness of the motives of others. The motives of others can be seen as threatening or demeaning. They people are not psychotic!
• The person suspects that others are being deceptive, doubts the loyalty of others, doesn't confide in others, reads hidden meanings into benign events, holds grudges
• Schizotypal PD
• Social isolation, extremely odd behavior, and disturbed thought patterns, but not actively psychotic.
• These people are really into magical stuff: clairvoyance, telepathy, psychics, etc. They adopt beliefs that are odd or magical thinking. They exhibit odd behavior and have limited emotional expression.
• A friend of mine has a guy living in her basement w/ this d/o. When he's not at work, he sits in the dark down in the basement, playing Dungeons & Dragons games. He likes to play all these magic games on-line (notice that means he doesn't have to interact with others - just a computer). He has invented this elaborate story about a little race of fairy people. All the fairy people are females and talk in very high pitched, squeaky voices. When he does talk to other people, it usually has to do with someone about these magic games and the fairy people he likes to think about. He is very, very peculiar. When faced with the task of interacting with a new person, generally he quickly retreats back down to the basement, somewhat like the family cat that tends to run away when a stranger comes in the house. What's so strange about that? He's a person, not a cat.

Well, gee, that's a lot of information. I bet you're wondering just how to handle that. I expect you to have a general idea of them. Fear not, they're pretty easy to get a grip on quickly.

• Dependent - just like the name says, these folks are dependent and clingy
• Histrionic - I must be the center of attention! I am flamboyant & overly emotional - look at me!
• Narcissistic - really, do I have to explain this one again? Narcissus!
• Antisocial - good discussion in book & notes. Bundy, Dahlmer, Gacy, Bianchi.....
• Obsessive-Compulsive - must be orderly, perfect, in place. Very rigid folk.
• Schizoid - little emotion and little interest in relationships w/ other ppl
• Avoidant - the name says it all
• Borderline - very unstable emotions, relationships, self-image, etc
• Schizotypal - very odd people, also don't take much interest in relationships with others