Your are replying to a student’s discussion board. Please leave an academic and respectful reply.

Description

The American Psychiatric Association identifies 10 diagnosis as personality disorders that can be further divided into cluster A, B, and C categories. Cluster A personality disorders include paranoid personality disorder, schizoid personality disorder, and schizotypal personality disorder. Cluster B personality disorders include antisocial personality disorder, borderline personality disorder (BPD), histrionic personality disorder, and narcissistic personality disorder. Cluster C personality disorders include avoidant personality disorder, dependent personality disorder, and obsessive-compulsive personality disorder.  In summary, cluster A personality disorders are characterized by social withdrawal and awkwardness, cluster B personality disorders are characterized by theatrical, excessively emotional or unpredictable thinking, and cluster C personality disorders are characterized by apprehensive, fearful thinking or behavior traits (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). An individual can be diagnosed with a personality disorder if there is a prominent pattern of impairment in personality functioning and maladaptive traits (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). Characteristics for all personality disorders are listed below. It is essential to note that there is no approved pharmacological treatment for personality disorders, however comorbid symptoms such as anxiety, irritability, and depression can be treated with psychotropic medications including SSRI’s, SNRI’s, and antipsychotics. Approved treatment for personality disorders include psychotherapy, specifically cognitive behavior therapy and a specific CBT for BPD, dialectical behavior therapy (DBT). Cluster A Paranoid personality disorder: Characterized by a pattern of mistrust, and paranoia that others are deceiving. Schizoid personality disorder: Characterized by a pattern of isolation and social detachment, limited emotional expression. Schizotypal personality disorder: Characterized by a pattern of acute discomfort in intimate relationships and odd behaviors. Cluster B Antisocial personality disorder: Characterized by a pattern of no regard for rules and boundaries, ignores the rights and feelings of others.  Borderline personality disorder: Characterized by a pattern of significant impulsivity and unsteadiness accompanied by alterations in self image. Histrionic personality disorder: Characterized by a pattern of attention seeking and disproportionate emotionality. Narcissistic personality disorder: Characterized by a pattern of diminished empathy, inflated sense of self-importance and entitlement. Cluster C Avoidant personality disorder: Characterized by a pattern of severe social self-consciousness, inadequacy, and sensitivity to undesirable criticism. Dependent personality disorder: Characterized by a pattern of needy, passive, and clinging behavior, and have a fear of abandonment. Obsessive-compulsive personality disorder: Characterized by a pattern of perfectionism and control. References American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). Arlington, VA: Author.