According to the Mayo Clinic - "A personality disorder is a mental health condition where people have a lifelong pattern of seeing themselves and reacting to others in ways that cause problems. People with personality disorders often have a hard time understanding emotions and tolerating distress. And they act impulsively. This makes it hard for them to relate to others, causing serious issues, and affecting their family life, social activities, work and school performance, and overall quality of life."
Some of you may have heard of Borderline personality disorder as opposed to personality disorder. Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a type of personality disorder. Borderline personality disorder is one of the most painful mental illnesses since individuals struggling with this disorder are constantly trying to cope with volatile and overwhelming emotions.
The reason I have brought up personality disorders, is that I have personally been diagnosed with a few of them. With my regimen of counseling, medication, and other tools, I have managed to maintain a somewhat normal life. I am not saying my life is easy, it takes hard work for me to function at a higher level then I used to without assistance. The benefits are a happier relationship to those close to my heart, and the will power knowing I can overcome any I obstacle I deem worthy.
Causes
The causes for people having a personality disorder typically comes from either their genetics, meaning inherited. The other culprit is your environment, usually your childhood. For instance if you experienced neglect or abuse. It could also be a combination of both, being predisposed to certain events. Whatever the cause this can be a very serious illness and needs the immediate attention of your mental health professional or a trained doctor.
According to RTOR - "All people experience a degree of emotional turmoil and instability from time to time. For the person with BPD there is an ongoing pattern of instability that interferes with daily functioning and the ability to maintain relationships."
What does untreated BPD look like?
"If left untreated, the person suffering from BPD may find themselves involved with extravagant spending, substance abuse, binge eating, reckless driving, and indiscriminate sex," Hooper says. The reckless behavior is usually linked to the poor self-image many BPD patients struggle with.
Symptoms
For many people, they are unaware that they have a personality disorder, for the facts to them life is just this way. They may also blame other people for their predicament.
According to the Mayo Clinic, "there are many types of personality disorders, each with important differences. These disorders are organized into three groups, or clusters, with shared features and symptoms:"
The Mayo Clinic has elaborated the shared and unique symptoms of each group:
Group A personality disorders (characteristics)
Paranoid personality disorder, Schizoid personality disorder and Schizotypal personality disorder.
Group B personality disorders (charcteristics)
Borderline personality disorder, Histrionic personality disorder, Narcissistic personality disorder, and Antisocial personality disorder.
Group C personality disorders (characteristics)
Avoidant personality disorder, Dependent personality disorder, and Obsessive-compulsive personality disorder.
Each of these groups have unique and shared symptoms. For more information and a detailed list of the symptoms I recommend going to the Mayo Clinic website. You can also speak with your mental health specialist for more information about treatments and diagnosis.
Prayers,
Mandie
Stop Walking on Eggshells has already helped more than a million people with friends and family members suffering from BPD understand this difficult disorder, set boundaries, and help their loved ones stop relying on dangerous BPD behaviors. This fully revised third edition has been updated with the very latest BPD research on comorbidity, extensive new information about narcissistic personality disorder (NPD), the effectiveness of schema therapy, and coping and communication skills you can use to stabilize your relationship with the BPD or NPD sufferer in your life. This compassionate guide will enable you to:
- Make sense out of the chaos
- Stand up for yourself and assert your needs
- Defuse arguments and conflicts
- Protect yourself and others from violent behavior
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