Personality Disorders

The Varieties of Personality Styles

Psychologists have found that people often have individual styles of thinking about themselves and relating to others. These are sometimes referred to as “personality disorders”. Another way of thinking of this is that they simply reflect the wide variation of how we experience the world. However, your habitual style of thinking of yourself or relating to others may make you vulnerable to problems in your life. Personality styles might lead to repetitive problems in your life–problems not helped by medication. Your cognitive therapist can help you identify your particular pattern, trace its history to your experiences growing up, review how these patterns may have kept you from achieving greater fulfillment in your life, and help you develop new ways of thinking and behaving. Let’s take a look at some typical patterns.

• Avoidant — Sensitive: People with this style often have low self esteem and are sensitive to criticism. They can form relationships with people and open up with them—once they have established that they can trust them.
• Dependent — Devoted: People with this style will often cling in relationships and do a lot to keep the relationship going. They are concerned about being abandoned and left alone. They often feel that they cannot function without someone else in their lives—often someone that they feel will take care of them. They can be very devoted and loyal.
• Passive Aggressive — Leisurely: These people  have mixed feelings about going along with things. They may say that they will do something, but they often don’t follow through. They appear to have a casual attitude about deadlines and rules.
• Compulsive — Conscientious: These people are highly devoted to work and productivity. They often make lists, keep a tight schedule and have high standards for themselves and other people. They are often viewed as reliable and honest, but sometimes they can be seen as overly devoted to work. Some of these people hoard things because they believe that they might have some use in the future.
• Anti-Social — Adventurous: These people like excitement and taking risks. They often believe that the rules do not apply to them and they may break the rules just to get what they want. They seek out wild times and can sometimes seem charming and fun to be with. They seem not to care about the rights and needs of other people.
• Narcissistic — Self-Confident: These people believe that they are superior to other people and deserve special attention and admiration. They often can be insensitive to other people—sometimes they are unable to understand how they can offend people. Because they often have a lot of confidence they may be able to achieve things, although their confidence may not be based on reality.
• Histrionic — Dramatic: These people are very dramatic and try to impress people with their glamour and personality.  They can seem very emotional—which can add to how interesting and exciting they may be. They have a lot of imagination and energy and often focus on their appearance—they try to be sexually attractive and seductive.