Personality Disorders

Our personalities define who we are as individuals.

A Personality Disorder is a mental health condition that involves long-lasting, all-encompassing, disruptive patterns of thinking, behaviour, mood and relating to others. A Personality Disorder means you have a distorted perception of reality and abnormal behaviours and distress across various aspects of your life.

This could include work, relationships and social functioning. If you have a Personality Disorder, you may not recognize your troubling behaviours or the negative effect they can have on the people around you.

10 types of Personality Disorders

There are 10 common types of Personality Disorders, each with different characteristics and symptoms. We treat all these disorders at Palm Tree Clinic.

Paranoid Personality Disorder means you feel a relentless mistrust and suspicion of others without proper reason for this suspicion. If you have a Paranoid Personality Disorder you often believe others are trying to demean, harm or threaten you.

Schizoid Personality Disorder is a pattern of detachment and general disinterest in interpersonal relationships. If you have Schizoid Personality Disorder you have a limited range of emotions when interacting with others.

Schizotypal Personality Disorder means you’ll show a consistent pattern of intense discomfort with close relationships or see no need for them at all. Your relationships may be hindered by a distorted view of reality, superstitions and unusual behaviours.

Antisocial Personality Disorder, known as ASPD, means you show a lack of respect for others and don’t follow socially accepted norms or rules. Many people with ASPD break the law or cause physical or emotional harm to others around them. It’s marked by you not taking responsibility for your actions, or showing disregard for negative consequences.

Borderline Personality Disorder is difficulty with emotional regulation, resulting in low self-esteem, mood swings or impulsive behaviours. This often results in you having relationship difficulties.

Histrionic Personality Disorder means you have intense, unstable emotions and a distorted self-image. Low to no self-worth means you often depend on others' approval and show an overwhelming desire to be noticed by others. You could show dramatic or inappropriate behaviours to get attention and validation from others.

Narcissistic Personality Disorder involves a consistent pattern of perceived superiority and grandiosity. You’ll look for praise and admiration and show a lack of empathy for others. These thoughts and behaviours often stem from low self-esteem and a lack of self-confidence.

Avoidant Personality Disorder means you experience chronic feelings of inadequacy and can be highly sensitive to being negatively judged by others. While you may want to interact with others, you tend to avoid social situations as you fear being rejected.

Dependent Personality Disorder means you need constant and excessive care from someone else. You’ll be submissive and need constant reassurance. You might not be able to make decisions on your own. If you have a Dependent Personality Disorder you might become very close to another person, and always try to please them. You might show passive and clinging behaviour and fear of being apart.

Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder means you show a consistent and extreme need for orderliness, perfectionism and control. You will have no room for flexibility which ultimately slows or interferes with your ability to complete a task. Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder can interfere with your relationships.