While depression and anxiety are the most common mental health conditions, there are other types of mental health conditions that are not as common, but still quite prevalent. Among these are personality disorders. According to a 2003 study cited by the National Institute of Mental Health, approximately 9.1% of Americans have some form of a personality disorder.

However, personality disorders can be tricky to identify and diagnose because many people who have them are not aware of it. This is mainly due to the fact that their way of thinking and behaving seems normal to them. Because of this, it is an unfortunate fact that many people with personality disorders never get the proper help. Oftentimes, the ones that do get help are already in crisis.

How one sees themselves and others
How one controls their behavior
How one relates to others
How one emotionally responds

Currently, the DSM-5 recognizes a total of 10 personality disorders that they have divided into “clusters”. There are three clusters, including:

Cluster A: characterized by odd, bizarre, or eccentric behaviors

Paranoid personality disorder
Schizoid personality disorder
Schizotypal personality disorder

Cluster B: characterized by dramatic or erratic behavior

Antisocial personality disorder
Borderline personality disorder
Histrionic personality disorder
Narcissistic personality disorder

Cluster C: characterized by anxious or fearful behavior

Avoidant personality disorder
Dependent personality disorder
Obsessive-compulsive personality disorder

Despite the different types of personality disorders within each cluster, all the personality disorders in each cluster tend to blend together in reality. This is mostly due to the fact that these disorders were differentiated by historical observations rather than scientific study. What this means is that someone diagnosed with borderline personality disorder may also show behaviors associated with antisocial, histrionic, and narcissistic personality disorders.

Listed below is a brief summary of the ten different types of personality disorders:

#1 Paranoid Personality Disorder

Predominantly characterized by a pervasive distrust of others, even people they are well-acquainted with
Behaviors such as acting guarded, suspicious, or constantly looking for clues that validate fears
Defends their ego by projecting their thoughts and feelings onto others

#2 Schizoid Personality Disorder

Predominantly characterized by directing attention towards oneself while ignoring the external world
Behaviors such as acting detached, aloof, introspective, and indifference towards others

#3 Schizotypal Personality Disorder

Predominantly characterized by schizophrenic thinking, and odd behavior, appearance, and speech.
Behaviors such as fearing social interaction, believing happenings are related to them, and a general fear of others
More likely to develop schizophrenia

#4 Antisocial Personality Disorder

Predominantly characterized by a blatant disregard for the feelings of others
Behaviors such as irritability, aggression, impulsivity, and disregard for rules

#5 Borderline Personality Disorder

Predominantly characterized by a lack of self that yields feelings of emptiness and a deep fear of abandonment
Behaviors such as intense and unstable relationships, emotional instability, angry or violent outbursts, impulsivity, suicidal threats, and self-harm

#6 Histrionic Personality Disorder

Predominantly characterized by a lack of self-worth that causes them to depend on the approval of others
Behaviors such as dramatic outbursts to be heard or seen, great regard for their appearance, impulsivity, sensitivity to criticism, and an inability to handle failure

#7 Narcissistic Personality Disorder

Predominantly characterized by an extreme feeling of self-importance and entitlement
Behaviors such as being self-absorbed, controlling, intolerant, selfish, insensitive, and a lack of empathy

#8 Avoidant Personality Disorder

Predominantly characterized by feelings of being socially inept or inferior to others
Behaviors such as avoiding social interactions unless they are certain to be liked

#9 Dependent Personality Disorder

Predominantly characterized by a lack of self-confidence resulting in the need to be looked after by another person
Behaviors such as an inability to make decisions, fear of abandonment, feelings or inadequateness or helplessness, and submission to others

#10 Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder

Predominantly characterized by an excessive preoccupation with details, rules, lists, order, organization, and schedules.
Behaviors such as extreme perfectionism that prevents things from being done, and an extreme devotion to work and productivity without regard to leisure or relationships.

Dr. Miller is trained in Adult, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. She is also trained in Anesthesia and Pain Management. Because of her broad experience, Dr. Miller is uniquely qualified to treat psychological trauma, depression and anxiety that can occur as a result of injury or disability. For more information, schedule a consultation at NJ Family Psychiatry & Therapy.