Understanding Personality Disorders: 6 Types to Know About
Some personality traits may interfere with your daily life.
Everyone has unique personality traits; some of those traits help them along while others can get them in occasional hot water. For those with a personality disorder, however, a personality trait is so severe that it impairs the person’s ability to fulfill everyday tasks and form healthy relationships.
There are many different kinds of personality disorders, but here are some of the most common.
Borderline Personality Disorder. This disorder earned its name because patients tend to act on the border between neurotic and psychotic. The trademark signs of borderline personality disorder are intense emotions that are difficult to regulate or understand, an overwhelming fear of abandonment that leads them to go to extreme lengths to avoid losing someone, impulsivity, and thoughts of self-harm or suicide.
Narcissistic Personality Disorder. As the name suggests, narcissistic personality disorder involves a focus on oneself and a lack of empathy for others. Signs of narcissistic personality disorder include an exaggerated sense of self, needing attention or validation, seeking power over others, and having superficial interpersonal relationships.
Avoidant Personality Disorder. People with this disorder have severe anxiety and fear of rejection, which causes them to isolate themselves and avoid forming relationships with others.
Dependent Personality Disorder. This disorder has a similar fear of separation that can lead to needy behavior or an excessive dependence on others for basic needs and decisions.
Schizoid and Schizotypal Personality Disorders. These disorders cause paranoia, which may cause isolation or withdrawal. To others, their behavior may seem odd, detached, or aloof.
Antisocial Personality Disorder. People with this disorder tend to not follow rules or don’t think they apply to them; they tend to run into trouble with the law.
Psychotherapy is the most effective treatment option for most personality disorders. If needed, medication may also help treat certain specific symptoms. (Learn about the three most common types of psychotherapy here.)
Because these disorders stem from one’s personality, it can be challenging for some people to recognize or acknowledge the way their personality is interfering with their lives and relationships. Treatment is most effective for those who recognize this and are motivated to make changes.

This video features information from Jennifer L. Hartstein, PsyD. Dr. Hartstein is the owner of Hartstein Psychological Services, a group psychotherapy practice in New York City.

This video features information from Ben Michaelis, PhD. Dr. Michaelis is a clinical and media psychologist in New York City.

This video features information from Susan Samuels, MD. Dr. Samuels is an assistant professor of clinical psychiatry and clinical pediatrics at Weill Cornell Medicine and an assistant attending psychiatrist at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital.

This video features information from Khadijah Watkins, MD. Dr. Watkins is an assistant professor of psychiatry in the division of child and adolescent psychiatry at Weill Cornell Medicine and an assistant attending psychiatrist at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital.
Duration: 3:25. Last Updated On: March 19, 2018, 2:54 p.m.
- 00:00 [MUSIC]
- 00:02 Someone with a personality disorder tends to have problems stemming from their
- 00:06 personality that happens over and over again throughout their life.
- 00:10 [MUSIC]
- 00:16 >> We all have personalities that gets us through the day, right?
- 00:18 Some of us are gonna be friendly, and kind, and warm.
- 00:21 And some of us are gonna be prickly, and mean, and irritable.
- 00:23 But a personality disorder is something that impairs us in our
- 00:27 day to day life. >> Two of the most common personality
- 00:30 disorders that people talk about are borderline personality disorder and
- 00:33 narcissistic personality disorder. >> Borderline personality disorder,
- 00:37 which started as this very interesting diagnostic
- 00:39 between being kind of psychotic and being neurotic, so there's borderline.
- 00:43 And its' hallmarks are things like real, true fear of abandonment.
- 00:48 I mean, doing anything you can to not lose somebody in your life.
- 00:51 Or real emotional dysregulation, where your emotions are just all over the place,
- 00:55 with a very low understanding of what the trigger is.
- 00:57 A lot of people with borderline personality disorder might have incredible
- 01:01 mood swings they can't control, or they might self harm to manage their moods.
- 01:05 They might feel acutely suicidal. >> So some of the symptoms of
- 01:09 Narcissistic Personality Disorder is having an exaggerated sense of self.
- 01:14 You think that you are more important than you actually are.
- 01:17 You are often seeking validation, and praise, and
- 01:21 encouragement from other people.
- 01:25 Other common symptoms would be needing to be in a place of power or feeling like you
- 01:30 need to be in place of power. >> So there are various
- 01:33 other types of personality disorders that we hear a little bit less about.
- 01:36 People with avoidant personality disorder are so anxious and so worried that they
- 01:42 will completely avoid, as it sounds, going out or participating in an event.
- 01:48 Somebody with dependent personality disorder
- 01:50 might be leaning on their friends to make every little decision.
- 01:55 Might not be able to go anywhere on their own and
- 01:57 really leaning on the people around them for support for
- 02:01 some basic things. >> So schizoid and
- 02:03 schizotypal are personality disorders that lend to being isolative, withdrawn.
- 02:12 Often they might be a little bit paranoid or
- 02:14 suspicious without having any triggers or reasons to be.
- 02:19 Sometimes they can be seen as a little bit quirky.
- 02:21 >> An anti-social personality
- 02:23 is someone who doesn't really follow the rules and regulations.
- 02:27 Or doesn't think that they apply to them or doesn't connect to other people, and
- 02:31 really kind of becomes their own entity. >> Generally the first place we start
- 02:35 is with therapy when we're treating a personality disorder.
- 02:38 But if that particular therapy is not effective,
- 02:43 they might try medications to target some of the specific symptoms.
- 02:47 The people for whom treatment makes a real positive impact are those people that
- 02:51 want treatment,
- 02:52 that notice it's a problem that they're not getting along with their loved ones.
- 02:56 Or that they are losing jobs,
- 02:59 they're not able to hold on to a job. >> So to get someone to seek treatment
- 03:03 when they have a personality disorder will take patience, it will more than
- 03:08 likely take saying the same thing over and over again over the course of time.
- 03:12 So the layering of hearing that information hopefully will ultimately get
- 03:17 them thinking about treatment and motivated to go into treatment.
- 03:21 [MUSIC]
Borderline personality disorder. Washington, DC: National Institute of Mental Health, 2016. (Accessed on December 4, 2017 at https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/borderline-personality-disorder/index.shtml.)
Borderline personality disorder: epidemiology, clinical features, course, assessment, and diagnosis. Waltham, MA: UpToDate, 2017. (Accessed on December 4, 2017 at https://www.uptodate.com/contents/borderline-personality-disorder-epidemiology-clinical-features-course-assessment-and-diagnosis.)
Narcissistic personality disorder. Rochester, MN: Mayo Clinic. (Accessed on December 4, 2017 at https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/narcissistic-personality-disorder/symptoms-causes/syc-20366662.)
Personality disorders. Washington, DC: U.S. National Library of Medicine. (Accessed on December 4, 2017 at https://medlineplus.gov/personalitydisorders.html.)
Personality disorders. Waltham, MA: UpToDate, 2017. (Accessed on December 4, 2017 at https://www.uptodate.com/contents/personality-disorders.)