What are Personality Disorders?
Do you think, feel or behave differently from the majority of those around you? Do you become frustrated or angered easily, or consistently feel like an outsider? Do you feel persistent ambivalence in multiple aspects of your life, conflicting feelings towards relationships or feeling lots of emotions at once. Do you find it challenging to change these behaviours? Do you often feel empty or numb?
Personality in itself is a description of our individual make-up, how we behave, how we react, how we interact, interpret the world and think about ourselves. We call these ‘traits’.
But if your personality traits are making life, relationships, work and social interaction difficult, on a regular basis, thoughts running away with you, self-criticism is bringing you down, then there is a possibility that you are experiencing some form of Personality Disorder.
Current research tells us that genetics, traumatic past events and neurological differences could all contribute to the development of a Personality Disorder.
What are the symptoms of Personality Disorders?
There are many varied symptoms from an uncomfortable feeling of social detachment to uncontrollable anger. Other symptoms could be:
- mood swings
- extreme emotional reactions
- relationship instability
- exaggerated frustration
- poor anger control
- impulsive behaviour
- social anxiety
- perception distortion
- exaggerated self-importance
- substance abuse
But there is help available.
How does Talkmind treat Personality Disorders?
Our first step is a careful, targeted and personalised assessment. This means we can offer the right treatment to help you manage symptoms, stabilise mood and to deal with relationships more effectively.
We can offer from a wide range of treatments, dependant on the disorder, including:
- talking therapies (e.g. CBT, DBT, CAT, Schema Therapy, Art Therapy etc.)
- antidepressants (e.g. Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs))
- mood stabilisers – these medicines can regulate your mood and reduce irritability and impulsivity in some cases
- antipsychotic medication (this would be off-licence if appropriate)
- anti-anxiety medications
We understand that there can be a perceived stigma attached to Personality Disorders. We appreciate how difficult this can be. A Personality Disorder is not the fault of the affected person and needs to be handled with compassion and support.
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Signs of Mania
- Lesser need for sleep or an inability to sleep (insomnia)
- Racing mind
- Feeling as if you have consumed too much caffeine or taken an illicit substance, such as cocaine
- Extreme self-confidence and self-belief that is out of the ordinary
- Lack of control or a fear of losing control
- High creative output
- Being extremely talkative, often feeling unable to stop chatting
- Dramatically increased sex drive
- Behaving recklessly
- Having extravagant ideas that are unrealisticÂ
- Behaving impulsively, for example booking a plane ticket last minute in search of an adventure
- Disregard for one’s safety, perhaps engaging in risky or irresponsible activities, such as gambling, spending sprees or unsafe sexÂ
- Anxiety
- Delusions
- Hallucinations
- Paranoia