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12.1: Why It Matters- Personality Disorders

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    221780
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    Why learn about personality disorders?

    When we observe people around us, one of the first things that strikes us is how different people are from one another. Some people are very talkative while others are very quiet. Some are active whereas others are couch potatoes. Some worry a lot, others almost never seem anxious. Each time we use one of these words, words like talkative, quiet, active, or anxious, to describe those around us, we are talking about a person’s personalitythe characteristic ways that people differ from one another.Two people illustrated; The introvert is portrayed as happy due to spending time thinking reflectively while the extrovert is upset due to lack of quiet time.

    Everybody has their own unique personality; that is, their characteristic manner of thinking, feeling, behaving, and relating to others (John, Robins, & Pervin, 2008). Some people are typically introverted, quiet, and withdrawn, whereas others are more extraverted, active, and outgoing. Some individuals are invariably conscientious, dutiful, and efficient; whereas others might be characteristically undependable and negligent. Some individuals are consistently anxious, self-conscious, and apprehensive whereas others are routinely relaxed, self-assured, and unconcerned. Personality traits refer to these characteristic, routine ways of thinking, feeling, and relating to others. There are signs or indicators of these traits in childhood, but they become particularly evident when the person is an adult. Personality traits are integral to each person’s sense of self because they involve what people value; how they think and feel about things; what they like to do; and, basically, what they are like most every day throughout much of their lives.

    When personality traits result in significant distress, social impairment, and/or occupational impairment, they are considered to be a personality disorder (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). The DSM provides a common language and standard criteria for the classification and diagnosis of mental disorders. DSM-5 includes 10 personality disorders grouped into Cluster A, B, or C: antisocial, avoidant, borderline, dependent, histrionic, narcissistic, obsessive-compulsive, paranoid, schizoid, and schizotypal.

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    • Modification, adaptation, and original content. Authored by: Julie Manley for Lumen Learning. Provided by: Lumen Learning. License: CC BY: Attribution
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