This paper is a discussion of the class of psychological disturbances known as personality disorders. These 11 pervasive disorders are common enough within the population to demand more attention than they sometimes get within the general medical community; often, patients who exhibit some of the symptoms of these disorders are simply dismissed as being "difficult" patients, rather than immediately being given the kind of treatment that might help them to deal more effectively with their emotions, their interpersonal relationships, and the world around them.
The American Psychiatric Association, in its Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV), divides disorders into Axis I and Axis II, the first category including a wide range of clinical disorders and the second including personality disorders and mental retardation. Personality disorders are subdivided into three categories: odd or eccentric disorders; dramatic, emotional, or erratic disorders; and anxious or fearful disorders. To be diagnosed with a particular personality disorder, the patient must exhibit symptomatic behavior that is pervasive, follows a pattern, and is intense.
Personality disorder behavior does not come and go, depending on the circumstances of the patient's mood or age. It continues to be played out throughout the patient's life, unless treatment is sought and administered effectively. Its intensity causes discomfort, social dysfunction, and problems in interpersonal relationships, though the patient may be married, have a family, and be able to maintain a career.
Theodore Millon (1999, March) describes personality disorders as "psychological and biological traits and dispositions that are often lifelong and pervasive, continuing relatively unchanged from childhood on and affecting a person's behavior, mood, and self-image in many situations" (p. 1). These traits and dispositions cause the individual to r...