Personality disorders can be tricky to diagnose because they include personality traits that are pretty common for most people. For instance, have you ever thought friends whispering over in the corner were whispering about you? (Paranoid Disorder) Have you ever shared an idea with someone and they said, “That’s kind of weird, you know!” (Schizotypal Disorder) Do your relationships get so “rocky” at times that you fear being rejected, abandoned, and alone? (Borderline Disorder) Do you ever feel kind of indifferent toward some of your friends, sort of a “whatever” attitude? (Schizoid Disorder) Do you sometimes fear rejection and criticism that make you hesitant to enter into a relationship? (Avoidant Disorder). Most people would answer these questions, “Sure, doesn’t everyone?” Does this mean that everyone has a personality disorder? Of course not. So how do personality disorders differ from “normal” everyday tendencies in all of us?
Personality disorders involve traits, emotions, and actions that are chronic, enduring, intense, and exaggerated. Because these tendencies can become thoroughly ingrained in the brain, personality disorders are resistant to treatment. We’re not talking about everyday tendencies that come and go; we’re talking about habitual, reliable, and consistent ways of acting that extend across time and different situations. Note how the examples above use terms like “do you ever,” “sometimes,” and “at times.” They convey a transient quality, a brief, momentary, short-lived action, qualities we do not find with personality disorders.
Your personality defines who you are as an individual. It involves a unique blend of traits attitudes, thoughts, and actions, as well as how you express them in your interactions with others. Personality disorders cause distortions in this process, distortions that affect your perceptions of reality and the appropriateness of your actions. If you cannot assess those distortions, you might consider professional help in determining the likelihood that you have a personality disorder. Approximately 9% of adults in the U.S. have some type of personality disorder, so the odds are in your favor that your behavioral and cognitive issues are at a level that you can manage through your own coping efforts.
