# Counseling/Personality Disorder Cheat Sheet
## Personality Disorder

Personality describes characteristic ways of thinking, feeling and behaving. A personality disorder describes a personality that is not necessarily disorganized, but has a way of being that is maladaptive. Personality disorders are divided into three groups or "clusters":
The diagnosis of personalitiy disorders is highly controversial due to the lack of reliability in research and replication.
(Diagnostic Criteria, Polythetic Format, Personology and Psychiatry)

### Cognition

* Interpersonal relationships
* Impulse control
* Affect

### Characteristics of Personality Disorders

* Inflexible traits
* Maladaptive behavior
* Long-standing
* Pervasive
* Difficult to treat
* Ego syntonic

### Types of Personality Disorders

* Schizoid
* Paranoid
* Schizotypal
* Narcissistic
* Histrionic
* Borderline
* Antisocial
* Avoidant
* Compulsive
* Dependent
* Depressive
* Negativistic

### Schizoid

* Cluster A
* Odd beliefs and “magical thinking” that influences behavior and is inconsistent with cultural norms
* Odd, constricted affect; inappropriate or flat affect
* Apathetic, remote solitary, indifferent
* Little need for attachment
* Not aware of feelings
* Few drives or ambitions
* withdrawn, emotional suppression, spouses complain of lack of intimacy
* Develop anxiety, somatoform reactions, brief reactive psychosis

### Avoidant

* Cluster C
* Hesitant, self-conscious, embarrassed
* Fears rejection, anxious
* Avoids occupational activities that involve significant interpersonal contact because of fears of criticism, disapproval, rejection, etc
* Inept, inferior, unappealing, lonely
* Hypersensitive to evaluation
* Profound feelings of inadequacy
* Sensitive to signs of disapproval
* Use fantasy as defense (if only…)
* Risk for developing social phobia

### Depressive

* Somber, pessimistic, fatalistic, brooding
* Valueless, guilty, impotent
* Worthy of criticism and contempt
* New scale, not a lot of validity
* Gloomy, passive, quiet, pessimistic
* Down, hard to please, defeatist
* Difficulty expressing anger
* High scores could be due to major depression or dysthymia

### Dependent

* Cluster C
* Difficulty making everyday decisions without an excessive amount of advice and reassurance from other
* Difficulty expressing disagreement or saying “no” because of fear of loss of support/approval
* Helpless, incompetent, submissive
* Irresponsible, weak, fragile
* Submissive, acquiescence, concerns about being abandoned, fears of rejection, self-blame, insecure
* Co-morbid with depression and anxiety

### Histrionic

* Cluster B
* Uncomfortable in situations where s/he is not the center of attention
* Dramatic, seductive, shallow
* Interactions with others characterized by inappropriate sexual, seductive, and/or provocative behavior; very flirtatious
* Attention seeking, exhibitionistic, “attractive”, “charming”
* Colourful
* Center of attention
* Consistently uses physical appearance to draw attention to self
* Shallow emotions

### Narcissistic

* Cluster B
* Has a strong sense of entitlement; tend to be interpersonally exploitative or manipulative
* Believes that s/he is special/unique and can only be understood or associate with other special or high-status people
* Egotistical, arrogant, entitled, grandiose
* Feelings that s/he is “Admirable”, “superior”
* Egocentricity, independence, grandiosity, feelings of superiority
* Self-centered, entitled, constant praise
* Bubble bursts… prone to depression, paranoia, substance abuse

### Antisocial

* Cluster B
* Impulsivity or failure to plan ahead
* Deceitfulness, repeatedly lying, use of aliases or cons for personal gain
* Impulsive, irresponsible, deviant, unruly
* Lack of remorse, indifferent, or rationalizes behaviors
* Non-reflective, self-serving
* Disrespectful, free, independent
* Motivated to avoid control and domination
* Aggressive, hostile, reckless
* Reckless disregard for safety of self or others
* Competitive, blunt, intimidating
* Prone to legal, vocation and marital difficulties

### Sadistic

(Not official PD, diagnosis – PD NOS)
* Hostile, abrasive, cruel, dogmatic
* Explosive, intimidating, dominating
* opinionated and close-minded
* Dominating, mean, cruel, aggressive
* Top Dog persona
* Publicly “ok” – successful
* Private “monster”
* Type A personalities

### Compulsive

* Cluster C
* Pervasive pattern of preoccupation with orderliness, perfectionism, mental and interpersonal control at the expense of flexibility, openness, and efficiency
* Restrained, conscientious, respectful
* Rigid, conventional, regulated
* Reliable, efficient, productive
* Organized, perfectionistic, impatient, good morals, obedient behavior, suppression of emotions
* Overly conscientious, scrupulous, and inflexible about matters of morality, ethics, and values
* Fears disapproval
* Might be a style
* NOTE: This is different from true Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder.

### Negativistic

* Resentful, skeptical, discontented
* Resisting, inefficient
* Angry, moody, irritable, sullen

### Passive-aggressive negativistic

Not official, PD NOS
* Twisted, conflicted personalities
* Irritable, hostile, negativistic
* complaining, disgruntled
* feel unappreciated, pout
* disillusioned
* Vacillate from compliance to oppositional
* predictor of loss of control over emotions
* Indicator of serious psychiatric illness

### Self-defeating (Masochistic)

* effacing, servile, blameful
* Defeatist, self-condemning
* Self-sacrificing, deserve to suffer
* Martyr-like, endures abuse
* Look for victimization
* Not a well-validated scale
* Not official anymore – PD NOS

### Paranoid

* Cluster A
* Guarded, defensive, distrustful
* Feeling “persecuted”
* Suspects, without a sufficient basis, that others are exploiting, harming, or deceiving him/her*Hypervigilance
* Sensitivity
* Rigid and argumentative
* Annoyance with others
* Grandiosity
* Edgy defensiveness
* Secretive
* Preoccupied with unjustified doubts about the loyalty and trustworthiness of friends/associates

### Schizotypal

* Eccentric, bizarre, absent
* Peculiar, odd, disconnected
* Cognitive impairments
* Self-absorbed in own thoughts
* Ideas of reference
* Detachment, social isolation
* Self-conscious and anxious

### Borderline

* Cluster B
* Borderline between merely neurotic and fully psychotic
* Unpredictable, manipulative, unstable
* Feelings of emptiness
* Identity disturbance/lack of strong identity; unstable self-image or sense of self
* Fears abandonment
* Frantic efforts to avoid real or imagined abandonment
* Moody, contrary
* Unstable mood, anger, guilt, dependency seeking, Impulsive, self-damaging
* Suicidal
* Constantly seek approval
* Prone to brief psychotic reactions
* Poor sense of self and boundaries