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Personality Disorders

A personality disorder involves an unhealthy pattern of thinking, feeling, and behaving. But you’re not stuck. With treatment and effective coping skills, you can break free of old patterns and build more fulfilling relationships.

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Personality Disorders FAQs

What are the 10 major personality disorders?
Personality disorders are grouped into three categories or “clusters”:
How do cluster A, cluster B, and cluster C personality disorders differ?
Personality disorders are placed into groups or “clusters” because some share similar symptoms or sometimes co-occur.
What is antisocial personality disorder?
Antisocial personality disorder (ASPD) is a challenging type of personality disorder characterized by a disregard for right and wrong and other people that often manifests as criminal behavior. People with ASPD can be violent, impulsive, and manipulative of others and often experience problems with substance abuse. Like other personality disorders, ASPD falls on a spectrum and those with severe forms are sometimes referred to as “sociopaths” or even “psychopaths” as they lack empathy and remorse for their actions.
What is avoidant personality disorder?
Avoidant personality disorder (AVPD) is a cluster C personality disorder involving fearful thinking and anxiety. While most of us experience bouts of shyness or social anxiety at some point in our lives, if you have AVPD, such feelings are so prevalent they interfere with your ability to function in your day-to-day life. You’re often so scared of criticism, rejection, or embarrassment it prevents you from forming relationships and impairs your work and social life.
What is schizoid personality disorder?
Schizoid personality disorder is an uncommon personality disorder characterized by emotional coldness, a lack of close relationships, and an avoidance of social activities. Those with the disorder are often seen as loners who have difficulty expressing emotions and struggle to experience pleasure. While some symptoms are similar to both schizotypal personality disorder and schizophrenia, someone with schizoid personality disorder doesn’t suffer from paranoia or hallucinations.