
About This Video
In this lecture, we will talk about the presentation to a range of personality disorders.
A person with a personality disorder will
think differently,
Feel differently
behave differently
or relates to others very differently from the average person.
The DSM-V states there are several different types of personality disorder, split into 3 clusters:
Cluster A: Peculiar thought processes, inappropriate affect – remember them as WEIRD
Cluster B: Mood lability, dissociative symptoms, preoccupation with rejection remember them as WILD
Cluster C: Anxiety, preoccupation with criticism or rigidity remember them as WORRIED
Causes
It's not clear exactly what causes personality disorders, but they're thought to result from a combination of the genes a person inherits and early environmental influences – for example, a distressing childhood experience (such as abuse or neglect).
Prevalence:
All are relatively common.
More males have antisocial and narcissistic PDs
More females have borderline and histrionic PDs.
Onset:
Usually not diagnosed until late adolescence or early adulthood
Course.
Usually very chronic over decades without treatment.
Symptoms of paranoid, schizoid, and narcissistic PD often worsen with age;
symptoms of antisocial and borderline PD often ameliorate.
Key Symptoms.
A long pattern of difficult interpersonal relationships, problems adapting to stress, failure to achieve goals, chronic unhappiness, low self-esteem
Personality disorders are usually associated with mood disorders.
Treatment:
Psychotherapy is the mainstay of treatment. Intensive and long-term psychodynamic and cognitive therapy are treatments of choice for most PDs.
Use of mood stabilizers and antidepressants is sometimes useful for Cluster B PDs.
Differential Diagnosis:
Major rule-outs are mood disorders, personality change due to a general medical condition, and adjustment disorders.
Instructor

Adam Jones MD
Dr. Adam Lee Jones is a doctor from Wales, United Kingdom. He graduated from Cardiff University School of Medicine with degrees in Medical Genetics (BSc), Medicine (MBBCh), Public Health (MSc), and Medical Education (PgCert). Dr. Jones relocated to Melbourne, Australia, where he is currently pursuing psychiatry training with a focus on becoming a child psychiatrist. His professional interests lie in neurodiversity, developmental psychiatry, and medical education. Dr. Jones has a rich background in academia, having served as a lecturer at both Cardiff University and Birmingham University. He is passionate about teaching and frequently incorporates animated medical illustrations into his educational practice