What are personality disorders?

Personality disorders cause unhealthy patterns of thinking and behaviors that make it difficult for you to relate to people and situations. These disorders can have a negative impact on your career, relationships, and social life.

There are three groups of personality disorders:

Cluster A personality disorders

This group of disorders causes eccentric thinking patterns or behaviors and includes paranoid and schizoid personality disorders.

You may feel unjustified anger, be suspicious of others, believe people are trying to harm you or have a tendency to hold grudges.

Cluster B personality disorders

This group describes personality disorders that cause overly emotional behaviors or dramatic, unpredictable thinking patterns. This group includes antisocial personality disorder, borderline personality disorder, and narcissistic personality disorder.

You may engage in reckless behaviors, constantly seek emotion or sexual attention, feel you’re more important than others, or disregard other people’s feelings.

Cluster C personality disorders

This group of personality disorders causes fearful and anxious behaviors and thinking due to avoidant personality disorder, dependent personality disorder, and obsessive-compulsive personality disorder.

You may experience increased sensitivity to rejections, avoidance of activities requiring personal contact with others, extreme dependence on others, or an intense need to control other people or situations.

When should I seek medical care for personality disorders?

You should schedule a diagnostic evaluation at Pure Psychiatry of Michigan if you experience changes in your thoughts or behaviors or have conflicts in your relationships because of your actions.

The experienced medical team offers in-office evaluations to assess your symptoms and their impact on your life. Based on the psychiatric evaluation and physical exam results, the team creates a care plan to manage your symptoms and help you cope with the challenges a personality disorder causes.

How are personality disorders treated?

Your treatment plan for personality disorders depends on your type of disorder and the severity of your symptoms. The Pure Psychiatry of Michigan team takes an integrative approach to improve your physical, emotional, mental, and social health.

You may benefit from:

• Lifestyle changes

• Psychotherapy

• Group counseling

• Medications

• In-patient treatment program

Personality disorders require ongoing care over many years to maintain stable moods and support healthy behaviors. The providers adjust your treatment plan to ensure you have a quality lifestyle and well-managed symptoms.

Call Pure Psychiatry of Michigan to schedule a diagnostic evaluation for symptoms of personality disorders, or book an appointment online today.