Is a personality Disorder a serious mental illness?

Question

I know that people with these types of disorders don't hallucinate or imagine things that aren't real but just how serious can this illness be? After all, Charles Manson was said to ba a socialpath. Which if I remember right; it is a term used for someone with a personality disorder. Is the term "socialpath" the right term for personality disorder? Or do I have it wrong? I was diagnosed with personality disorder but I am nothing like Charles Manson.

Answer 1

Personality disorders CAN be serious. It is not really serious for what is inflicted upon the person with the personality disorder, but it is serious because of what the personality disorder causes the person to do. They can be irresponsible, destructive, manipulative, easily enraged, severely unstable, with bad personal relationships.

Since you mentioned Charles Manson, I'll tell you a bit about that personality disorder. It's commonly called sociopathic, but the clinical term for it tems to be "antisocial," which doesn't sound quite so bad given the use of that word in our culture to simply mean someone who doesn't enjoy social activities. However, psychologically, this term is used to describe a very serious (the most serious) personality disorder. It commonly follows a person through most of their lives, causing them to become very manipulative and charming so they can make people do whatever they want, their relationships suffer, and they feel absolutely no remorse for anything they do. Punishment doesn't phase them, they can be destructive but show no regard for whom they harm.

Obviously, this is an extreme case. And there are lots of different personality disorders. It can range from someone less affected and mostly suffers from paranoia, or is pervasively dependent on others, or someone who is socially avoidant towards others through something like I described above.

Since there are lots of ranges and types of personality disorders, no one is saying you are anything like Charles Manson.

Answer 2

There are different types of personality disorders. It's actually Sociopath.
I'll read you some of the notes from my class.

Histrionic Personality Disorder: characterized by unduly dramatic behavior, victim displays shallow attention getting emotions, and goes to great lengths to gain others' praise and reassurance.

Narcissistic Personality Disorder: people exaggerate their own importance aided by their fantasies, excessive self admiration, criticism is hard to accept and often reacted to with rage.

Borderline Personality Disorder: person exhibits unstable identity, relationships, and emotions.

Antisocial (Psychopathic/Sociopathic) Personality Disorder: (usually in males) exhibits lack of conscience for wrong-doing, even toward friends and family members, may be aggressive and ruthless or a clever con-artist.

Schizoid Personality Disorder: characterized by pervasive pattern of detachment from social relationships and restricted range of expression of emotions in interpersonal setting.

Avoidant Personality Disorder: Pervasive pattern of social inhibition, feelings of social inhibition, feelings of inadequacy, and hyper-sensitivity to negative evalutation.

These are not all of them, but they are the most common. Which one you have is nobody's business unless you have antisocial personality disorder (if that's the case, you'll likely be locked away soon enough), but I would suggest you keep in touch with a therapist, and know that you are in control of your action. These disorders do not have to consume you.

Answer 3

It can be depending on the type and severity. I think you mean "sociopath" and that's only for anti-social personality disorder.

The DSM-IV lists ten personality disorders, which are grouped into three clusters:

Cluster A (odd or eccentric disorders)

* Paranoid personality disorder
* Schizoid personality disorder
* Schizotypal personality disorder

Cluster B (dramatic, emotional, or erratic disorders)

* Antisocial personality disorder
* Borderline personality disorder
* Histrionic personality disorder
* Narcissistic personality disorder

Cluster C (anxious or fearful disorders)

* Avoidant personality disorder
* Dependent personality disorder
* Obsessive-compulsive personality disorder (not the same as Obsessive-compulsive disorder)

Answer 4

You can appear up tons of know-how approximately this sickness. It is a character sickness. A character may have it to various levels. Unstable relationships is among the diagnostic specifications... That IS what this character sickness is approximately. Generally it's because of truly or imagined drama in early life... But no stranger on the web can talk approximately your buddy. It's severe because of the havoc they wreak in every person's lifestyles. It's severe because of the suicide makes an attempt - most likely it's awareness looking for, however can also be positive. I am so sorry for the lack of your buddy. You would don't forget grief counseling. Your emotions are principal. Suicide results all that knew the deceased and principally ALL that cared for them. You would possibly don't forget YOUR emotions and handling this MORE than his sickness. I am sorry in your loss.

Answer 5

Why do you get obsessed about reading about the disorder? Say what you are uncomfortable with. Say to yourself what you can't do or say, to whom , when, where, why? Be specific about what you are feeling about a certain person, place, thing, time.

You can't grow up or away from anything if you don't clearly state what it is you are feeling upset about. Hallucinating is just a symptom of what you're upset to think or talk about. If you're aware you are doing something obsessively, stop right there. Pause. Gather your thoughts. Pause. Pause. Pause. Mentally and physically. Listen to what your mind is saying. Start there.

There's a lot of self work you got to do.

Answer 6

Your psychiatrist can explain it way better than us.

Answer 7

This might be helpful
http://sensitive-psychoworld.blogspot.com/