Psychology Term Report Project

(Personality Disorders)

By:

Kainaat yaseen (10515)

Syeda Mahnoor Fatima (10519)

Mahnoor Akbar (10526)

Presented To:

“Sadia Humayun”

(05/08/2019)

Submitted as mandatory requirement for the course “Introduction to

Psychology” in the Program, Bachelor of Business Administration
Acknowledgement:

We would like to thank Almighty Allah for blessing us with the courage, strength, and
ability with which we are able to complete this project successfully. I convey my
profound gratitude and acknowledgment to our competent instructor Sadia Humayun
to support and guided us throughout our term report project without her help and
guidance, the making of this project is would have been difficult.

Furthermore we would like to thanks IQRA UNIVERISTY for its corporation. We

are making this project not only for marks but to also increase our knowledge.

Personality Disorder:

A personality disorder is a type of mental disorder in which you have a rigid and
unhealthy pattern of thinking, functioning and behaving. A person with a personality
disorder has trouble perceiving and relating to situations and people. This causes
significant problems and limitations in relationships, social activities, work and
school.

Introduction:

Gender: Male

Age: 18

Marital Status: Single

Occupation: Student

1. Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD):

Narcissistic personality disorder (NPD) is a personality disorder with a long-term

pattern of abnormal behavior characterized by exaggerated feelings of self-
importance, excessive need for admiration, and a lack of empathy. Those affected
often spend much time thinking about achieving power or success, or on their
appearance. They often take advantage of the people around them.

Causes:

Causes of narcissistic personality disorder are not yet well-understood. Genetic and
biological factors as well as environment and early life experiences are all thought to
play a role in the development of this condition.

 Environment: mismatches in parent-child relationships with either excessive

adoration or excessive criticism that is poorly attuned to the child's experience

 Genetics: inherited characteristic

Treatment:

Psychotherapy is the key approach in the treatment of narcissistic personality

disorder. Psychotherapy, also known as talk therapy, is used to help you learn how to
relate to others better to encourage more functional interpersonal relationships and to
gain a better understanding of your emotions and why you feel the way you do.

There are no medications specifically used to treat narcissistic personality disorder.

However, if you have symptoms of depression, anxiety or other conditions,
medications such as antidepressants or anti-anxiety drugs may be helpful.

Family or marital therapy are also used to treat NPD. Because NDP can affect
families, coming together for a session can help people in dealing with relationships,
with problem solving solutions and positive communication.

2. Histrionic Personality Disorder:

Histrionic personality disorder (HPD) is characterized by a long-standing pattern of

attention seeking behavior and extreme emotionality. Someone with histrionic
personality disorder wants to be the center of attention in any group of people, and
they feel uncomfortable when they are not. While often lively, interesting, and
sometimes dramatic, they have difficulty when people aren’t focused exclusively on
them. People with this disorder may be perceived as being shallow, and may engage
in sexually seductive or provocative behavior to draw attention to themselves.

Causes:

Although the exact cause of dependent personality disorder is not known. Most
psychologists believe that personality disorders like HPD usually develop as a result
of stress, anxiety, and trauma experienced during childhood. Young people who are
subjected to neglect or abuse must rely on limited resources and life experiences to
cope with haunting memories and the feelings of shame, inadequacy, or weakness that
accompany them, and personality disorders may develop as a form of adaptation or
compensation.

Treatment:

Psychotherapy is the preferred method of intervention for histrionic personality

disorder. Some of the therapies that have proven effective for this condition include:

 Psychotherapy: Psychotherapy is a type of individual counseling that focuses on

changing a person’s thinking (cognitive therapy) and behavior (behavioral
therapy).

 Family and couples therapy: Family relationships of all types are affected by
histrionic personality disorder, and all the issues that arise as a result of HPD can
be addressed in a cooperative, solution-oriented environment during family or
couples therapy.

 Group therapy: By participating in group discussions and role-playing sessions

with peers, men and women with HPD can work at improving their social
behavior and interpersonal relationships.

Although medication is not used to treat the histrionic personality disorder itself, it
might be used to help stabilize mood swings or treat some of the distressing
symptoms of the disorder, such as aggressiveness.

Introduction:

Gender: Female

Age: 21

Marital Status: Single

Occupation: Student

1. Dependent Personality Disorder:

Dependent personality disorder (DPD) is one of the most frequently diagnosed

personality disorders. It occurs more in women as compare to men, usually becoming
apparent in young adulthood or later as important adult relationships form. Dependent
personality disorder is described as a pervasive and excessive need to be taken care of
that leads to submissive and clinging behavior as well as fears of separation.

Causes:

Although the exact cause of dependent personality disorder is not known, it most
likely involves a combination of biological, developmental, temperamental, and
psychological factors. Some researchers believe an authoritarian or overprotective
parenting style or separation anxiety during childhood may be more likely to develop
dependent personality traits in people who are susceptible to the disorder.

Treatment:

Treatment focuses on alleviating symptoms. Psychotherapy is often the first course of

action. Therapy can help you better understand your condition. It can also teach you
new ways to build healthy relationships with others and improve your self-esteem.

Psychotherapy is usually used on a short-term basis. Long-term therapy could put you
at risk of growing dependent on your therapist.

Medications can help relieve anxiety and depression, but are generally used as a last
resort. Your therapist or doctor may prescribe you a medication to treat panic attacks
that result from extreme anxiety. Some medications for anxiety and depression are
habit-forming, so you may have to see your doctor regularly while taking them to
prevent prescription dependence.

2. Borderline Personality Disorder:

Borderline personality disorder is a mental health disorder that impacts the way you
think and feel about yourself and others, causing problems functioning in everyday
life. It includes self-image issues, difficulty managing emotions and behavior, and a
pattern of unstable relationships. Borderline personality disorder usually begins by
early adulthood. The condition seems to be worse in young adulthood and may
gradually get better with age.

Causes:
The causes of BPD are not fully understood, but scientists agree that it is the result of
a combination of factors, including:

 Genetics: While no specific gene or gene profile has been shown to directly
cause BPD, studies involving twins suggest this illness has strong hereditary
links. BPD is about five times more common among people who have a first-
degree relative with the disorder.

 Environmental factors: People who experience traumatic life events—such as

physical or sexual abuse during childhood or neglect and separation from parents
—are at increased risk of developing BPD.

 Brain function: The emotional regulation system may be different in people with
BPD, suggesting that there is a neurological basis for some of the symptoms.
Specifically, the portions of the brain that control emotions and decision-
making/judgment may not communicate optimally with one another.

Treatment:

Borderline personality disorder is mainly treated using psychotherapy, but medication

may be added. Your doctor also may recommend hospitalization if your safety is at
risk.

Treatment can help you learn skills to manage and cope with your condition. It's also
necessary to get treated for any other mental health disorders that often occur along
with borderline personality disorder, such as depression or substance misuse. With
treatment, you can feel better about yourself and live a more stable, rewarding life.

 Medications:

Although no drugs have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration
specifically for the treatment of borderline personality disorder, certain medications
may help with symptoms or co-occurring problems such as depression, impulsiveness,
aggression or anxiety. Medications may include antidepressants, antipsychotics or
mood-stabilizing drugs.

Talk to your doctor about the benefits and side effects of medications.

 Hospitalization:
At times, you may need more-intense treatment in a psychiatric hospital or clinic.
Hospitalization may also keep you safe from self-injury or address suicidal thoughts
or behaviors.

Introduction:

Gender: Female

Age: 26

Marital Status: Married

Occupation: House wife

1. Dependent Personality Disorder:

Dependent personality disorder (DPD) is a personality disorder that is characterized

by a pervasive psychological dependence on other people. This personality disorder is
a long-term condition in which people depend on others to meet their emotional and
physical needs, with only a minority achieving normal levels of independence.

Causes:

The exact cause of dependent personality disorder is unknown. A study in 2012

estimated that between 55% and 72% of the risk of the condition is inherited from
one's parents. Traumatic or adverse experiences early in an individual's life, such as
neglect and abuse or serious illness, can increase the likelihood of
developing personality disorders, including dependent personality disorder, later on in
life..

Treatment:

People who have DPD are generally treated with psychotherapy. The main goal of
this therapy is to make the individual more independent and help them form healthy
relationships with the people around them. This is done by improving their self-
esteem and confidence. Medication can be used to treat patients who suffer from
depression or anxiety because of their DPD, but this does not treat the core problems
caused by DPD.

2. Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD):

Narcissistic personality disorder (NPD) is a personality disorder with a long-term pattern
of abnormal behavior characterized by exaggerated feelings of self-importance,
excessive need for admiration, and a lack of empathy.

Causes:

 Genetics:

There is evidence that narcissistic personality disorder is heritable, and individuals are
much more likely to develop NPD if they have a family history of the
disorder. Studies on the occurrence of personality disorders in twins determined that
there is a moderate to high heritability for narcissistic personality disorder.

 Environment:

According to Leonard Groopman and Arnold Cooper, the following have been
identified by various researchers as possible factors that promote the development of
NPD:

 An oversensitive temperament (personality traits) at birth.

 Excessive admiration that is never balanced with realistic feedback.
 Excessive praise for good behaviors or excessive criticism for bad behaviors in
childhood.
 Severe emotional abuse in childhood.
 Unpredictable or unreliable care-giving from parents.
 Learning manipulative behaviors from parents or peers.

Treatment:

When people with NPD enter treatment, it is typically prompted by life difficulties or
to seek relief from another disorder, such as major depressive disorder, substance use
disorders, bipolar disorder, or eating disorders. This is partly because individuals with
NPD generally have poor insight and fail to recognize their perception and behavior
as inappropriate and problematic due to their very positive self-image.

3. Schizotypal Personality Disorder (STPD):

Schizotypal personality disorder (STPD) or schizotypal disorder is a mental

disorder characterized by severe social anxiety, thought disorder, paranoid
ideation, derealization, transient psychosis, and often unconventional beliefs. People
with this disorder feel extreme discomfort with maintaining close relationships with
people and avoid forming them, mainly because the subject thinks his or her peers
harbor negative thoughts towards them.

Causes:

 Genetic:

Schizotypal personality disorder is widely understood to be a "schizophrenia

spectrum" disorder. Rates of schizotypal personality disorder are much higher in
relatives of individuals with schizophrenia than in the relatives of people with other
mental illnesses or in people without mentally ill relatives. Technically speaking,
schizotypal personality disorder may also be considered an "extended phenotype" that
helps geneticists track the familial or genetic transmission of the genes that are
implicated in schizophrenia.

 Social And Environmental:

There is now evidence to suggest that parenting styles, early separation,

trauma/maltreatment history (especially early childhood neglect) can lead to the
development of schizotypal traits. Neglect or abuse, trauma, or family dysfunction
during childhood may increase the risk of developing schizotypal personality
disorder.

Treatment:

 Medication:

In order to decide which, type of medication should be used, Paul Markovitz

distinguishes two basic groups of schizotypal patients:

 Schizotypal patients who appear to be almost schizophrenic in their beliefs and

behaviors (aberrant perceptions and cognition) are usually treated with low doses
of antipsychotic medications, e.g. thiothixene.
 For schizotypal patients who are more obsessive-compulsive in their beliefs and
behaviors, SSRIs like Sertraline appear to be more effective.
 Therapy:

Persons with STPD usually consider themselves to be simply eccentric, productive, or

nonconformist. As a rule, they underestimate maladaptiveness of their social isolation
and perceptual distortions. It is not so easy to gain rapport with people who suffer
from STPD due to the fact that increasing familiarity and intimacy usually increase
their level of anxiety and discomfort. In most cases they do not respond to informality
and humor.

Conclusion:

We all have personality traits integrated with each other. If one trait dominates on the
other traits then we have a personality disorder. It needs a long time to treat and have
no onset. Psychotherapy is the main therapy for personality disorders. The exact cause
of personality disorders remains uncertain. They may be combination of, parental
upbringing, one’s innate personality, social development, or genetic or biological
factors. However, it is clear there are both biological and, psycho-social factors that
influence the development of personality and personality disorders.

Furthermore, the defining features of a personality disorder are distorted thinking,

problems with emotional regulation, and problems with impulse regulation that all
work together to contribute to the fourth and most important core feature of
personality disorders is interpersonal difficulties. When people have distorted ways of
thinking about themselves and others, they may have difficulty regulating their
emotions, and have trouble regulating their impulses, it only makes sense that these
problems will go on to affect the way they enter into, and behave in relationships.
Moreover, these problematic patterns of thoughts, feelings, and behaviors affect the
way they handle conflict with others; and the way other people will react to them.