Personality Disorders Cluster A
Personality Disorders, Cluster A Overview
Personality Disorders, Cluster A, are a very complex group of mental illnesses. They are characterized by long-term patterns of eccentric thinking and behaviors that are unhealthy and inflexible. Typically, this group of mental illnesses is diagnosed in adulthood because they represent a pattern of enduring problems that are stable over time. The pattern is seen in two or more of the following areas: thoughts, feelings, interpersonal relationships, and impulse control. The pattern is pervasive, inflexible, deviates markedly from cultural norms and expectations, and leads to distress or impairment especially in activities of daily living. Personality disorders are the most common of all psychiatric diagnoses.
Four defining characteristics of all personality disorders are:
- Distorted patterns of thinking
- Problematic emotional responses
- Interpersonal difficulties.
- Over- or under-regulated impulse control
Ten different personality disorders have been divided into three clusters:
- Cluster A – the odd, eccentric cluster
- Cluster B – the dramatic, emotional, erratic cluster
- Cluster C – the anxious, fearful cluster
Those diagnosed with a Personality Disorder, Cluster A, find it hard to relate to others. They tend to exhibit some common features including social awkwardness, social withdrawal, a tendency to behave in a way that others consider unusual or eccentric, and distorted thinking
Personality Disorders, Cluster A, presents information on four types of disorders, one type each day for four days. These are:
Paranoid Personality Disorder
Typically, a paranoid personality disorder is diagnosed by early adulthood. However, there is some evidence that symptoms may be apparent in childhood and adolescence. The exact cause of Paranoid Personality Disorder is unknown.
Schizoid Personality Disorders
Schizotypal Personality Disorder
They experience acute discomfort in social settings and have a reduced capacity for close relationships. They also tend to have odd beliefs that have no basis in reality. For these reasons they tend to be socially isolated, reserved, and distant. No specific cause for Schizotypal Personal Disorder has been identified.
Personality Disorder Due to Medical Condition
It is characterized by clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning, but does not meet the full criteria for any specific mental disorder attributable to another medical condition. There is evidence from the history, physical examination, or laboratory findings that the disturbance is the direct pathophysiological consequence of another medical condition. There is also evidence that the behavioral alteration is not better explained by another mental disorder (including another mental disorder due to another medical condition.