Clusters of Disorders

Defining Personality

• i. is it constant across situations?
• ii. is it multifaceted?
• iii. is it permanent, unchanging?
• iv. where does it come from?
• v. stable set of characteristics & tendencies that determine an individuals response to a varity of circumstances

B. Defining Abnormal Personality

i. inflexible, maladaptive traits that interfere with a person's ability to perform adequately in various soical roles:

CLUSTER A - Odd, eccentric, mistrust, constricted emotion

• a. Paranoid - tense, guarded, suspicious
• b. Schizoid - socially isolated with restricted emotional expression
• c. Schizotypal - peculiarities of thought, appearance, behavior, emotionally detached

CLUSTER B - Dramatic, emotional, erratic

• a. Antisocial - manipulative, exploitive, dishonest, disloyal, lacks guilt breaks social rules, childhood history of troubled behavior
• b. Borderline - cannot tolerate being alone, intense, unstable moods and personal relationships, chronic anger, drug/alcohol abuse
• c. Histrionic - Seductive, needs immediate gratification and constant reassurance, rapidly changing moods, shallow emotions
• d. Narcissistic - self-absorbed, expects special treatment and adulation, envious of attention to others

CLUSTER C - Anxious, fearful, avoidance tendencies

• a. Avoidant - easily hurt and embarrassed, few close friends, sticks to routines to avoid new and possibly stressful experiences.
• b. Dependent - wants others to make decisions, needs constant advice and reassurance, fears being abandoned
• c. Obsessive-Compulsive - perfectionistic, overerconscientious, indecisive, preoccupied with details, stiff and unable to return affection
• d. Passive-Aggressive - resents demands and suggestions, procrastinates, sulks, "forgets" obligations or is deliberately inefficient.