What Is Personality Disorder
A personality disorder is a form of mental illness in which the individual has difficulty recognizing and interacting appropriately to situations and with people – including self-interaction. Generally, a personality disorder is characterized by an unyielding and unhealthy pattern of behavior and thought processes, regardless of the situation, which leads to problems in work, social, and interpersonal relationships.
- The biggest obstacle to identifying a personality disorder is that, for the person needing help, the behavior seems normal and problems lie outside of them. Signs that a personality disorder may exist include:
- Alcohol or substance abuse
- Angry outbursts
- Difficulty making friends
- Frequent mood swings
- Need for instant gratification
- Poor impulse control
- Social isolation
- Stormy relationships
- Suspicion and mistrust of others
However, healthy individuals may experience each of these at any given time. If they are persistent, though, or are beginning to appear in combination or are contributing to increasingly destructive behavior, then it is necessary to seek help and diagnosis.