Fact Vs. Fiction: Breaking Down Myths About Personality Disorders

With the increased focus on the importance of mental health in recent times, there appears to be more discussion about personality disorders than ever before. With this discussion can come many misconceptions and myths. For instance, some believe that personality disorders result from mental weakness, when they generally develop due to a combination of genetic and environmental factors. Dispelling these incorrect beliefs can be crucial to ensuring that individuals with personality disorders receive the professional help they deserve. Therapy is often helpful for those with these disorders, and individuals can attend sessions in person or online.

Understanding personality disorders

An individual’s personality usually has a massive impact on how they interact with others and relate to society. Those who are mentally healthy tend to have personalities that enable them to practice effective coping skills and interact with the world in a healthy way. 

However, some people have personality disorders, or long-term patterns of thought, emotion, and behavior that usually involve poor coping mechanisms, emotional outbursts, and impulsive behavior. These mental health conditions can have devastating effects on one’s ability to have healthy and prosperous interpersonal relationships. They usually affect multiple areas of life, including school, work, and relationships. 

According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-V), there are 10 personality disorders, separated into three clusters.

Cluster A disorders are normally characterized by suspicion of others and include paranoid personality disorder, schizoid personality disorder, and schizotypal disorder.

Cluster B disorders usually share traits of impulsivity and extreme emotionality. They include antisocial personality disorder, borderline personality disorder, narcissistic personality disorder, and histrionic personality disorder.

Cluster C disorders can be characterized by anxiety and include obsessive-compulsive personality disorder, dependent personality disorder, and avoidant personality disorder.

Fact vs. fiction: The reality of personality disorders

In general, mental health professionals have taken great strides to promote awareness of the realities of personality disorders, but many common misconceptions continue to prevail. The stigma surrounding mental health and personality disorders often has detrimental effects, such as leading individuals to avoid seeking treatment, so it can be crucial to set the record straight on the facts and falsehoods that tend to persist in mental health discourse. 

The truth about personality disorders may be much different and more complex than these myths imply. For instance, personality disorders are not the result of poor character or mental weakness. Instead, personality disorders usually result from a combination of genetic and environmental factors, many of which individuals have no control over.

In addition, although many personality disorders involve impulsive behavior, most individuals with personality disorders do not have a propensity for violence. Moreover, these individuals tend to be more likely to harm themselves than others. In general, individuals with personality disorders are not inherently dangerous, especially if they are actively participating in treatment. 

While personality disorders typically have varying degrees of severity and can have debilitating effects on some individuals, those with personality disorders can live productive and prosperous lives while forming meaningful connections. In many cases, this is made possible through therapy, and research suggests that treatment can be helpful for many individuals with personality disorders.

Treatment and therapy

If left untreated, personality disorders often have a detrimental impact on the way individuals conduct their lives and interact with others. However, there is hope for those with personality disorders. The most important step may be to seek treatment from a licensed medical professional. Research shows that personality disorders can be treated with various forms of therapy, such as cognitive therapy and dialectical behavior therapy.  

While medication cannot directly treat personality disorders, psychiatrists may prescribe certain medications to target co-occurring disorders like anxiety and depression. Always speak to your prescribing provider before starting, stopping, or changing the way you take medication.

Online therapy can also be a beneficial avenue to explore for individuals with personality disorders. As many of these disorders impact individuals’ abilities to interact with others, they may be more comfortable speaking to a therapist from the comfort of their homes and choosing between video, audio, and online chat sessions to further personalize the therapy process.

Evidence suggests that online therapy can be an effective form of treatment for certain personality disorders, particularly borderline personality disorder. While more research is likely needed, existing studies report that online and in-person therapy typically produce the same results and can both be valid treatment options.