What Are The Long-Term Effects Of Personality Disorders?
Personality can be defined as how someone thinks, feels, behaves, and relates to others. Personality disorders are a group of mental health conditions that typically involve long-term patterns of behavior and thought that are different from what is considered normal in an individual’s culture. These behaviors and thoughts are usually unhealthy and can be very difficult to change. Left untreated, personality disorders can have many long-term effects, but symptoms can often be managed with the help of a licensed mental health professional.
Long-term effects of personality disorders
Cluster A personality disorders
Cluster A disorders usually involve odd or unusual behaviors and thoughts.
Paranoid personality disorder
Paranoid personality disorder (PPD) is typically marked by a long pattern of suspicion and distrust without reason. Although people with PPD may experience paranoia, they don’t usually experience hallucinations or delusions.
Because of their distrust of others, people with PPD rarely seek treatment on their own and are often encouraged to seek help by a friend, family member, or coworker. When they do seek help, someone with PPD may not follow treatment plans due to their mistrust of others, and they may have doubts about their therapist’s motives.
If someone with PPD is willing to seek out and commit to treatment, psychotherapy may reduce paranoia and improve daily function.
In the long term, if PPD is left untreated, it can lead to chronic paranoia and affect a person’s ability to maintain relationships and function appropriately in work and social settings.
Schizoid personality disorder
Another cluster A disorder is schizoid personality disorder, a condition in which an individual usually shows little or no interest in forming relationships with others. They may keep to themselves, and others may believe they don’t care about what’s happening around them because they tend not to show emotions.
People with schizoid personality disorder may be hesitant to start therapy and may agree to treatment only when encouraged by a friend or family member. Talk therapy and group therapy are common treatments.
When therapy is effective, people with this condition can improve their quality of life. Research shows that long-term outcomes for people with schizoid personality disorder tend to be more stable compared to other personality traits, but the condition is unlikely to resolve on its own. People with this personality disorder may also have a higher risk of developing schizotypal personality disorder, schizophrenia, anxiety, and major depression.
Schizotypal personality disorder
This personality disorder is normally marked by a pattern of consistent discomfort with social interactions and close relationships. People with schizotypal personality disorder may have distorted views of reality, unusual behaviors, and superstitions.
This personality disorder has a relatively stable course, but people with it tend to be less likely to achieve educational or employment goals. They may also be less likely to have long-term relationships or have children.
Men with this disorder are usually more likely to experience severe cognitive deficits, and women with this disorder are typically more likely to experience magical thinking and belief in the paranormal. Some people with this personality disorder develop schizophrenia. Treatment can help individuals with this condition learn to monitor and manage symptoms.
Cluster B personality disorders
Cluster B personality disorders generally involve dramatic shifts in thought and emotion.
Antisocial personality disorder
Antisocial personality disorder can affect how someone thinks and interacts with other people. Generally, people with this condition have little respect for the law or others. They may manipulate and deceive people, taking no responsibility and experiencing no remorse for their actions.
This condition can be difficult to treat, but ongoing therapy and close follow-ups can yield positive results. In the long term, antisocial personality disorder can lead to individuals engaging in cruelty, abuse, and neglect. They may also experience substance use disorder, health complications, and legal troubles, and they may die by suicide.
Borderline personality disorder
Borderline personality disorder (BPD) can severely impact someone’s ability to manage emotions. They can experience intense mood swings, shifting quickly from high to low moods. People with borderline personality disorder tend to see everything in extremes and may act impulsively.
In most cases, symptoms gradually decrease with age. With the right treatment, people with BPD can learn to manage symptoms and improve their quality of life. Without effective treatment, people with this condition may face many long-term complications, including substance use disorder, self-harm, and depression. Between 8% and 10% of people with BPD die by suicide. It’s thought that the risk of suicide for this population is 40 times that of the general public.
Histrionic personality disorder
People with histrionic personality disorder tend to be dramatic, lively, charming, and flirtatious. They often demand to be the center of attention and can become depressed when they aren’t. People with this mental illness may act inappropriately flirty or provocative in circumstances when it’s inappropriate to do so, like at work or school.
Talk therapy can be an effective treatment for histrionic personality disorder, but without treatment, people may face long-term problems in their personal lives, and this disorder can prevent them from achieving professional goals in some cases.
Narcissistic personality disorder
Another cluster B personality disorder is narcissistic personality disorder (NPD). This typically affects how the person views themselves in relation to others. People with this personality disorder normally have an excessive need to be seen as important. They may believe that they are special or unique and think they're superior to others. People with NPD may need adoration, have a sense of entitlement, and display a lack of empathy, and they may frequently envy others.
NPD can have complications in the long term, including anorexia, substance or alcohol misuse, depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts or behaviors. With treatment, some people with NPD learn to manage their symptoms, improve their relationships, and enhance their quality of life.
Cluster C personality disorder
Cluster C personality disorders typically involve anxious and fearful thoughts and behaviors.
Avoidant personality disorder
People with AVPD or avoidant personality disorder frequently avoid social interaction because they fear criticism and rejection, and they tend to be vigilant for any signs of a negative or judgmental response from others. They may require repeated assurances of support and acceptance. People with this personality disorder may limit their interactions with people, which can negatively impact their social support network. They may prefer a limited lifestyle because they usually have an intense need for stability and safety.
Treatment can be a long process for people with this condition, but it’s possible for them to learn to relate to others more healthily. However, without treatment, AVPD can result in long-term complications. These may include an increased risk of substance use disorder, eating disorders, depression, and impaired social function. People with AVPD may be dissatisfied with life and tend to experience higher rates of suicidal ideation and suicide attempts.
Dependent personality disorder
Dependent personality disorder (DPD) usually involves an excessive need to be cared for by others. People with this condition are often perceived as needy and clingy and typically believe that they can’t take care of themselves. They may rely on the people closest to them to fulfill their physical and emotional needs, and they usually don’t realize that their behavior can be problematic.
Psychotherapy can reduce the symptoms of this disorder. Left untreated, DPD can have long-term effects on a person’s life, including substance use disorder, depression, relationship difficulties, and higher rates of suicide attempts and suicidal ideation.
Obsessive-compulsive personality disorder
People with obsessive-compulsive personality disorder (OCPD) are usually preoccupied with perfectionism, order, and control. They tend to like everything to be done in a particular way. To maintain control, they may focus on rules, procedures, and schedules, not making good use of their time and delaying task completion. It can be important to note that OCPD is not the same as obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and it does not involve obsessions and compulsions.
Those with this personality disorder are usually dedicated to work and productivity and can neglect relationships and leisure activities. They may make detailed plans and typically don’t cope well with change. Interpersonal relationships may be challenging, too, as people with OCPD usually maintain extreme control over their emotions and may relate to others in a stiff, serious way.
Symptoms of this mental disorder may improve over time, but psychodynamic therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy can help people learn to manage their symptoms. Left untreated, long-term complications of this condition may include career challenges, poor relationships, and impaired social function.
The necessity of treatment
With any personality disorder, the long-term outcomes may be significantly worse without treatment. If you’re interested in working with a therapist but hesitant to speak with a licensed mental health professional in person, consider online treatment. When you sign up with a platform like BetterHelp, you can work with a qualified professional from the comfort of your home at a time that suits your schedule.
In addition to being flexible and convenient, research also shows that online therapy can be effective. A 2022 study found that online therapy could reduce symptoms of certain personality disorders, particularly borderline personality disorder.
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