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Prototypic descriptions are brief descriptions that “capture the essence of how a particular disorder commonly presents”, i.e., a summaryof the key features of the disorder. The following are the protoypic descriptions of the DSM-5-TR personality disorders, summarised from Sperry:

ASPD

Antisocials displayed symptoms of Conduct Disorderfromearly childhood, and their manipulativeandirresponsible behaviour continued into adulthood. They lack empathyanduse others for their own gain. Because they can’t tolerate boredom, they are reckless, impulsive thrill-seekers and disregard their safety and others’. ASPD is over-diagnosed in prisons and detention centres.

AVPD

Avoidants are frightenedandanxious, which makes them socially awkward. They are hypersensitive to criticism and rejection, and the fear of being embarrassed and humiliated causes them to withdraw and avoid social interaction. They crave connection with others, and may have trusted people with whom they can relax and feel safe.

BPD

Borderlines are terrified of being abandoned, which leads to intense relationships that often end in disappointment when they spliton their favourite person. They are prone to self-damaging behaviours, and self-harm and suicide attempts are common. They have a fragmented, confused sense of self. They are often impulsiveand prone to anger.

DPD

Dependents feel inadequate and fragile and need others to rely on. They struggle with being alone and find it nearly impossible to make their own decisions. They are submissive and are more than willing to put others’ needs and views above their own. They will do whatever it takes to get others to care for them, to give them affection, and give directionto their lives.

HPD

Histrionics are dramatic, charming and intense people. Their emotions are both intense and shallow at the same time. Their interests and attitudes are easily influenced by what others think and value. They need attention and reassurance thatthey are loved from others, so they often overestimate the intimacy of relationships.

NPD

Narcissists have a grandiose sense of self-importance, specialness and uniqueness that leads them to feel entitledandprivileged. They expect and need admiration and respect from others to fuel their self-esteem. They lack empathy, so they have difficulty recognising the needs, concerns, or feelings of others. Criticism, rejection and failure leads to massive feelings of shame which is often redirected into anger.

OCPD

Obsessive-compulsives are perfectionistsand need to get every detail right. As such, they are anxiousandwant to be in control of situations, so to avoid mistakes. They find comfort in schedules, rules and details, but their devotion to perfection interferes with their relationships and life outside of work or school. They have a tendency to hoard and are unusually tight with money, just in case.

PPD

Paranoids believe that the world is dangerous and that others will try to harm, exploit and deceive them if they open up. They are always on guard to any sign of threat. They hold on to grudges, never forget a slight, nor pass up a chance for revenge.

STPD

Schizotypals are eccentric, disorganised people whose emotions and speech are strange and blunted. Their strange beliefs are associated with ideas of referenceandmagical thinking, but don’t extend to full-blown psychosis. It’s not uncommon for schizotypals to be misdiagnosed as being autistic.

SZPD

Schizoids are uncomfortable being around others and just want to be left alone. Connection with others is scary and difficult, so they tend to keep to themselves. They come across as awkward, distant, and overly formal, and may be described as “cold fish”.

- From Sperry, Handbook of Diagnosis and Treatment of DSM-5 Personality Disorders(2016)

Personality Disorder Concepts: Defining Characteristics

These are the defining characteristics of PDs, each of which are different depending on the PD in question.

Triggering event(s).

The situations that triggeramaladaptive response that is reflected in the person’s behavioral, interpersonal, cognitive, and affective styles. Triggering events can be intrapersonal (e.g. failing an exam), or interpersonal (e.g. being criticised).

• ASPD: Social standardsandrules.
• AVPD:Close relationships; being social/in public.
• BPD: The expectationofmeeting goals; maintaining close relationships; real or imagined abandonment.
• DPD: The expectationthat they can rely on themselves; being alone.
• HPD:Relationships, particularly with those they’re attracted to.
• NPD:Self-evaluation, either by themselvesorothers.
• OCPD:Unstructured situations; meeting other’s standards(in all aspects of life: work, family, etc).
• PPD:Close relationships; personal questions.
• STPD:Close relationships.
• SZPD:Close relationships.

Behavioral style

The way in which the person reactsto a triggering event.

• ASPD: Impulsive, irritable, aggressive; irresponsibleandstruggles to keep commitments; relies on themselves, uses cunningand force; risk-taking and thrill-seeking.
• AVPD:Tenseandself-conscious; controlled speech & behaviour; appear apprehensiveand awkward; self-criticising and overly humble.
• BPD:Self-damaging behaviours (self-harm, self-sabotage, suicidal ideation); aggression;achieve less than they could (e.g. in work or school); chronic insomnia& irregular circadian rhythms (”body clocks”); feel helpless&emptyvoid.
• DPD:Docile,passive,non-assertive, insecure, and submissive; doubts themselves & lacks self-confidence.
• HPD:Charming, dramatic, expressive; demanding, self-indulgent, inconsiderate; attention-seeking, mood swings, impulsive, unpredictable, and superficial.
• NPD:Self-centred, egotistical, self-assured; dominates conversations; seeks approval and attention; impatient, arrogant, hypersensitive.
• OCPD:Perfectionists; workaholics; dependable, stubborn, possessive; indecisive, prone to procrastination.
• PPD: Always tenseandhypervigilant;defensive, argumentative, guarded.
• STPD:Eccentric, bizarre; strange speech;struggles with work and school and often become driftersand wanderers; avoids long-term commitment and looses touch with society’s expectations; dissociative.
• SZPD:Lethargic, inattentive, eccentric; slow and monotone speech; rarely spontaneous; indifferent.

Interpersonal style

The way they relate to others.

• ASPD:Deceitful;irritable, antagonistic and aggressive; disregards their and other’s safety; distrustful; lacks empathy; competitive.
• AVPD: Sensitive to rejection; want acceptancebut are too scared; withdraw and avoid when afraid; test people to see if they’re safe to interact with.
• BPD: “Paradoxical instability”;splitting(idealise& cling vs devalue& dismiss); sensitive to rejection; “abandonment depression” & separation anxiety; superficial yet quickly developed and intense relationships; “extraordinarily intolerant” of being alone.
• DPD:People-pleasers, self-sacrificing, clingy & needs reassurance; over-compliant & over-reliant on others; want others to be in control of their lives; avoids arguments; puts themselves down so they can receive the support of others; urgently seeks a new relationship when one ends.
• HPD:Needs attention; flirtatious, manipulative; lacks empathy; overestimates intimacy of relationships.
• NPD:Exploitative; self-indulgent; charming, pleasant & endearing;lacks empathy; irresponsible; jealous; needs approval and admiration.
• OCPD:Very aware of social hierarchy;deferentialto superiors and haughtyto subordinates; polite and loyal; insist that their way is the right way to do things, because they are anxious to ensure perfection; stubborn; devoted to work which interferes with relationships.
• PPD:Distrustful, secretive, suspicious, tend to isolate themselvesandavoid intimacy;hypersensitiveto criticism; bears grudges and blames others; reluctant to open up for fear of vulnerability.
• STPD:Loners; socially anxious, apprehensive, suspicious and paranoid, which doesn’t fade as they get to know people; tends to live on the margins of society and relationships; often choose jobs with minimal social interaction that are usually below their skill level; indifferent to social norms.
• SZPD:Aloof, loners, reserved, solitary; socially awkward; tend to fade into the background; happy to remain alone.

Cognitive style

How the person perceivesandthinksabout a problem and its solution.

• ASPD: Impulsive; realistic; very aware of social cues; prone to executive dysfunction.
• AVPD:Hypervigilant; distracted and preoccupied with their fears of rejection.
• BPD: Inflexible (splitting) & impulsive; difficulty learning from the past; external loss of control leads them to blame others to avoid feeling powerless;emotions fluctuate between hope and despair; unstable self-image andfragmented sense of self; unable to tolerate frustration; brief psychotic episodes;dissociation; intense rage; difficulty focusing & processing information.
• DPD:Suggestibleand persuadable; optimistic, sometimes to the point of naïveté; uncritical; minimises difficulties and are easily taken advantage of.
• HPD:Impulsive, dramatic; vague; suggestible; relies on intuition; avoids reflection and introspection as so to avoid realising their dependency on others; needs approval from others; has separate real/inner/private &constructed/outer/publicselves; tendency to mimicspeech patterns.
• NPD: Focuses on feelingsrather than facts; compulsive lying (to themselves as well as others); inflexible, impatient, persistent;superiority;unrealistic goals of success, power, ideal love.
• OCPD:Rule & detail oriented; difficulty with prioritising; inflexible, unimaginative; conflictedbetweenassertiveness & defiance vs obedience & pleasing people.
• PPD:Mistrustful;hypervigilant; focuses on feelings (of paranoia) rather than facts; brief psychotic episodes; their need to find evidence for their paranoid suspicions gives them a tendency for authoritarianism.
• STPD:Scattered; obsessive and tends to ruminate;superstitious, bizarre fantasies; vague ideas of reference (thinking things are about them when they’re not, e.g. someone laughing is directed at them) and magical thinking (thinking they caused something to happen by thinking about it); dissociative.
• SZPD:Distracted; difficulty organising their thoughts;vagueandindecisive; difficulty with introspectionandreflection.

Affective style

How the person expressesandexperiences emotions.

• ASPD:Superficially expresses emotions; avoids emotions that will make them vulnerable;rarely feels guilt, shame or remorse; unable to tolerate boredom,depression, & frustrationandneeds stimulation.
• AVPD:Shy & apprehensive; feels empty, sad, lonely & tense;depersonalisation.
• BPD:Mood swings; inappropriately intense anger; feelings of emptiness, boredom, a “void”; emotional dysregulation.
• DPD:Insecure & anxious;lacks self-confidence & fears being alone; fears abandonment & rejection; often sad or somber.
• HPD: Displays intense, extreme emotions but may only feel them shallowly; sensitive to rejection; mood swings;need reassurance that they are loved.
• NPD: Presents as self-confidentandnonchalant; when criticised or rejected (”narcissistic injury”) they experience extreme shame which is often redirected into anger (”narc rage”/shame redirect); splitting;lacks empathy and so has difficulty with commitments.
• OCPD: Somber, difficulty expressing feelings; avoids emotions that will make them vulnerable; comes across as stiffand stilted.
• PPD: Cold, aloof, humourless; difficulty expressing feelings; tendency for angerandjealousy.
• STPD: Cold, humourless, aloof; difficult to engage with;suspicious and mistrustful; hypersensitive; may react inappropriately for the situation or not at all.
• SZPD: Humourless, cold, aloof; indifferent; lacks empathy; emotionally and socially distant;difficulty responding to other people’s feelings.

Temperament

Theresponse pattern that reflects the person’s energy level, emotions andintensity of emotions, and how quickthey react.

• ASPD:Irresponsible, aggressive andimpulsive.
• AVPD:Irritable.
• BPD:Passive(dependent subtype); hyperreactive(histrionic subtype); irritable(passive-aggressive subtype).
• DPD:Low energy; fearful, sad or withdrawn; melancholic.
• HPD:Hyperresponsive;needs attention from others.
• NPD:Activeandresponsive; has special talents and developed language early.
• OCPD:Irritable, difficult, anxious.
• PPD:Activeandhyperresponsive(narcissistic subtype); irritable (obsessive-compulsive and passive-aggressive subtypes).
• STPD:Passive(schizoid subtype); fearful(avoidant subtype).
• SZPD:Passive, difficulty experiencing pleasureandmotivation(anhedonia).

Attachment style

Discussed in this post.

• ASPD:Fearful-dismissing.
• AVPD:Preoccupied-fearful.
• BPD:Disorganised.
• DPD:Preoccupied.
• HPD:Preoccupied.
• NPD:Fearful-dismissing.
• OCPD:Preoccupied.
• PPD:Fearful.
• STPD:Fearful-dismissing.
• SZPD:Dismissing.

Parental injunction

Theexpectation(explicit or implied) from caregivers for how the child should be oract.

• ASPD: “The end justifies the means.”
• AVPD: “We don’t accept you, and probably nobody else will either.”
• BPD: “If you grow up,bad things will happen to me [caregiver].”; overprotective,demandingorinconsistentparenting.
• DPD: “You can’t do it by yourself.”
• HPD: “I’ll give you attention when you do what I want.”
• NPD: “Grow up and be wonderful, for me.”
• OCPD: “You must do/be better to be worthwhile.”
• PPD: “You’re different.Keep alert.Don’t make mistakes.”
• STPD: “You’re a strange bird.”
• SZPD: “Who are you, what do you want?”

Self view

The way they viewandconceptualise themselves.

• ASPD:Cunning&entitled.
• AVPD:Inadequate&frightened of rejection.
• BPD:Identity problems involving gender, career, loyalties, and values; self-esteem fluctuates with emotions.
• DPD:Pleasantbut inadequate, fragile.
• HPD:Needs to be noticed.
• NPD:Special, unique and entitled; relies on others for self-esteem.
• OCPD:Responsiblefor anything that goes wrong, so they must be perfect.
• PPD: They’re alone and disliked because they’re differentand better than others.
• STPD:Differentthan other people.
• SZPD:Differentfrom others; self-sufficient; indifferentto everything.

World view

The way they view the world, others, and life in general.

• ASPD:Life is dangerousandrules get in the way of their needs. They won’t be controlledordegraded.
• AVPD:Life is unfair; even though they want to be accepted, people will reject them, so they’ll be vigilant&demand reassurance; escapes using fantasiesanddaydreams.
• BPD:Splitsbetween people and the world as either all-good or all-bad, resulting in commitment issues.
• DPD: Other people need to take care of thembecausethey are unable to.
• HPD: Life makes them nervous, so they need attention and reassurance that they’re loved.
• NPD: Life is full of opportunities; they expect admiration and respect.
• OCPD: Life is unpredictableandexpects too much, so they manage this by being in control and being perfectionists.
• PPD: Life is unfair, unpredictable, demanding, and dangerous; they need to be suspiciousandon guard against others, who are to blame for failures.
• STPD: Life is strangeandunusual; others have special magic intentions, so they are curiousbut also cautiouswhen interacting with the world.
• SZPD: Life is difficultanddangerous; if they trust no oneandkeep their distance from others, they won’t get hurt.

Maladaptive schema

Discussed in this post.

• ASPD:Mistrust/abuse;entitlement; insufficient self-control;defectiveness;emotional deprivation; abandonment; social isolation.
• AVPD:Defectiveness; social isolation; approval-seeking; self-sacrifice.
• BPD:Abandonment;defectiveness;abuse/mistrust; emotional deprivation; social isolation; insufficientself-control.
• DPD:Defectiveness; self-sacrifice; approval-seeking.
• HPD:Approval-seeking; emotional deprivation; defectiveness.
• NPD:Entitlement; defectiveness; emotional deprivation; insufficientself-control;unrelentingstandards.
• OCPD:Unrelenting standards; punitiveness; emotional inhibition.
• PPD:Abuse/mistrust; defectiveness.
• STPD:Alienation;abandonment; dependence; vulnerability to harm.
• SZPD:Social isolation; emotional deprivation; defectiveness; subjugation; undeveloped self.

Optimal diagnostic criterion

One key criterion for each personality disorder, based on its ability to summarise all criteria for that PD,accurate description of behaviour, and the predictive value (ability to predict if the person has the PD or not).

• ASPD:Aggressive, impulsive, irresponsible behavior.
• AVPD:Avoidsactivities that involve being socialout of fear of criticism, disapproval, or rejection.
• BPD: Frantic efforts to avoid real or imagined abandonment.
• DPD:Needs other people to be responsible for most major parts of their lives.
• HPD:Uncomfortable not being the centre of attention.
• NPD:Grandiose sense of self-importance.
• OCPD: Perfectionism that interferes with life.
• PPD:Paranoia, without evidence, that others are trying to harm, exploit or deceive them.
• STPD:Thinking, speech, behavior, or appearance that is odd, eccentric, or peculiar.
• SZPD: Doesn’t want or enjoy close relationships.

- From Sperry, Handbook of Diagnosis and Treatment of DSM-5 Personality Disorders(2016)

The Histrionic Personality Disorder awareness flag by @bpd-zant

───────────

This is an HD rendition of the HPD flag made by a deleted Tumblr account. A reblogged post of the original can be found here, and the original post itself can be found here, however the link is broken. I’m simply providing it just as a reference. If someone is able to find an archived version of the original post, please let me know!

Sadly, because the OP deactivated, the stripe meanings are unknown. If I remember right, I think the bottom stripe was meant to represent cluster b solidarity. But, because people with HPD get so little in both the community and in general, I wanted to make an HD rendition, and be able to show people this gorgeous flag so that it can still be remembered and used.

friendlyneighbourhoodpapergay:

Yo real quick it is perfectly possible and OKAY for people with NPD (narcissistic personality disorder)to want and have healthy relationships.

Contrary to popular belief, NPD doesn’t inherently turn someone into a “master manipulator” or an abuser. NPD is a disorder created by trauma. Traumatized people are not inherently threatening.

If someone is abusive, that doesn’t mean they have NPD.

If someone has NPD, that doesn’t mean they’re abusive.

If any of my followers (or others who see this) have NPD, you are not a bad person for wanting healthy relationships.

anonezumi:

thevoidavi:

AND YES THIS INCLUDES NARCISSISTIC PERSONALITY DISORDER

[image description: a “you guys are just mean” meme. a picture of a young person giving a PowerPoint presentation. the text of the presentation is edited to say “people with personality disorders aren’t inherently bad or abusive” and the text below this text is edited to say “you guys are just misinformed”.

end description]

Anyone have any book recs for fiction books about mental health/disorders?

Someone on reddit was asking if anyone else with borderline personality disorder sometimes liked the fact that they had it because of a certain mood they felt or whatever. Someone said yes and gave an example and some said no.

The only thing I like about me having this disorder is when I feel completely numb and unexpressive towards a lot of things/people. Im not really sad, my whole brain is just in a “i dont give a fuck” attitude and I tend to isolate myself from others and my own life for a while. It feels like a small break from all the mood swings and it’s easier to live life for a bit. It can make me feel somewhat happy, not caring about so much, and just living life while blasting alt metal/rock in my ears to drown everything else out and be consumed in only one thing that can’t hurt me. It’s a break away from myself. (& yeah the dissociation from myself can play a huge part in it) however, my empathy is lowered towards others.

Me being all types

Two Videos I’d Recommend to Learn About BPD/EUPD From Personal Experiences & A Well Known Fictional Character

https://youtu.be/AU5bNhfN5Yo

https://youtu.be/ick9Sa7FuFQ

When it comes to ADHD&Autism, the mental health community is like “they can express their symptoms when around people, it’s who they are, they can’t change their brain, they can do nothing wrong☺️” but when any other type of neurodivergent disorder presents their symptoms that they can’t control, they are shunned and are told and scolded and yelled at to fix themselves or to leave or are abandoned and that everything is their own problem. (ex. mood disorders, personality disorders, trauma disorders) Not to mention, the “neurodivergent community” mostly only recognizes Autism or ADHD as neurodivergent and everyone else is excluded.

FP- Focus Person

Having one is really hard. In my experience, it’s a person who is like a puppet master in a way, unknowingly. Whatever move they make can determine how I act and feel. It isn’t fun. It shouldn’t be romanticized. I’ve had many FPs in the past, my current one hurts a lot, especially with my mood swings increasing and recent trauma I went through, and the fact they just don’t understand my emotional disorder. They’re not hurting me on purpose, it’s my own head and attachment to them that is hurting me. Having one makes me want to not be alive sometimes because I hurt myself with my own expectations from them. I don’t hate them, but I hate myself for loving them too much. I was speaking to my therapist today that after Valentine’s day (the next time I might see my FP) I will most likely distance myself from everyone, for my own health. I will still have friends, but I want to try to get rid of my attachment to them, and attachment issues in general. It’s too painful to live with, I maybe want to get attached to a cat instead of a person. At least I may start DBT therapy soon. And I have been working on myself with breathing and self soothing talk and free online worksheets. If plans go accordingly, I will have my own room soon and will be able to feel anything I like with no interruptions from others. My own personal safe space. And then a cat.

-

I just bought their Valentine’s day presents. I feel conflicted about the though. Maybe we are in the down time of our friendship. It’s okay though, it makes me paranoid but every type of relationship goes through this. I just hope they love their presents.

“narc abuse doesn’t exist” doesn’t meant those abuses you refer to as narc abuses aren’t abuses, those are abuses (probably emotional abuse or something else), but you’re naming it wrong, that’s the problem

san1tas:

narcissism/NPD recovery resources, because there’s like nothing good out there

Books and things to read:

• Borderline, Narcissistic, and Schizoid Adaptations by Dr. Elinor Greenburg - Aimed at providers but apparently super great for self-help too
  

• How Do You Develop Whole Object Relations as an Adult? by Dr. Elinor Greenburg - Tips on how to stop seeing yourself and other people as only either all-good or all-bad

• 10 Stages in the Treatment of Narcissistic Disorders by Dr. Elinor Greenburg - Goes through the stages of treating NPD
  

• Rethinking Narcissism by Dr. Craig Malkin - A book about promoting healthy narcissism instead of unhealthy narcissism
  

• Antisocial, Borderline, Narcissistic and Histrionic Workbook: Treatment Strategies for Cluster B Personality Disorders by Dr. Daniel Fox - what it says on the tin. May be best done guided by a therapist

• Shame in patients with narcissistic personality disorder PDF - What it says on the tin.

• Narcissus and the Daffodils - an essay about NPD by someone with NPD. Probably the best description I’ve ever seen
  

Things to watch and listen to:

• Recovery FOR the Narcissist by Dr. Eric Perry - A compassionate podcast to provide insight, support, and encouragement to anyone who exhibits narcissistic tendencies. Very in-depth
  
• Early Morning Barking - A YouTube channel by someone with BPD and NPD about coping with and educating people on BPD and NPD. He also has a Recovery from NPD by Dr. Todd Grande - A video about this provider’s experience with helping people recover from NPD
  

Misc:

• Narcissism Self Help Therapy website - A daily program for people with NPD (may have some triggering aspects in Part 2 of the program)

• NPD Safe carrd resources - More resources for NPD (I have not gone through all of these so I don’t know how good they are)

• NPD Recovery Comics by The Ego System - A bunch of fantasticcomics about recovering from NPD.
  

whysoseven:

Okay so I’m tired and bitchy and I’ve had a rough morning, and because of that I’m probably about to drop an unpopular opinion here, but I really dont care.

Narcissist is starting to become the new sociopath/psychopath/psycho, and I am really, really concerned with where this is heading.

It’s the exact same thing I’ve been seeing for years with my own diagnosis. You say you’re a sociopath, and immediately you’re now an asshole. I’ve had people actually ask me if I have ever hurt someone/wanted to hurt someone because I’m a sociopath, and I’ve had to explain over and over again that no, that’s not what that means, it just means empathy is not something that I can experience like everyone else. I can still be compassionate, I can still be a kind person, I can have no desire to hurt anyone ever, but I still get treated like a ticking time bomb. Even though my disorder actually helps me in a job that saves lives (I work in tissue donation, so not feeling empathy makes handling donor tissue from a 15 year old a lot easier), I still get asked by people at that same job about my “secret dark side” and if I ever did/do things like torture animals.

The same thing is happening to narcissists. You say you’re a narcissist, and now suddenly you’re an abuser. You want to paint someone as a bad person? Call them a narcissist, then everyone will understand how mean and evil they are. I am so sick and tired of seeing tiktoks, tweets, and Tumblr posts going on and on about how horrible narcissists are and how much people hate them. As if narcissists aren’t people! As if narcissists aren’t people experiencing a personality disorder! Y'all are all about “neurodivergent/mental illness solidarity uwu” until you bring in the “undesirable” mental illnesses and personality disorders, and then suddenly it’s “All x people are mean and evil and abusive blah blah blah they can’t get better/better themselves blah blah blah here’s how to argue with them except I’m not going to actually talk about that I’m actually going to just say how horrible they are and how they’re bad people blah blah blah” and it’s like shut up! Shut the fuck up! Those are people! Those are real people with real feelings and you’re just out here saying they’re inherently bad, and for what? For likes? For clout? Do you have any idea how hard it is to come to terms with a diagnosis like that when your view on it is so incredibly skewed, when you think you’re being assigned the Bad Person Disease™️ after you’ve tried so hard to be a kind person and uplift those around you? And now you’re left thinking it was all for nothing, because now you can never be a good person no matter how hard you try because you have Bad Person Disease? Do you have literally any idea how damaging that is, and how much that hurts? But hey, ableism isn’t ableism when it’s against the “bad” people, right?

Anyway, if you’re a sociopath, psychopath, narcissist, have bpd, are bipolar in the “wrong” way, are schizophrenic or psychotic, are the “wrong” type of autistic, or anything else, I see you and you’re doing amazing. Your diagnosis doesn’t dictate who you are and, even though some things are harder for us than they are for others, that doesn’t mean you’re a bad person.