About+Personality+Disorder

= About: Personality Disorder =

Personality disorders, formerly referred to as //character disorders,// are a class of personality types and behaviors that the American Psychiatric Association (APA) defines as "an enduring pattern of inner experience and behavior that deviates markedly from the expectations of the culture of the individual who exhibits it". Diagnosis of personality disorders can be very subjective; however, inflexible and pervasive behavioral patterns often cause serious personal and social difficulties, as well as a general functional impairment. Rigid and ongoing patterns of feeling, thinking and behavior are said to be caused by underlying belief systems and these systems are referred to as fixed fantasies or "dysfunctional schemata.(Wikipedia, 2010) 

**Definition **
Personality disorder is a general term for a type of mental illness in which your ways of thinking, perceiving situations and relating to others are dysfunctional. There are many specific types of personality disorders. In general, having a personality disorder means you have a rigid and potentially self-destructive or self-denigrating pattern of thinking and behaving no matter what the situation. This leads to distress in your life or impairment of your ability to go about routine functions at work, school or social situations. In some cases, you may not realize that you have a personality disorder because your way of thinking and behaving seems natural to you, and you may blame others for your circumstances.

Retrieved from The Mayo Clinic: __http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/personality-disorders/DS00562/METHOD=print&DSECTION=all__ , June 25, 2010.

Family Teaching When a Client Has a Personality Disorder
The following recommendations can provide support for the client and give the family more confidence in knowing how to support their family member. Family members should be encouraged to call the client's mental health caregiver whenever the client appears to be at risk for harm.

The family responses that will be therapeutic to this client include: - During discharge planning meeting, obtain information about specific issues created by the client's unique type of personality disorder and ask for recommendations about supportive interactions that the family can provide for the client. - With client present, plan for reasonable limit setting of targeted undesirable social behaviour at home and other settings during discharge planning meeting. - Provide realistic feedback when behaviour exceeds predetermined expectations. - Enforce agreed-upon limits when behaviour exceeds predetermined expectations. - Renegotiate family roles, relationships and responsibilities to support the client's rehabilitation. - Support client in seeing mental health care provider and attending groups. - Review medication compliance. - Encourage client to plan with family around his or her needs and expectations during recovery. - Support client's dignity during communication. - Use collaborative problem solving, when appropriate, to reduce anxiety. (Mental Health and Mental Illness, 7th Edition. Patricia D. Barry 2002)