Personality Disorders

Name: Chelsea Alexander

Subject: Personality and Society

Teacher: Mr. de Coteau

Topic: Personality disorders

Table of Contents

Introduction

Different types of personality disorders

Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD)

Psychological

Biological

Social

* How OCD Affects Social Interaction

* Social Skills Impaired by OCD

* Surviving peer pressure

* Bullying and Students with OCD

Bibliography and References

Introduction

Personality disorders are a class of mental disorders characterised by enduring maladaptive patterns of behaviour, cognition and inner experience, exhibited across many contexts and deviating markedly from those accepted by the individual's culture. These patterns develop early, are inflexible and are associated with significant distress or disability. Personality, defined psychologically, is the set of enduring behavioural and mental traits that distinguish human beings. Hence, personality disorders are defined by experiences and behaviours that differ from societal norms and expectations. Those diagnosed with a personality disorder may experience difficulties in cognition, emotiveness, interpersonal functioning or control of impulses. These behavioural patterns in personality disorders are typically associated with substantial disturbances in some behavioral tendencies of an individual, usually involving several areas of the personality, and are nearly always associated with considerable personal and social disruption. A person is classified as having a personality disorder if their abnormalities of behaviour impair their social or occupational functioning. Additionally, personality disorders are inflexible and pervasive across many situations, due in large part to the fact that such behaviour may be ego-syntonic (i.e. the patterns are consistent with the ego integrity of the individual) and are, therefore, perceived to be appropriate by that individual. This behaviour can result in maladaptive coping skills, which...