Many students today are dealing with mental health issues - from stress management to a diagnosed mental illness. It is important to understand, identify and manage any barriers to success posed by mental health concerns. Below are some resources that may be helpful. These are not a substitute for professional counselling, and if you would like to discuss anything with a Counsellor, please contact us for an appointment.
ANTISOCIAL PERSONALITY DISORDER
Sociopathic personality; Sociopathy; Personality disorder - antisocial Antisocial personality disorder is a mental health condition in which a person has a long-term pattern of manipulating, exploiting, or violating the rights of others. This behavior is often criminal.
Causes, incidence, and risk factors
The causes of antisocial personality disorder are unknown. Genetic factors and child abuse are believed to contribute to the development of this condition. People with an antisocial or alcoholic parent are at increased risk. Far more men than women are affected. The condition is common in people who are in prison. Fire-setting and cruelty to animals during childhood are linked to the development of antisocial personality. Some people believe that psychopathic personality (psychopathy) is the same disorder. Others believe that psychopathic personality is a similar but more severe disorder.
Symptoms
A person with antisocial personality disorder may:
Signs and tests
Like other personality disorders, antisocial personality disorder is diagnosed based on a psychological evaluation and the history and severity of symptoms. To be diagnosed with antisocial personality disorder, a person must have had conduct disorder during childhood.
Treatment
Antisocial personality disorder is one of the most difficult personality disorders to treat. People with this condition rarely seek treatment on their own. They may only start therapy when required to by a court. The effectiveness of treatment for antisocial personality disorder is not known. Treatments that show the person the negative consequences of illegal behavior seem to hold the most promise.
Expectations (prognosis)
Symptoms tend to peak during the late teenage years and early 20s. They sometimes improve on their own by a person's 40s.
Complications
Complications can include imprisonment, drug abuse, violence, and suicide.
Avoidant personality disorder is a mental health condition in which a person has a lifelong pattern of feeling very shy, inadequate, and sensitive to rejection.
Causes, incidence, and risk factors
Personality disorders are lifelong patterns of behavior that cause problems with work and relationships. About 1% of the population has avoidant personality disorder. Both males and females have the condition equally. The cause is unknown.
Symptoms
People with avoidant personality disorder can't stop thinking about their own shortcomings. They form relationships with other people only if they believe they will not be rejected. Loss and rejection are so painful that these people will choose to be lonely rather than risk trying to connect with others.
Signs and tests
A person with avoidant personality disorder may:
Treatment
Antidepressant medications can often make people less sensitive to rejection. However, talk therapy (psychotherapy) is considered to be the most effective treatment for this condition. Psychodynamic psychotherapy, which helps patients understand their thoughts and feelings, and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) can help. A combination of medication and talk therapy may be more effective than either treatment alone.
Expectations (prognosis)
People with this disorder may develop some ability to relate to others, and this can be improved with treatment.
Complications
Without treatment, a person with avoidant personality disorder may become resigned to a life of near or total isolation. They may go on to develop a second psychiatric disorder such as substance abuse or a mood disorder such as depression.
BORDERLINE PERSONALITY DISORDER
Borderline personality disorder is a condition in which people have long-term patterns of unstable or turbulent emotions, such as feelings about themselves and others. These inner experiences often cause them to take impulsive actions and have chaotic relationships. Causes, incidence, and risk factors The causes of borderline personality disorder (BPD) are unknown. Genetic, family, and social factors are thought to play roles. Risk factors for BPD include:
This personality disorder tends to occur more often in women and among hospitalized psychiatric patients.
Symptoms
People with BPD are often uncertain about their identity. As a result, their interests and values may change rapidly. People with BPD also tend to see things in terms of extremes, such as either all good or all bad. Their views of other people may change quickly. A person who is looked up to one day may be looked down on the next day. These suddenly shifting feelings often lead to intense and unstable relationships. Other symptoms of BPD include:
Signs and tests
Like other personality disorders, BPD is diagnosed based on a psychological evaluation and the history and severity of the symptoms.
Treatment
Many types of individual talk therapy, such as dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT), can successfully treat BPD. In addition, group therapy can help change self-destructive behaviors. In some cases, medications can help level mood swings and treat depression or other disorders that may occur with this condition.
Expectations (prognosis)
The outlook depends on how severe the condition is and whether the person is willing to accept help. With long-term talk therapy, the person will often gradually improve.
Complications
DEPENDENT PERSONALITY DISORDER
Dependent personality disorder is a long-term (chronic) condition in which people depend too much on others to meet their emotional and physical needs.
Causes, incidence, and risk factors
Dependent personality disorder usually begins in childhood. The causes of this disorder are unknown. It is one of the most common personality disorders, and is equally common in men and women.
Symptoms
People with this disorder do not trust their own ability to make decisions. They may be very upset by separation and loss. They may go to great lengths, even suffering abuse, to stay in a relationship. Symptoms of dependent personality disorder may include:
Signs and tests
Like other personality disorders, dependent personality disorder is diagnosed based on a psychological evaluation and the history and severity of the symptoms.
Treatment
Talk therapy (psychotherapy) is considered to be the most effective treatment for gradually helping people with this condition make more independent choices in life. Medication may help treat other conditions, such as anxiety or depression.
Expectations (prognosis)
Improvements are usually seen only with long-term therapy.
Complications
HISTRIONIC PERSONALITY DISORDER
Histrionic personality disorder is a condition in which people act in a very emotional and dramatic way that draws attention to themselves.
Causes, incidence, and risk factors
The cause of this disorder is unknown. Both genes and early childhood events are thought to contribute. It occurs more often in women than in men, although it may be diagnosed more often in women because attention-seeking and sexual forwardness are less socially acceptable for women. Histrionic personality disorder usually begins in early adulthood.
Symptoms
People with this disorder are usually able to function at a high level and can be successful socially and at work. Symptoms include:
Signs and tests
The health care provider can diagnose histrionic personality disorder by looking at your:
Like other personality disorders, histrionic personality disorder is diagnosed based on a psychological evaluation and the history and severity of the symptoms.
Treatment
People with this condition often seek treatment when they experience depression or anxiety from failed romantic relationships or other conflicts with people. Medication may help the symptoms, but talk therapy (psychotherapy) is the best treatment for the condition itself.
Expectations (prognosis)
Histrionic personality disorder can improve with psychotherapy and sometimes medications. If left untreated, it can cause conflict in people's personal life and prevent them from reaching their potential in their work life.
Complications
Histrionic personality disorder may affect your social or romantic relationships, or your ability to cope with losses or failures. You may go through many job changes as you become easily bored and have trouble dealing with frustration. Because you tend to crave new things and excitement, you may put yourself in risky situations. All of these factors may lead to a greater risk of depression.
NARCISSISTIC PERSONALITY DISORDER
Narcissistic personality disorder is a condition in which people have an inflated sense of self-importance and an extreme preoccupation with themselves.
Causes, incidence, and risk factors
The causes of this disorder are unknown. An overly sensitive personality and parenting problems may affect the development of this disorder.
Symptoms
A person with narcissistic personality disorder may:
Signs and tests
Like other personality disorders, narcissistic personality disorder is diagnosed based on a psychological evaluation and the history and severity of the symptoms.
Treatment Psychotherapy (for example, talk therapy) may help the affected person relate to other people in a more positive and compassionate way.
Expectations (prognosis) The outcome depends on the severity of the disorder.
Complications
OBSESSIVE-COMPULSIVE PERSONALITY DISORDER
Obsessive-compulsive personality disorder (OCPD) is a condition in which a person is preoccupied with rules, orderliness, and control.
Causes, incidence, and risk factors
Obsessive-compulsive personality disorder tends to occur in families, so genes may be involved. A person's childhood and environment may also play roles. This condition can affect both men and women, but it most often occurs in men.
Symptoms
OCPD has some of the same symptoms as obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). However, people with OCD have unwanted thoughts, while people with OCPD believe that their thoughts are correct. People with both OCPD and OCD tend to be high achievers and feel a sense of urgency about their actions. They may become very upset if other people interfere with their rigid routines. They may not be able to express their anger directly. Instead, people with OCPD experience feelings that they consider more appropriate, like anxiety or frustration.
A person with this personality disorder has symptoms of perfectionism that usually begin in early adulthood. This perfectionism may interfere with the person's ability to complete tasks, because their standards are so rigid.
People with this disorder may emotionally withdraw when they are not able to control a situation. This can interfere with their ability to solve problems and form close relationships. Some of the other signs of obsessive-compulsive personality disorder include:
Signs and tests
OCPD can be diagnosed by an experienced mental health professional (psychiatrist or psychologist) with an evaluation. Psychological tests that may help diagnose this condition include:
Treatment
Medications such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (for example, Prozac) may help reduce some of the anxiety and depression from this disorder. However, talk therapy (psychotherapy) is thought to be the most effective treatment for this condition.
In some cases, medications combined with talk therapy may be more effective than either treatment alone.
Expectations (prognosis)
The outlook for people with obsessive-compulsive personality disorder tends to be better than that for other personality disorders. The rigidness and control of OCPD may prevent many of the complications such as drug abuse, which are common in other personality disorders. However, the social isolation and difficulty handling anger that are common with this illness may lead to feelings of depression and anxiety later in life.
Complications
Paranoid personality disorder is a psychiatric condition in which a person has a long-term distrust and suspicion of others, but does not have a full-blown psychotic disorder such as schizophrenia.
Causes, incidence, and risk factors
The causes of paranoid personality disorder are unknown. The disorder appears to be more common in families with psychotic disorders such as schizophrenia and delusional disorder, which suggests genes may be involved. However, environmental factors may play a role, as well. The condition appears to be more common in men.
Symptoms
People with paranoid personality disorder are highly suspicious of other people. As a result, people with this condition severely limit their social lives. They often feel that they are in danger, and look for evidence to support their suspicions. People with this disorder have trouble seeing that their distrustfulness is out of proportion to their environment. Common symptoms include:
Signs and tests
Like other personality disorders, paranoid personality disorder is diagnosed based on a psychological evaluation and the history and severity of the symptoms.
Treatment
Treatment is difficult because people with this condition are often very suspicious of doctors. If treatment is accepted, talk therapy and medications can often be effective.
Expectations (prognosis)
The outlook usually depends on whether the person is willing to accept help. Therapy and medications can reduce paranoia and limit its impact on the person's daily functioning.
Complications
Schizoid personality disorder is a psychiatric condition in which a person has a lifelong pattern of indifference to others and social isolation.
Causes, incidence, and risk factors
The causes of schizoid personality disorder are unknown. This disorder may be related to schizophrenia and it shares many of the same risk factors. However, schizoid personality disorder is not as disabling as schizophrenia. It does not cause hallucinations, delusions, or the complete disconnection from reality that occurs in untreated (or treatment-resistant) schizophrenia.
Symptoms
A person with schizoid personality disorder:
Signs and tests
Like other personality disorders, schizoid personality disorder is diagnosed based on a psychological evaluation and the history and severity of the symptoms.
Treatment
People with this disorder rarely seek treatment, and little is known about which treatments work. Talk therapy may not be effective, because people with schizoid personality disorder have difficulty relating well to others. However, one approach that appears to help is to put fewer demands for emotional closeness or intimacy on the person with this condition. People with schizoid personality disorder often do better in relationships that do not focus on emotional closeness. They are better at handling relationships that focus only on recreation, work, or intellectual activities and expectations.
Expectations (prognosis)
Schizoid personality disorder is a long-term (chronic) illness that usually does not improve much over time. Social isolation often prevents the person from seeking the help or support that might improve the outcome. Limiting emotional intimacy may help people with this condition make and keep connections with other people.
SCHIZOTYPAL PERSONALITY DISORDER
Schizotypal personality disorder is a mental health condition in which a person has trouble with relationships and disturbances in thought patterns, appearance, and behavior.
Causes, incidence, and risk factors
The exact cause is unknown. Genes are thought to be involved, because this condition is more common in relatives of schizophrenics. Schizotypal personality disorder should not be confused with schizophrenia. People with schizotypal personality disorder can have odd beliefs and behaviors, but they are not disconnected from reality and usually do not hallucinate.
Hallucinations, delusions (fixed, false beliefs), and loss of touch with reality are hallmarks of psychosis. People with schizotypal personality disorder do not usually have psychotic symptoms.
Between 30% and 50% of people with schizotypal personality disorder also have a major depressive disorder. A second personality disorder, such as paranoid personality disorder, is also common with this condition.
Symptoms
People with schizotypal personality disorder may be very disturbed. Their odd behavior may look like that of people with schizophrenia. For example, they may also have unusual preoccupations and fears, such as fears of being monitored by government agencies.
More commonly, however, people with schizotypal personality disorder behave oddly and have unusual beliefs (aliens, witchcraft, etc.). They cling to these beliefs so strongly that it prevents them from having relationships. People with schizotypal personality disorder feel upset by their difficulty in forming and keeping close relationships. This is different from people with schizoid personality disorder, who do not want to form relationships.
Signs and tests
Some of the common signs of schizotypal personality disorder include the following:
Treatment
Some people may be helped by antipsychotic medications. Talk therapy (psychotherapy) is a big part of treatment. Social skills training can help some people cope with social situations.
Expectations (prognosis)
Schizotypal personality disorder is usually a long-term (chronic) illness. The outcome of treatment varies based on the severity of the disorder.
Complications
**If you are having thoughts about or have a plan to commit suicide, please contact the counselling department immediately to speak with a counsellor. If it is after business hours, please go the emergency department or call the distress line.
The following resources are for information only.
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A variety of in-class psycho-educational presentations and workshops to the Humber community.