Handout On Personality Disorders

Chapter 16 — Personality Disorders

Slides, handouts, and answers keys created by Karen Clay Rhines, Ph.D., Seton Hall University

Handout 2: What is Psychological Abnormality?

What is personality?

Personality is a unique and long-term pattern of inner experience and outward behavior

Personality tends to be consistent and is often described in terms of “traits”

These traits may be inherited, learned, or both

Personality is also flexible, allowing us to adapt to new environments

For those with personality disorders, however, that flexibility is usually missing

Handout 3: Personality Disorders

What is a personality disorder?

A very rigid pattern
Cognitive theorists look at the lack of substance and the extreme suggestibility seen in people with the
The vain, dramatic, and selfish behavior may be an exaggeration of femininity as defined by our culture

Handout 47: Treatments for Histrionic Personality Disorder

Unlike people with most other personality disorders, those with histrionic personality disorder often seek treatment on their own

Working with them can be difficult because of their demands, tantrums, seductiveness, and attempts to please the therapist

Handout 49: Narcissistic Personality Disorder

People with narcissistic personality disorder are generally grandiose, need much admiration, and feel no empathy for others

Convinced of their own great success, power, or beauty, they expect constant attention and admiration from those around them

People with this disorder exaggerate their achievements and talents, and often appear arrogant

Handout 50: Narcissistic Personality Disorder

People with this disorder are seldom interested in the feelings of others

Many take advantage of others to achieve their own ends

Probably less than 1% of adults display narcissistic personality disorder

Up to 75% of these are men

This type of behavior is common among teenagers and do not usually lead to adult