Personality disorders Articles
What is autism spectrum disorder (ASD)? Also called ‘autism spectrum condition’, it is a group of lifelong conditions that result from atypical brain development. Included are Asperger syndrome, pervasive developmental disorder, and pathological demand avoidance syndrome. An individual with ASD thinks and behaves in ways that can be perceived by others as unusual, especially when...
A personality disorder is when your ingrained ways of thinking, feeling, and behaving are consistently different to others in ways that make relationships and functioning in society difficult. Paranoid personality disorder (PPD) involves a long-term pattern of being constantly suspicious and distrustful of others. It means you live life from the distorted perspective that everyone...
Hoarding affects approximately 2-5% of the population and has previously been considered a symptom of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). But recent research has found that hoarding is an independent disorder. [Worried you or a loved one might be a hoarder? Read the facts and symptoms in our piece on Hoarding Disorder.] So what is it like...
What is Machiavellianism? Machiavellianism in psychology refers to a personality trait which sees a person so focused on their own interests they will manipulate, deceive, and exploit others to achieve their goals. Machiavellianism is one of the traits in what is called the ‘Dark Triad’, the other two being narcissism and psychopathy. The term itself...
Hoarding can be something it’s tempting to write off as eccentricity, a bad habit, or the result of laziness. But it is a real and overwhelming psychological condition where someone cannot discard or part with their items without feeling extremely distressed. And it’s always a vast array of items they feel they must ‘save’, often...
Have you ever met someone you enjoyed great conversations with and thought you’d connected with, only to have them vanish without warning from your life? Someone who seemed very present and available – and then suddenly they are gone, or acting like nothing serious happened between you. There, then not there. You might have assumed...
Most of us have one or two things in life we like a certain way. Perhaps we can’t bear mess at home, hate things not going to schedule, or tend to be a bit controlling in relationships. For a person with obsessive-compulsive personality disorder (OCPD) the need to control life – for things to be...
Is an identity crisis normal in our age of social media? Sure, many of us end up creating a bit of a false identity with our Facebook and Instagram accounts, exaggerating our good bits while glossing over the bad. But what if our inability to be authentic is more than just an online issue?...
What is Munchausen Syndrome? What are the symptoms of Munchausen syndrome? And what is the treatment of Munchausens? Can if be cured? This article offers answers....
What Is Bipolar Disorder? Bipolar disorder involves a disruption in the processes of the brain that manage moods. Sufferers experience mental highs and lows during the course of their life in a way which is distressing and difficult to live with. People are usually diagnosed after they have experienced at least one episode of severe...
