Personality Disorder Therapy in Cinco Ranch
Personality disorders may be described as fixed ways of thinking and behaving that deviate from expected cultural norms and cause significant distress and impairment. These personality patterns are deeply rooted, consistent across situations, and often associated with poor relationships, life functioning, and life satisfaction.
The National Institute of Mental Health reports that 9% of US adults experience a personality disorder in a 1-year period, and up to 30% of people who obtain mental health treatment have a personality disorder. Indications of a personality disorder usually emerge by late adolescence or early adulthood, and it’s believed the below factors contribute to the development of these disorders.
Genetics
Biological Processes
Learning Development
Attachment Relationships
There are ten personality disorders, listed below, that fall into three categories, Cluster A, Cluster B, and Cluster C Personality Disorders, but there is much overlap between the different disorders.
Cluster A Personality Disorders involve odd or eccentric patterns of thinking, such as extreme social detachment, distrust, or unusual beliefs.
Paranoid Personality Disorder
Schizoid Personality Disorder
Schizotypal Personality Disorder
Cluster B Personality Disorders are characterized by erratic emotional states and behavior that may involve manipulation or aggression toward others.
Cluster C Personality Disorders feature anxious or fearful patterns of thinking and relating to others.
Psychotherapy is the primary treatment for Personality disorders with the most common approaches being Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) and Cognitive Therapy. DBT emphasizes the improvement of emotional regulation, and Cognitive Therapy focuses on changing the dysfunctional core beliefs those with personality disorders have about the self, others, and the world.
There are skilled therapists at The Resilience Center of Houston that specialize in the treatment of personality disorders. Don’t suffer alone; reach out for help today. Contact us to learn more about our Houston personality disorder therapy and paranoid & antisocial treatment.
What are the different types of anxiety disorders?
What is Generalized Anxiety Disorder?
Generalized anxiety disorder involves excessive and persistent worry that interferes with daily life. Relentless worry results in physical symptoms, like restlessness, feeling on edge, difficulty concentrating, muscle tension, exhaustion, and sleep problems. Topics of worry typically center on everyday matters, like appointments, home repairs, work responsibilities, and family health.
What is Panic Disorder?
Panic Disorder is characterized by recurrent Panic Attacks. Panic attacks present with severe and overwhelming psychological and physical distress, involving some of the below symptoms.
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What are the physical symptoms of Panic Disorder?
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Rapid heartbeat
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Shortness of breath
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Muscle tension
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Sweating
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Shaking
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Restlessness
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Dizziness
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Tightness in the chest
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Numbness or tingling
What are the psychological symptoms of Panic Disorder?
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Feeling like you’re having a heart attack
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Feeling like you’re going to die
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Feeling impending doom
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Feeling like you’re going crazy
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Feeling like you’re losing touch with reality
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Fearing you’ll lose control of yourself
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Constant worry about when you’ll have your next panic attack
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Fear you’ll embarrass yourself
What are Phobias?
A specific phobia involves intense and persistent fear of a particular object, situation or activity that is generally not dangerous. The experienced distress is acute and leads sufferers to go to extreme lengths to avoid what they fear.
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What are common phobias?
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Fear of driving
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Fear of flying
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Fear of vomiting
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Fear of needles
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Fear of confined spaces
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Fear of being alone
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Fear of leaving the house
What is Agoraphobia?
Agoraphobia is characterized by the fear of being trapped or stuck in circumstances in which escape may be difficult or embarrassing, or help might not be easily available. The fear is acutely distressing and interferes with normal daily activities. The person typically avoids the situation, needs a companion, or experiences extreme anxiety.
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What are common situations agoraphobics fear?
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Trembling
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Crowds
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Enclosed Spaces
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Open Spaces
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Public transportation
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Leaving the home
What is Post-traumatic Stress Disorder ?
PTSD can develop after a severe physical or emotional trauma such as a sexual assault, natural disaster, or serious accident. Those with PTSD feel intensely upsetting thoughts and emotions connected to their traumatic experience that persist long after the situation happened.
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What are PTSD symptoms?
The symptoms of PTSD can be categorized into four areas.
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Intrusion – repeated, unwanted thoughts, nightmares, and flashbacks of the event
Avoidance – steering clear of people, places, activities, and objects that are associated with the event.
Changes in cognition and mood – loss of interest, distorted thinking, difficulties concentrating, loss of certain memories, negative emotions, hypervigilance, social withdrawal, and anhedonia.
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Changes in behavior – social withdrawal, anger outbursts, recklessness, sensitive startle response, problems sleeping.
What is Social Anxiety Disorder?
Social Anxiety Disorder involves excessive discomfort in social situations and a fear of experiencing embarrassment, judgment, humiliation, condescension, or rejection in social situations that can negatively impact work, school, and other daily activities. People with this disorder will try to avoid social situations or endure them with great anxiety.
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What are commonly feared situations for those with social anxiety?
Commonly feared situations include attending parties, interacting at work, eating in public, or engaging in unscripted interactions.
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What are common Social Anxiety symptoms?
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Trembling
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Blushing
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Sweating
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Rapid heartbeat
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Mind goes blank
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Stomachache
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Speaks very softly
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Avoids eye contact
What is Separation Anxiety Disorder?
Separation Anxiety Disorder is is characterized by excessive fear of being away from those we are close to, who are also called attachment persons.
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What are signs of Separation Anxiety Disorder?
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Anticipation of potential separation causes mounting fear
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Persistent worry about the negative consequences resulting from separation
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Obsessive focus on the multitude of situations that could lead to separation
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Interferes with attending important activities, like work or school
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Fears of sleeping outside the home and away from attachment persons
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Nightmares about separation
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Headaches, nausea, or vomiting
What is Selective Mutism?
Selective Mutism is a rare and debilitating childhood condition that involves a failure to speak in certain situations in which there is a natural expectation to speak. A child may talk at home, for example, and be nonverbal at school. The absence of spoken communication can significantly interfere with the child’s academic achievement and can stunt their social development and the formation of relationships with others. It is theorized that Selective Mutism may be an early and specific manifestation of Social Anxiety Disorder.
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What are behaviors associated with Selective Mutism?
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Clinginess
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Temper Tantrums
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Excessive Shyness
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Social Isolation