Personality Blog

Individuals who are diagnosed with Avoidant Personality Disorder (APD) are frequently diagnosed with Dependent Personality Disorder too. They can become very dependent on the few people in their support system. Only 0.5% to 1.0% of the general population is likely to receive this diagnosis. This is another of the personality disorders that may become less evident with age.

These individuals may respond well to anti-depressants (when indicated) and psychotherapy. Both Social Phobia and Avoidant Personality Disorder are very treatable, my advice to individuals who have …

Narcissists are found at all economic levels and in many and diverse careers. Naturally, politics, acting, recording, higher education and religion have a ready audience to admire and pamper them. Though, physicians, teachers, attorneys and executives are not without their Narcissists, in fact, these careers could lure an individual with an overachieving ego. Narcissists can have a wonderful façade, much like the Wizard in the Wizard of Oz. He was just a lonely little man behind a curtain …

Recently I read a “cool” list, written by successful author Stephen King. I began pondering what makes someone cool. Alas, I discovered that, “cool” is impossible to define. We know it when we see it, but we become tongue tied and very uncool when we attempt to define it. There are some things in this life that simply “are” — and that is that. The word “cool” first became popular with jazz and soul musicians in the 1930’s and 1940s. It spread from there and …

If you have been following our Personality Disorder series of articles and quizzes you are familiar with psychopaths, and the Borderline, Paranoid, and Schizoid Personality Disorders. Now you have the opportunity to meet the Histrionic Personality Disorder. Histrionic persons crave attention just as I crave great coffee, fabulous sales and chocolate. They appear especially entertaining and attractive early in relationships, yet friendships with these individuals can become a burden very quickly. They can be demanding, emotional, shallow and smothering. Their interpretation of relationships is frequently …

The 4th article and quiz in our series on the Personality Disorders focuses on Schizoid Personality Disorder (SPD). We don’t know what causes the disorder, though we must assume that both genetics and environmental factors are involved. As with individuals with Paranoid Personality Disorder it is challenging to treat these solitary individuals. They may consider therapy either intrusive or threatening - or both. Some therapeutic techniques and medications have proved to be beneficial in treating some of the symptoms associated with this disorder. …

I have just added the third personality disorder in our series, Paranoid Personality Disorder (PPD). If you have not read the first two — Psychopaths and Borderline Personality Disorder — you are behind by two.

As Pat Conroy said:
I’ve always found paranoia to be a perfectly defensible position.

In some situations Pat is entirely correct, though there are individuals who trust no one under any circumstance. We don’t know what causes this disorder, however we are aware that the incidence is increased in families …

Two percent of the population, more women than men, suffer from Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD). Even mental health professionals are challenged in attempting to help these emotional individuals while maintaining their professional detachment and compassionate manner. Also, individuals who have been abused sometimes present with similar symptoms and their symptomology may be due to a trauma reaction or even Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

People with BPD are likely to have highly unstable patterns of social relationships. They may develop very passionate but unstable attachments; their …

Shyness can limit ones enjoyment of life, or if the symptoms are extreme, it can make life excruciating miserable. Symptoms of extreme shyness may meet the criteria for Social Phobia. Social Phobia is defined as (in the DSM IV TR): One strongly, repeatedly fears at least one social or performance situation that involves facing a stranger or being watched by others. Also, the person specifically fears showing anxiety symptoms or behaving in some other way that will be embarrassing or humiliating. The phobic stimulus almost …

If you are a post menopausal woman, it may not be a good idea to drink alcohol every day. Women in this age group, who averaged one to two drinks per day, were 32 % more likely to develop the most common form of breast cancer. For younger women, I would suggest being very careful.

Physical exercise, even 20 minutes per day–this includes all activates– improves our mental health. This is a good thing. Depression and anxiety respond well to physical activity–get busy and stay well.

A recent report by the nonprofit …

We were just getting used to the idea of eating “well.” Eating “well” means consuming foods that are nutritious and not heavily loaded with empty calories, the bad fats or dangerous additives. Learning to eat for your health is not an easy endeavor, for one thing every time a new wellness research study comes out– the rules change. Fortunately, for us they don’t change a lot, but we must adjust our eating behaviors ever so slightly to eat “well.” It is a challenge, and I congratulate each one of you …