Personality Disorders Therapy
Change long-standing patterns that no longer serve you. Our therapy helps individuals with personality disorders develop healthier ways of thinking, relating, & living.
What Are Personality Disorders
Personality disorders are mental health conditions involving long-standing patterns of inner experience and behavior that deviate from cultural expectations. These patterns are inflexible, begin in adolescence or early adulthood, and cause distress or impairment. Unlike mood disorders that come and go, personality disorders reflect enduring ways of perceiving and relating to the world.
Personality disorders affect approximately 10 to 15 percent of the population. Many people with these conditions do not recognize their patterns as problematic, attributing difficulties to other people or circumstances. This limited insight can delay treatment and contribute to ongoing problems.
Types of Personality Disorders
The DSM-5 groups personality disorders into three clusters based on shared characteristics.
Cluster A: Odd or Eccentric
Cluster A includes paranoid personality disorder, characterized by distrust and suspicion; schizoid personality disorder, marked by detachment from social relationships; and schizotypal personality disorder, involving odd beliefs and eccentric behavior. People with these disorders often appear strange or withdrawn to others.
Cluster B: Dramatic or Emotional
Cluster B includes antisocial personality disorder, involving disregard for others' rights; borderline personality disorder, characterized by emotional instability; histrionic personality disorder, marked by excessive emotionality and attention-seeking; and narcissistic personality disorder, involving grandiosity and need for admiration. These disorders often create significant interpersonal problems.
Cluster C: Anxious or Fearful
Cluster C includes avoidant personality disorder, characterized by social inhibition and sensitivity to rejection; dependent personality disorder, marked by excessive need to be cared for; and obsessive-compulsive personality disorder, involving preoccupation with orderliness and control. Anxiety and fear underlie these patterns.
How Therapy Changes Long-Term Patterns
Personality disorder treatment targets the ingrained patterns that cause problems. Unlike treatment for conditions like depression, which may resolve in months, personality disorder treatment typically requires a longer commitment. Patterns that developed over years take time to change.
Therapy helps you understand how your patterns developed, often as adaptations to early experiences. What once served a protective function may now create problems. With this awareness, you can begin to develop alternative ways of thinking, feeling, and behaving.
Techniques Used in Treatment
Several evidence-based approaches are used for personality disorders. DBT is the treatment of choice for borderline personality disorder and is effective for other emotional dysregulation. CBT helps modify distorted thinking patterns. Schema therapy addresses the early maladaptive schemas that underlie personality pathology. Your therapist will select approaches based on your specific diagnosis and presentation.
Benefits of Ongoing Therapy
Personality disorder treatment often continues beyond initial symptom reduction. Ongoing therapy supports the consolidation of changes, addresses issues as they arise, and prevents return to old patterns. Many clients find that continued therapy, even at reduced frequency, helps maintain gains and promote continued growth.
Treatment produces meaningful improvement for most people with personality disorders. While patterns may not disappear entirely, they become more flexible and less impairing. Relationships improve, emotional stability increases, and overall quality of life rises.
Begin Personality Disorder Treatment
Southside DBT provides treatment for all personality disorders. Our clinicians have training in evidence-based approaches and experience working with these conditions. Contact us today to schedule an assessment and learn how therapy can help you develop healthier patterns.