Overview of Borderline Personality Disorders

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“The disorder that doctors fear most,” or borderline personality disorder as it is known throughout the medical community, is only one of several personality disorders plaguing society today (qtd. in Aldhous). Unfortunately most people suffering from personality disorders do not attempt to seek psychiatric help and go undiagnosed and the bulk of those who do contact medical professionals are already in the midst of a problem or only search for help following a reckless act (Aldhous). Personality disorders are one of the most prevalent diagnoses of the psychiatric community, with thirty-six to sixty-seven percent of patients in psychiatric hospitals or facilities diagnosed with some sort of personality disorder (Yeandle 21). Even in an age full of so many technological advances in the psychiatric field, an understanding of personality disorders is not common among non-medical personnel, and it is important for people to take a closer look at the types of personality disorders and their respective symptoms, the diagnostic process and its need for reform, and the existing therapies and treatments available for those living with the heavy burden of a personality disorder.
People typically think of personality disorders as a simple concept, but they are truly a complex topic with several different classifications. The most major division of the types of personality disorders is into clusters, the first being Cluster A (Burton). Cluster A is comprised of odd, bizarre, and eccentric personality disorders, such as paranoid, schizoid, and schizotypal personality disorder (Burton). Paranoid personality disorder is best described as a severe lack of trust, even in the people closest to the affected (Burton). Those with paranoid personalit...

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... several various types of personality disorder, every aspect is complex and widely misunderstood by the general populous.

Works Cited

Aldhous, Peter. "Fix You." New Scientist 27 Aug. 2011: 46-49. Print.

Burton, Neel, MD. "The 10 Personality Disorders." Psychology Today. Sussex Publishers, LLC, 29 May 2012. Web. 7 Jan. 2014. .

Daniel, Pamela. "Types of Therapy for Mental Health." CRS - Adult Health Advisor (2013): 1.

"Treating Borderline Personality Disorder." Harvard Mental Health Letter 26.12 (2010): 1-3. Academic Search Premier. Web. 12 Dec. 2013.

Yeandle, Jane, Liz Fawkes, Chris Gordon, and Elizabeth Challis. "Risk Assessment and Management of People with Personality Disorders." Mental Health Practice 17.2 (2013): 21-23. Academic Search Premier. Web. 11 Dec. 2013.

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