Personality is the way of thinking, feeling and behaving that makes a person different from other persons. Individual personality is influenced by environment, experiences and inherited traits. It stays the same over time. A personality disorder is a way of thinking, feeling and behaving that deviates from expectations of culture, causes distress and problem functioning and last over time.

It’s a heterogeneous group of disorders defined by problems with forming a stably positive sense of self and with sustaining close and constructive relationships. From time to time, we all behave, think and feel in a way that look similar to symptoms of personality disorders but an actual personality disorder is explained by extreme, inflexible and maladaptive ways in which these traits are expressed. People with personality disorders experience difficulties with their identity and their relationships in multiple domain of life and these problem are sustained for years.

There are different types of personality disorders;

Obsessive compulsive personality disorder

Narcissistic personality disorder

Avoidant personality disorder

Antisocial personality disorder

Borderline personality disorder

The person with this personality is perfectionist and preoccupied with detail, rules and schedules. People with this order pay more attention to detail that they feel to finish projects. They are more oriented towards work than pleasure. Their interpersonal relationships are troubled because they demand that everything be done the right time. They are control freaks. They are unable to discard worn out and useless objects even those with no value.

It occurred due to genes even obsessive compulsive personality disorder might overlap with that of obsessive compulsive disorder, family member of those with OCD tend to have high level of traits involved in obsessive compulsive personality disorder.

People with narcissistic personality disorder are concerned about their grandiose and admiration and preoccupied with fantasies of great success. They are self-centered and less empathetic. Their interpersonal relationships are disturbed by their lack of empathy, arrogance with feeling envy and by their habit of taking advantages of others. They have feelings of entitlement; they expect others to do special favors to them. People with this disorder are extremely sensitive to criticism and become angry when others do not admire them. They tend to seek high status pattern whom they idealized.

Causes:

Parenting style that might contribute to the development of narcissism. Parent coldness may contribute to insecure sense of self. Cognitive, emotional and interpersonal process associated with this personality disorder. They show cognitive biases that would help maintain grandiose beliefs about the self.

People with this personality involves pervasive pattern of disregard for rights of others. They are distinguished by aggressive and impulsive traits. They report the history of such symptoms as running away from home, lying, theft and arson. People with APD show irresponsible behavior, breaking laws, being irritable and physically aggressive. APD is more frequent in male than females.

Genetic factors, social factors which includes family and poverty are main causes of antisocial personality disorders. High negativity, low warmth and parental inconsistency predict antisocial behavior.

The core features of borderline personality disorders are impulsivity and instability in relationship and moods. Their feelings towards other people change drastically and very quickly. They have many mood swings and are impulsive. People with BPD are overly sensitive to small sign of emotions in others. Their unpredictable, impulsive, and self-damaging behavior includes gambling, reckless spending and indiscriminate sexual activity. They cannot bear to be alone, have fears of abandonment and experiencing chronic feelings of depression and emptiness.

Neurological factors are main cause of BPD like people with this disorder have low level of serotonin and higher activation of amygdala. Social factors are also a reason of BPD; parental separation, emotional and verbal abuse during childhood.

People with avoidant personality disorder face social inhibition, feelings of inadequacy, hypersensitivity to negative evaluation. Pattern of extreme shyness and extreme sensitive to criticism. They are unwilling to get involved with people unless they are certain of being liked, preoccupied with being rejected and may view themselves as not being good enough and socially inept.

Emotional abuse, criticism, lack of affection, nurturing by parents and caregivers in childhood may result in the development of this personality disorder. Rejection by peers is also a risk factor.