Spotlight on Personality Disorders: What to Look For

Unmask personality disorders and explore specific types like Avoidant, Borderline, Narcissistic, and Obsessive-Compulsive. Understand their unique characteristics and their impact on relationships. Discover the potential for change through therapy and gain empathy in your interactions.

Photo by John Noonan on Unsplash
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Exploring Avoidant, Borderline, Narcissistic, and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorders

In this continuation of our series on personality disorders, we revisit the concepts of 'normal crazy' and 'crazy crazy' within the framework of the “drama triangle,” exploring how these dynamics manifest in four specific personality disorders: Avoidant, Borderline, Narcissistic, and Obsessive-Compulsive. This article unfolds in five detailed sections:

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Recap of the Drama Triangle: Reiterating the roles of victim, persecutor, and rescuer, and their relevance to personality disorders.
Avoidant Personality Disorder: Understanding the fear of criticism and avoidance of social interaction.
Borderline Personality Disorder: Examining the unstable relationships and emotional volatility.
Narcissistic Personality Disorder: Discussing the grandiosity, need for admiration, and lack of empathy.
Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder: Analyzing the preoccupation with orderliness and control.

Recap of the Drama Triangle

We reintroduce the drama triangle as a lens to view the behavioral patterns in personality disorders, distinguishing between what my friend and colleague, Dr. Keith Witt, characterizes as 'normal crazy' vs. 'crazy crazy' behaviors. In his categorization, most of us are ‘normal crazy,’ which means we occasionally regress and “shadow crash.” But if we’re called on our stuff, we own it, learn, grow, and move on. ‘Crazy crazy denotes a more entrenched and maladaptive defensive pattern, where we double down on our destructive shadow patterns. As a result, ‘crazy crazy’ people stay stuck. This is the stuff of personality disorders.

The Avoidant Personality Disorder

Individuals with Avoidant Personality Disorder exhibit a pervasive pattern of social inhibition, feelings of inadequacy, and an intense hypersensitivity to criticism. These characteristics often lead to significant difficulties in the avoidant’s long-term relationships.

The Borderline Personality Disorder

Borderline Personality Disorder is characterized by intense, unstable relationships and self-image, along with a pronounced fear of abandonment. This disorder often results in rapid oscillations between extreme affection and intense disdain, making relationships highly volatile. Love you, hate you. That’s the way a Borderline rolls.

Narcissistic Personality Disorder

Narcissistic Personality Disorder involves an exaggerated sense of self-importance and a deep need for excessive attention and admiration, coupled with a lack of empathy for others. Individuals with this disorder often appear arrogant and are preoccupied with fantasies of success and power.

Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder

Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder is marked by an excessive adherence to orderliness, perfectionism, and control, often at the expense of flexibility and efficiency. This can lead to significant distress or impairment in social and occupational functioning.

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Take a moment to reflect on your interactions and recognize if these patterns appear in your life or in those around you. If you're ready to explore how shadow work can help you or someone you know cope with personality disorders, reach out. Let’s explore your options for therapy and effective communication. If this invitation appeals to you, reach out. Contact me at mark@skillfullyaware.com.

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Wishing you abundant health, happiness, and prosperity,

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Mark

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