(no subject)
Feb. 19th, 2006 05:19 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
sebastienneooh, i do love being a psychology student sometimes. i fulfil the diagnostic criteria for no less than three personality disorders!
for histrionic personality disorder, the diagnostic criteria are 5 or more of the following:
1. is uncomfortable in situations in which he or she is not the center of attention
2. interaction with others is often characterized by inappropriate sexually seductive or provocative behavior
3. displays rapidly shifting and shallow expression of emotions
4. consistently uses physical appearance to draw attention to self
5. has a style of speech that is excessively impressionistic and lacking in detail
6. shows self-dramatization, theatricality, and exaggerated expression of emotion
7. is suggestible, i.e., easily influenced by others or circumstances
8. considers relationships to be more intimate than they actually are
for borderline personality disorder, the diagnostic criteria are 5 or more of the following:
1. frantic efforts to avoid real or imagined abandonment.
2. a pattern of unstable and intense interpersonal relationships characterized by alternating between extremes of idealization and devaluation
3. identity disturbance: markedly and persistently unstable self-image or sense of self
4. impulsivity in at least two areas that are potentially self-damaging (e.g., spending, sex, substance abuse, reckless driving, binge eating).
5. recurrent suicidal behavior, gestures, or threats, or self-mutilating behavior
6. affective instability due to a marked reactivity of mood (e.g., intense episodic dysphoria, irritability, or anxiety usually lasting a few hours and only rarely more than a few days)
7. chronic feelings of emptiness
8. inappropriate, intense anger or difficulty controlling anger (e.g., frequent displays of temper, constant anger, recurrent physical fights)
9. transient, stress-related paranoid ideation or severe dissociative symptoms
for narcissistic personality disorder, I need 5 or more of the following:
1. has a grandiose sense of self-importance (e.g., exaggerates achievements and talents, expects to be recognized as superior without commensurate achievements)
2. is preoccupied with fantasies of unlimited success, power, brilliance, beauty, or ideal love
3. believes that he or she is "special" and unique and can only be understood by, or should associate with, other special or high-status people (or institutions)
4. requires excessive admiration
5. has a sense of entitlement, i.e., unreasonable expectations of especially favorable treatment or automatic compliance with his or her expectations
6. is interpersonally exploitative, i.e., takes advantage of others to achieve his or her own ends
7. lacks empathy: is unwilling to recognize or identify with the feelings and needs of others
. is often envious of others or believes that others are envious of him or her
9. shows arrogant, haughty behaviors or attitudes
so either i have some real problems and should get help, or "personality disorders" are just ways of medicalising extremes of personality so that they may be "treated". which is fair enough if someone is unhappy, i guess, but i happen to like my histrionic/narcissistic way of functioning. but if they're medicalising the extremes of personality bell-curves, who's to say they can't just keep pushing the boundaries in and in and in? how safe are we, the weird and wonderful ones whole deviations from the mean?
for histrionic personality disorder, the diagnostic criteria are 5 or more of the following:
1. is uncomfortable in situations in which he or she is not the center of attention
2. interaction with others is often characterized by inappropriate sexually seductive or provocative behavior
3. displays rapidly shifting and shallow expression of emotions
4. consistently uses physical appearance to draw attention to self
5. has a style of speech that is excessively impressionistic and lacking in detail
6. shows self-dramatization, theatricality, and exaggerated expression of emotion
7. is suggestible, i.e., easily influenced by others or circumstances
8. considers relationships to be more intimate than they actually are
for borderline personality disorder, the diagnostic criteria are 5 or more of the following:
1. frantic efforts to avoid real or imagined abandonment.
2. a pattern of unstable and intense interpersonal relationships characterized by alternating between extremes of idealization and devaluation
3. identity disturbance: markedly and persistently unstable self-image or sense of self
4. impulsivity in at least two areas that are potentially self-damaging (e.g., spending, sex, substance abuse, reckless driving, binge eating).
5. recurrent suicidal behavior, gestures, or threats, or self-mutilating behavior
6. affective instability due to a marked reactivity of mood (e.g., intense episodic dysphoria, irritability, or anxiety usually lasting a few hours and only rarely more than a few days)
7. chronic feelings of emptiness
8. inappropriate, intense anger or difficulty controlling anger (e.g., frequent displays of temper, constant anger, recurrent physical fights)
9. transient, stress-related paranoid ideation or severe dissociative symptoms
for narcissistic personality disorder, I need 5 or more of the following:
1. has a grandiose sense of self-importance (e.g., exaggerates achievements and talents, expects to be recognized as superior without commensurate achievements)
2. is preoccupied with fantasies of unlimited success, power, brilliance, beauty, or ideal love
3. believes that he or she is "special" and unique and can only be understood by, or should associate with, other special or high-status people (or institutions)
4. requires excessive admiration
5. has a sense of entitlement, i.e., unreasonable expectations of especially favorable treatment or automatic compliance with his or her expectations
6. is interpersonally exploitative, i.e., takes advantage of others to achieve his or her own ends
7. lacks empathy: is unwilling to recognize or identify with the feelings and needs of others
. is often envious of others or believes that others are envious of him or her
9. shows arrogant, haughty behaviors or attitudes
so either i have some real problems and should get help, or "personality disorders" are just ways of medicalising extremes of personality so that they may be "treated". which is fair enough if someone is unhappy, i guess, but i happen to like my histrionic/narcissistic way of functioning. but if they're medicalising the extremes of personality bell-curves, who's to say they can't just keep pushing the boundaries in and in and in? how safe are we, the weird and wonderful ones whole deviations from the mean?
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no subject
Date: 2006-02-19 05:31 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-02-19 06:46 pm (UTC)i much prefer the idea of us all leaving university and moving into a huge old rickety mansion together and calling it 'the nuthouse' or something.
no subject
Date: 2006-02-19 10:42 pm (UTC)May I suggest St. Hugh's?
no subject
Date: 2006-02-19 05:33 pm (UTC)Well, from what I understand the boundaries lie along the line where behaviour begins to interfere with everyday functioning. I think we all meet many, if not most, of those criteria at least some of the time, because they are all perfectly natural impulses and drives and each criterion can be interpreted to fit many different situations, but in order to actually have a mental disorder, each individual criterion has to be something that is so extreme it interferes with day-to-day life. People often criticize the DSM-IV for being too broad and inclusive and medicalizing all sorts of perfectly normal things, but that's only if one doesn't keep in mind that it's not a checklist of "have you ever?" but rather one of "do you consistently to the point of...?"
Me, for example? I display many signs of OCD, but I would never consider myself OCD and probably would not trust any psychologist who diagnosed me as such because my little need for left-right equality is not screwing up my life in the same way that checking the stove twelve times before leaving the house would. I am, however, agoraphobic because I take the common discomfort with talking on the phone to the point that I cause problems for myself by putting off very necessary interaction and lying to people about it afterwards.
no subject
Date: 2006-02-19 05:39 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-02-19 05:35 pm (UTC)Insanity is a perfectly rational adjustment to an insane world. ~ R.D. Laing
no subject
Date: 2006-02-19 05:41 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-02-19 06:01 pm (UTC)But I take your point, and you know as well as I do that psychiatry both can and has been (/is?) used to supress non-conformity. Indeed, I've read articles by people who claim that they are asexual and have no sex drive (without it being a problem for them) and feel that the DSM-IV targets them in the same way it used to target gay people, because "lack of desire for sex" is often listed as a symptom.
At least they don't lobotomise women who feel like they ought to have rights anymore... :-)
no subject
Date: 2006-02-19 06:24 pm (UTC)the point about asexuality is an interesting one that i had not considered before, thank you. the pinko liberal in me is certain that more and more implicit prejudice will be discovered and obliterated in such things as the DSM:IV as society becomes more liberal and accepting. of course, to someone with the opposite viewpoint to me, this is just more and more damaging/abnormal things being considered as "healthy" because of the liberalisation of society, so meh.
(a repressed sociology student, moi?!)
no subject
Date: 2006-02-19 05:40 pm (UTC)Hahaha. You're crazy. I demand you tell me how crazy I am or not.
Tx
no subject
Date: 2006-02-19 06:05 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-02-19 06:25 pm (UTC)As to the bell-curve thing; I agree with what's been said before, that's it's only an issue as far as it's seriously affecting your life; to which I'd add that it's probably also an issue if it's upsetting or disrupting other people.
I am in a bit of a state over this one, to be honest. Because I'm probably one of the only people on your flist who's actually been committed for a few things, I can say that being told some things that were 'disorders' and how to 'fix' them actually did help a great deal, and I'm still grateful for the opportunities I had. (However, I was so desperate at the time that probably ANYTHING would have helped that wasn't being-in-the-situation-i-was-in)
However, I am only just beginning to realise how badly fucked up I was by the very litigiousness you're talking about - the conformity of their attitudes. For example, they spent half the time I was in there telling me that I was gay and that I was refusing to accept it, and telling me that I could only get better once i'd 'confessed' my homosexuality. I was told that if I wasn't gay I'd have to 'embrace my femininity,' as the only other option for 'healing'. Now, i'm not queer - i don't fancy girls - but clearly modern psychiatric practice hasn't come to terms with the idea that someone can still have big gender issues - can desperately ache for a body different to their own, can worship the idea of androgyny - without actually desiring their own sex. but i was vulnerable to suggestion, i caved in, and slowly and with great difficulty, I learned to accept my 'girliness,' pretended to like my shape, and grew out my crew cut as a gesture (it was strongly recommended). And i squished all my desires down because I was told it was the only way to get better.
now of course, I'm in a situation where at last I'm healthy, much happier than I've ever been, good friends, good uni, etc. I still get the occasional craving to shave my head and put on a tie and tank top like I used to wear; but I'm terrified even to think about it, because it's been drilled into me that I'm either 'gay' or 'straight,' and if I go back to being 'hmmm' then I risk losing all the progress I've made. And I don't think this is one I'm going to get over - it's been hammered in too deep. I'm still happier than I've ever been, don't get me wrong, my life is pretty good. but I'll never know how much happier I could be if I lived life differently.
a very long ramble with the conclusion that I hate shrinks and I hate theirnotions of conformity!
no subject
Date: 2006-02-19 06:32 pm (UTC)*holds you tight*
and it's totally unfair that they've tied your gender identity to other issues like this. if you ever want to try and seperate them, i'll support you as much as i possibly can, but i won't think any less of you if you don't. because, like you say, you're happier now than you've ever been. and that's something that i'm really glad about, you know.
no subject
Date: 2006-02-19 06:38 pm (UTC)At least now you know why I bristle when you lot go 'eew het!'!
I wonder if we could diagnose ALL of our friends with something different? or perhaps the entire Oxford student population?
no subject
Date: 2006-02-19 06:35 pm (UTC)The first bit where he has mocking the classification scheme was good. Hell, homosexuality was classified as a mental illness for quite a while. But now, if people are happy and don't mind being gay (!), we don't try to 'fix' it.
no subject
Date: 2006-02-20 12:46 am (UTC)