sebastienne (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
sebastienne) wrote2006-02-19 05:19 pm
sebastienne) wrote2006-02-19 05:19 pm
(no subject)
ooh, 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?
no subject
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