Diagnosis: Personality Disorders

Personality Disorders

Including Borderline Personality Disorder, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, and Schizophrenia 

According to the Mayo Clinic:

A personality disorder is a type of mental disorder in which you have a rigid and unhealthy pattern of thinking, functioning and behaving. A person with a personality disorder has trouble perceiving and relating to situations and people. This causes significant problems and limitations in relationships, social activities, work and school.

General Personality Disorder Information

MedlinePlus: Personality Disorders
What Is a Personality Disorder?
What Types of Personality Disorder are There?

Borderline Personality Disorder

The National Institute of Mental Health states:

Borderline personality disorder is an illness marked by an ongoing pattern of varying moods, self-image, and behavior. These symptoms often result in impulsive actions and problems in relationships. People with borderline personality disorder may experience intense episodes of anger, depression, and anxiety that can last from a few hours to days.

Downloadable Resources

Borderline Personality Disorder (from NIH)
Borderline Personality Disorder (from NAMI)
Your Health in Mind: Borderline Personality Disorder

Articles

Borderline Personality Disorder in Adolescents: The He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named of Psychiatry
Borderline Personality Disorder in Teens
Mood Lability and Borderline Personality Disorder
What Is Borderline Personality Disorder?

Websites

Borderline Personality Disorder
National Alliance on Mental Illness: Borderline Personality Disorder

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

According to the Mayo Clinic:

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) features a pattern of unwanted thoughts and fears (obsessions) that lead you to do repetitive behaviors (compulsions). These obsessions and compulsions interfere with daily activities and cause significant distress.

You may try to ignore or stop your obsessions, but that only increases your distress and anxiety. Ultimately, you feel driven to perform compulsive acts to try to ease your stress. Despite efforts to ignore or get rid of bothersome thoughts or urges, they keep coming back. This leads to more ritualistic behavior — the vicious cycle of OCD.

Downloadable Resources

Got OCD? A Guide for Teens
How to Help Your Child: A Parent’s Guide to OCD
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder in Children and Teenagers
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: When Unwanted Thoughts or Irresistible Actions Take Over (Spanish Version)
PANDAS Fact Sheet
Understanding Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder for Young Adults
What is OCD? Facts About Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
What You Need To Know About OCD (Chinese Version) (Russian Version) (Spanish Version)

Articles

Living With OCD: One Woman’s Story
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder In Children And Adolescents

Websites

Brain & Behavior Research Institute: Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
International OCD Foundation
NIMH: Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

Schizophrenia and Psychosis

As stated by the National Institute of Mental Health:

Schizophrenia is a chronic and severe mental disorder that affects how a person thinks, feels, and behaves. People with schizophrenia may seem like they have lost touch with reality. Although schizophrenia is not as common as other mental disorders, the symptoms can be very disabling.

Downloadable Resources

Early Psychosis: What’s Going On and What Can You Do?
Encouraging People to Seek Help for Early Psychosis
Schizophrenia (Spanish Version Available Here)
Understanding a First Episode of Psychosis for Caregivers
Understanding a First Episode of Psychosis for Young Adults
Understanding Psychosis (Spanish Version Available Here)
What is Early and First-Episode Psychosis?

Websites

Frequently Asked Questions about Schizophrenia
NAMI: Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia.com
What Is Schizophrenia?