What is a Personality Disorder?

Personality disorders are a type of disorder that negatively affect patterns of thinking, mood, and behaviour.

There are three clusters of personality disorders:

1) Cluster A - characterized by odd patterns

· Paranoid Personality Disorder

· Schizoid Personality Disorder

· Schizotypal Personality Disorder

2) Cluster B - characterized by dramatic and unpredictable patterns

· Antisocial Personality Disorder

· Borderline Personality Disorder

· Histrionic Personality Disorder

· Narcissistic Personality Disorder

3) Cluster C – characterized by anxious and fearful patterns

· Avoidant Personality Disorder

· Dependent Personality Disorder

· Obsessive-compulsive Personality Disorder

Personality Disorders can be influenced by genetics and environment. Individuals are more susceptible to these disorders if there is a family history of personality disorders or other mental illnesses, and/ or they have experienced abuse or an unstable/ chaotic family environment growing up.