By: Sara E. Teller
There is tremendous diversity to be found within the category of “personality disorders.” While it’s easy to lump all personality disorders together in terms of the negative impact they can have on relationships and the people around an affected individual, the reality of the situation is far more complicated.
As a starting point, personality disorders are clumped into three clusters – simply labeled “A,” “B,” and “C”. While these groupings do help to bring together similar patterns and problems, there are still plenty of differences within each of the categories. In this post, we are going to take a closer look at cluster B and the four personality disorders that exist within.
An Introduction to Cluster B
To get started, it’s important to clarify which formally recognized personality disorders fall into the second cluster. Those are:
- Antisocial personality disorder (APD)
- Borderline personality disorder (BPD)
- Histrionic personality disorder (HPD)
- Narcissistic personality disorder (NPD)
Quickly, we can see that there are going to be some similarities shared among each diagnosis in this group (which is why these four were chosen to be grouped together, of course). Specifically, there exists intense emotions, mood instability and strained relational patterns. People affected by these conditions tend to be “difficult,” and in some cases, it may be hard to predict what they’ll do next. Because of this, many people push away from those who fall into B, and the ironic part is that it is the person’s own doing despite the fact that they crave emotional closeness.
While similar, it would be a mistake to think that these four all present symptoms and behaviors in the same way. There are important differences in symptomatology and how this impacts thoughts, behaviors, and relationships with others. Below are the details of each of these disorders, in turn.
Antisocial Personality Disorder
As the name would indicate, this disorder is primarily marked by difficulty forming meaningful relationships with others. Someone who is affected by antisocial disorder may simply disregard the feelings of others entirely, will commonly lie to get what they want, and may turn violent in some situations. Not only does this person act in a manner that is counterintuitive to healthy social skills and doesn’t regard the feelings or well-being of others, but there is also often no remorse for those actions in the aftermath. In time, someone with this disorder is going to find themselves isolated due to their behavior, which may only serve to further their antisocial tendencies. Those with APD also crave the adrenaline rush associated with engaging in risky behaviors. This, too, disrupts relationships.
Borderline Personality Disorder
With this personality disorder, an individual may act on impulse more than rationality – especially when placed under stress or pressure. Their impulsive nature can lead to instability in relationships, as it is hard to know what you will get from this person on any given day. There is also the potential for suicidal thoughts or actions in some situations. This tends to be tied to feelings of self-inflicted abandonment. Individuals with BPD crave emotional closeness but the erraticness of their behavior makes this especially difficult to achieve.
Histrionic Personality Disorder
The desire for attention is perhaps the most prominent feature of histrionic personality disorder. A person with this condition is constantly craving the attention of others in every possible way, sometimes even if that attention is negative in nature. Positioning themselves as more successful, important, or attractive than others is common. Sometimes this is achieved through underhanded means such as sleeping with someone who is already in a relationship or refusing to remain faithful in theirs. Forming a meaningful relationship with someone who has histrionic disorder is difficult because that relationship will likely feel one-sided – the affected individual will always want the spotlight and will struggle to share any attention or accolades with others. It is also impossible, too, (in romantic partnerships) for the individual with HPD to remain devoted to one partner.
Narcissistic Personality Disorder
An individual with narcissistic personality disorder thinks that they are more important than others. This thinking leads to various outcomes, including minor issues like exaggerating accomplishments, and more impactful problems like taking advantage of others because they feel entitled. As with antisocial disorder, a person with NPD will probably struggle to determine how the feelings of others are impacted by their actions, and they might not care if they do notice. Along with these delusions of grandeur can come a deep envy of others who are truly successful and accomplished in a way that the individual is not.
If you have someone in your life that is living with one of the four cluster B personality disorders, it’s important to get them the necessary help to deal with these issues (if they are willing to accept such help). Working with a psychiatrist or another mental health professional may reduce the impact of a personality disorder on day-to-day life and close relationships. Also, medication can be prescribed to address some of the symptoms that are present.
It is also important to remember to take care of yourself, and to set appropriate boundaries. It can be physically, mentally and emotionally draining interacting with a cluster B personality disorder on a consistent basis. Taking steps to ensure you protect yourself and your energy will help minimize any distress.
Break the silence, break the cycle.