Wednesday, 25 May 2011

Personality Disorder Test

Every person has a unique way of reacting and perceiving things in life. And since every personality is unique, there is no benchmark for an ideal personality. Precisely, every person has a blend of the favorable and unfavorable traits in him. However, if a person is exhibiting negative traits (like obsession, inflexible thought process and persistent discord with everyone around) most of the times, it does raise an alarm of concern. In such a case, there is a possibility that the person may be suffering from a personality disorder. But how does one identify if a person is suffering from one or not? A personality disorder test will help! Well, before going for a personality disorder test, one must first understand the personality disorder types. Here you go!

Personality Disorders Types
A personality disorder can be termed as a condition, where a person finds it difficult to live a normal social life. His perceptions of the environment around him and his ability to function socially is impaired. For instance, a person may behave eccentric by being anxious and inhibited at a time and extremely dramatic at other times. People suffering from personality disorders cannot respond with a cool head to problems, specially where relationships and professional life are concerned. Above all, these people are unaware that something is amiss in their thought process and behavioral patterns. So before proceeding with the personality disorder test, it is important to understand the types of personality disorder and its severity. There are three basic types of personality disorders as listed below:

Cluster A: People with an odd and eccentric thought process fit into this category. Cluster A covers the following types:


Disorder Type
Personality Traits
Paranoid Personality Disorder Distrust, suspicion, hostility and emotional detachment
Schizoid Personality Disorder Limited emotional expression, indifference to others, inability to understand social cues and lack of interest in socializing
Schizotypal Personality Disorder Discomfort in relationships, flat emotions, peculiar beliefs, believing one can influence people with thoughts (magical thinking), suspecting hidden messages in public speeches and displays

Cluster B: If a person is behaving overly dramatic and is spending most of his time overly thinking on emotions and behavior, then he would fit in the following categories:

Disorder Type
Personality Traits
Antisocial Sociopathic Disorder Aggression, disregard for self and others, lying, stealing and violating laws
Borderline Personality Disorder Impulsive nature, suicidal tendencies, unstable mood, volatile relationships and eremophobia (fear of loneliness)
Histrionic Personality Disorder Seeking attention all time, extremely sensitive, too much of concern with appearance, unstable mood and extremely emotional
Narcissistic personality disorder Underestimating others, exaggerating one's achievements, insensitive to other people's emotions and fantasizing about power and success

Cluster C: If a personality is characterized by constant anxiety and fearful thinking, then the personality fits into the following types:

Disorder Type
Personality Traits
Avoidant Personality Disorder Social aloofness, extremely shy and timid, hypersensitivity to failures and rejection and feeling inadequate
Dependent Personality Disorder Extreme submissiveness, tolerating abusive behavior, excessively dependent on someone (for eg: starting a new relation as soon one has ended)
Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder Extreme levels of obsession with cleanliness, decorum and perfection, controlling situations and absolutely inflexible to situations


Personality Disorder Test Questions
Now that we know something about the personality disorder types, let's understand what a personality disorder test is all about. A set of questions is prepared, focusing on all the aspects of a personality. If any of the unfavorable traits is overbearing, a preliminary personality disorder test will help identify the disorder the person is suffering from. Below is just a sample questionnaire pattern. Just scroll through to get an idea!

   1. Are you overly sensitive to failures and criticism?
   2. Are you often impulsed to do things which you are asked not to?
   3. Do you experience magical thinking (belief that one has power to influence others)?
   4. Have you had any problems with law?
   5. Have you gone through a series of unstable and intense relationships in a short span of time?
   6. Are you a very suggestive person?
   7. Are you extremely obsessed with rules and regulations?
   8. Do you always crave for attention and importance all the time?
   9. Do you always underestimate people around you and over exaggerate your achievements?
  10. Are you aggressive towards animals and people who are weaker than you?

These were some sample questions of a personality disorder test. Hope you have got an idea on what this personality disorder test is all about, from this article. A psychiatrist conducts one such test on the patient, and based on the answers of the patient, the psychiatrist will evaluate which category the disorder belongs to. For instance, a split personality disorder test helps in identifying a split personality disorder (a disorder where a personality contains 2 or more images of itself, each of them having a different perception about things). Usually, these mental illnesses are treated with psychotherapies and medications. Mental illness is a dicey medical condition, pertaining to the fact that the mind is more complicated make than the body. Treating such conditions require a lot of patience, work around, and study by the psychiatrist.

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