Mental Health and Wellbeing Information

Personality Disorders

What is a Personality Disorder?

Personality disorders are conditions in which an individual differs significantly from an average person, in terms of how they think, perceive, feel or relate to others.

Common features include:

• being overwhelmed by negative feelings such as distress, anxiety, worthlessness or anger
• avoiding other people and feeling empty and emotionally disconnected
• difficulty managing negative feelings without self-harming (for example, abusing drugs and alcohol, or taking overdoses) or, in rare cases, threatening other people
• odd behaviour
• difficulty maintaining stable and close relationships, especially with partners, children and professional carers
• sometimes, periods of losing contact with reality

People with personality disorders often experience other mental health problems, especially depression and substance misuse.

Types of Personality Disorders

Paranoid Personality Disorder

A person with a paranoid personality disorder is extremely distrustful and suspicious.

Symptoms & possible impacts in the workplace include:

• thinking other people are lying to them or trying to manipulate them
• feeling they cannot really trust their friends and associates
• worrying that any confidential information shared with others will be used against them
• thinking there are hidden meanings in remarks most would regard as innocent
• worrying that their spouse or partner is unfaithful, despite a lack of evidence

Borderline Personality Disorder

A person with borderline personality disorder is emotionally unstable, has impulses to self-harm, and has very intense and unstable relationships with others.

Symptoms & possible impacts in the workplace include:

• overwhelming feelings of distress, anxiety, worthlessness or anger
• difficulty managing such feelings without self-harming – for example, by abusing drugs and alcohol or taking overdoses
• difficulty maintaining stable and close relationships
• sometimes having periods of loss of contact with reality
• in some cases, threats of harm to others

Antisocial Personality Disorder

A person with an antisocial personality disorder sees other people as vulnerable and may intimidate or bully others without remorse. They lack concern about the consequences of their actions.

Symptoms & possible impacts in the workplace include:

• lack of concern, regret or remorse about other people's distress
• irresponsibility and disregard for normal social behaviour
• difficulty in sustaining long-term relationships
• little ability to tolerate frustration and to control their anger
• lack of guilt, or not learning from their mistakes
• blaming others for problems in their lives

Narcissistic Personality Disorder

A person with narcissistic personality disorder swings between seeing themselves as special and fearing they are worthless. They may act as if they have an inflated sense of their own importance and show an intense need for other people to look up to them.

Symptoms & possible impacts in the workplace include:

• exaggerating their own achievements and abilities
• thinking they are entitled to be treated better than other people
• exploiting other people for their own personal gain
• lacking empathy for other people's weaknesses
• looking down on people they feel are "beneath" them, while feeling deeply envious of people they see as being "above" them

Dependant Personality Disorder

A person with dependent personality disorder feels they have no ability to be independent. They may show an excessive need for others to look after them and are "clingy".

Symptoms & possible impacts in the workplace include:

• finding it difficult to make decisions without other people’s guidance
• needing others to take responsibility over what should be their own important life choices
• not being able to express disagreement with other people
• finding it difficult to start new activities due to a lack of confidence
• going to extremes to obtain support and comfort
• feeling helpless and uncomfortable when alone
• urgently needing to start a new relationship once a previous relationship comes to an end
• having an unrealistic and constant fear they will be left alone to fend for themselves

How can I help myself?

If you think you might have symptoms a personality disorder, contact your GP or have a discussion with your line manager who may refer you to Occupational Health.

You can access our self help page for advice and tips: How to maintain positive mental health & wellbeing