Personality disorders are prevalent among adults, with a recorded 40% being outpatient clients and 71% being inpatient. These disorders are psychological and have different triggers, most of which are located in the subconscious. The expression of these disorders is the way in which the brain signals for professional assistance. Borderline personality disorder is high among teenagers who have a history of substance abuse. Drug abuse carries with it extensive psychiatric disadvantage and causes premature death, especially in male users. Personality disorders can be managed through professional assistance and increased home-based care, especially for those harboring suicidal thoughts.
Key words: personality disorders, substance abuse disorders.
Psychological disorders are mental and behavioral behaviors that impair an individual’s capacity to fully perform as is required by those around them. They are a result of impairment in one part or more of an individual’s life. Since these disorders affect behavior, psychologists attempt to understand the causative factors of these behaviors. Personality disorders have been under study for quite some time, with psychologists attempting to understand the relationship between the impairment and the individual’s actions, and whether these actions are voluntary or involuntary.
According to a research carried out by Hans Ole Korsgaard, Svenn Torgersen, Tore Wentzel-Larsen, and Randi Ulberg, personality disorders are associated with drug abuse, especially among teenagers. The purpose of this research was to determine the viability statement and to prove whether these disorders were not genetically transmitted. The population studied was individuals under the age of twenty, both male and female. The sample number used was 153, aged between 14 and 17. The presence, and absence, of personality disorders were measured under the DSM-4 personality interview. It was established that 18.3% of the adolescents displayed symptoms of substance abuse disorders (SUDs). Of this number, there was no relationship between personality disorders and substance abuse disorders. In addition, among the girls subjected to the study, substance abuse disorder and bipolar disorders were characteristic of a personality disorder. It was concluded that the 153 adolescents, who were all referred to a clinic for testing, had personality disorder symptoms, most of which was related to the use of different substances. In addition, girls who had attention deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD) were more likely to develop negative personality disorders.
The sample population was referred to an outpatient clinic in charge of mental health. While there, they were processed and different research methods used to determine the presence of their disorders and whether they were related to substance abuse. A neuropsychiatric interview was used to assess SUDs and structured interviews were used to determine PDs among them.
There are three types of personality disorders; the suspicious, the anxious and the emotional, or impulsive disorders. Suspicious disorders are characterized by feelings of paranoia, antisocial behavior and schizotypal characteristics. Individuals with these traits find it difficult to confide in people, even close family members. They are characteristically distant and believe that everyone around them is out to harm or betray them. They may also be impulsive people who do not consider other people’s opinion. Emotional disorders are displayed by borderline and narcissistic behavior. Individuals with borderline personality disorder do not have a strong sense of self. Their personality is dependent on who they are with. They find it difficult to maintain stable relationships. They act impulsively and engage in harmful activities. Most of the time they prefer to be alone, and they are likely to harbor suicidal thoughts. Anxious personality disorders are characterized by dependency, obsessive compulsion and avoidance. Obsessive compulsive personality disorder causes an individual to want to keep everything under control. These individuals set extremely high standards for themselves and believe that they have the best way of getting things done. They worry when mistakes occur and often see catastrophes even in perfect settings.
The purpose of this research was to help in the understanding of various personality disorders and their respective characteristics. In addition, these disorders tend to develop from childhood and are manifested in adolescence, when the individual is discovering themselves. According to the researchers, borderline PDs are the most prevalent among the adult population because they choose to avoid seeking for psychiatric counseling the same thing happens for anxiety problems, read about this in the anxiety disorder essay.