According to the DSM-V, there are 10 types of personality disorders in three separate categories (Clusters A, B, and C) in which they are categorized. Cluster A disorders are characterized as odd and eccentric behaviors and includes the following disorders:
Cluster A Disorders
Paranoid Personality Disorder (PPD)
Paranoid Personality Disorder is typically defined by extreme mistrust and suspicion in thought patterns that it interferes with an individual’s daily functioning. An individual suffering from this personality disorder will be suspicious of family, friends, systems, and environments and disort experiences they have to validate their suspicions.
Schizoid Personality Disorder
A person with Schizoid Personality Disorder is detached and expresses minimal emotions. These individuals will prefer isolation and do not long for emotional or physical intimacy. These people also do not seem to care about praise or criticism from others and will appear distant.
Schizotypal Personality Disorder
A person with this disorder tends to have eccentric speech and behavior. They may hear voices, act in an odd manner and tend to avoid social contact due to the fact that they believe other people may be harmful.
Cluster B Disorders
Cluster B Disorders involve characteristics that are erratic, dramatic, and include the following disorders:
Antisocial Personality Disorder
Someone with antisocial personality disorder does not conform to social norms and tends to violate the rights of others. They don’t pay attention to social rules and often act aggressive, feeling no guilt for their actions. They may be filled with lies or deceit and act impulsively.
Borderline Personality Disorder
People with borderline personality disorder tend to be emotionally unstable, have intense emotions, poor self-image, and have had a series of short-lived relationships. These individuals tend to have extreme mood swings, low self-worth, and have an irrational fear of being abandoned. Most who experience symptoms of borderline personality disorder have had sexual trauma or were bullied during childhood.
Histrionic Personality Disorder
Histrionic Personality Disorder involves characteristics of people basing their self-esteem and wellbeing from the approval of others. Most often, these individuals resort to dramatizing their needs and having an obsession with appearance or inappropriate behavior to garner attention from others. Most people who are histrionic have superficial relationships and are sensitive to criticism, as they cannot process rejection in a healthy way.
Narcissistic Personality Disorder
People with narcissistic personality disorder have an unhealthy and exaggerated obsession with self-importance. These people have a need for validation and have a lack of compassion and empathy for others around them. More often than not, they also have a sense of entitlement and prioritize their needs over others.
Cluster C Disorders
Cluster C Personality Disorders are most often characterized by anxious or fearful thoughts, creating avoidant and dependent behaviors. These personality disorders are marked by the following:
Avoidant Personality Disorder
Avoidant personality disorder is characterized exactly how it sounds. With patterns of avoidance and extreme shyness, these individuals face feelings of inadequacy and have a preoccupation of being rejected or criticized. These people also believe that they are socially inept and not good enough, resulting in avoidant behavior in areas such as school, work, family life, and social settings.
Dependent Personality Disorder
Someone with dependent personality disorder tends to be clingy and depends on others for everyday decisions to get their needs met. They have a deep fear of abandonment and take no sense of responsibility for their actions. These individuals will also often appear to be childlike and helpless with little to no sense of identity.
