The American Psychiatric Association says that your personality is a way of thinking, feeling, and behaving that makes you different from other people. But when someone is struggling with a personality disorder, they show a pattern of behavior that doesn’t align with their culture, and those behaviors can cause significant distress and daily impairment.

East Tennessee Behavioral Health offers the highest-quality care for people whose lives have been disrupted by personality disorders. At our inpatient personality disorder treatment center, you can get the comprehensive, customized care you need to find lasting healing.

Signs & Symptoms of Personality Disorders

Each person has a different family history and socioeconomic background, so they may not display all the signs and symptoms of a personality disorder. There are 10 personality disorders that each have different symptoms and characteristics, including:

Antisocial personality disorder – A pattern of distrust, suspiciousness, and disregard for others’ rights
Avoidant personality disorder – A pattern of extreme sensitivity to criticism and detachment from relationships
Borderline personality disorder – A pattern of intense emotions, unstable relationships, and impulsive behavior
Dependent personality disorder – A pattern of submissive, clinging behavior and an excessive need to be taken care of
Histrionic personality disorder – A pattern of excessive emotion and attention-seeking behavior
Narcissistic personality disorder – A pattern of lack of empathy, the need for admiration, and a grandiose sense of self-importance
Obsessive-compulsive personality disorder – A pattern of preoccupation with control, perfection, and orderliness
Paranoid personality disorder – A pattern of distrust, suspiciousness, and seeing others’ behavior as harmful
Schizoid personality disorder – A pattern of detachment from others and expressing little emotion
Schizotypal personality disorder – A pattern of severe discomfort in close relationships, distorted thinking, and eccentric behavior

The signs and symptoms of personality disorders vary depending on the specific personality disorder someone is living with. But, in general, someone may be struggling with a personality disorder if they are showing these signs and symptoms:

Persistent pattern of thinking or behavior that significantly deviates from that person’s culture
Ways of thinking or behaving are affecting how they perceive themselves, others, or the world around them
Emotional responses are not appropriate for specific situations
Unable to function at work, in social situations, or at home
Thought or behavior patterns are inflexible and impact multiple areas of life
Has had these thought or behavior patterns since adolescence or young adulthood

Statistics About Personality Disorders

The National Institute of Mental Health reported the following statistics about personality disorders based on a survey of 5,692 U.S. adults age 18 and older:

Within the past year, an estimated 9.1% of survey respondents met the criteria for a personality disorder.
Also within the past year, 84.5% of respondents who had a personality disorder also struggled with another mental health condition.
Only 39% of those who had a personality disorder received treatment at some point in the past year.

Effects of Personality Disorders

If you don’t receive appropriate support, the effects of a personality disorder can be so distressing that they can keep you from living up to your full potential. Common effects of personality disorders include:

Trouble performing at work or school
Job loss or academic failure
Trouble establishing an independent lifestyle
Ongoing financial difficulties
Difficulty maintaining close relationships
Loss of important relationships
Persistent sense of isolation

The Benefits of Personality Disorder Treatment 

Accepting that you need treatment for a personality disorder takes courage. You might feel overwhelmed at first, but when you find a place to get personality disorder treatment, it can be life-changing.

By working with the professionals at a personality disorder treatment center, you can learn skills that can help you reduce the severity of the symptoms you’ve been experiencing. You may also begin to change harmful thought patterns and behaviors that have kept you from living a full life.

During your time at a personality disorder treatment center, you may also meet others who share your experiences with one of these conditions. This can make you feel less alone in the struggles you’ve endured while allowing you to grow your support network.

Therapies Used to Treat Personality Disorders 

At East Tennessee Behavioral Health, we personalize everyone’s care after carefully assessing their medical history and current symptoms. Each person’s personality disorder treatment plan is comprised of the therapies and services we believe can best prepare them for success.

Group therapy is the main method of care we use, though you may also take part in family and individual therapies during your time at our personality disorder treatment center. Other services we may recommend for you include detoxification, basic medical care, and medication management.

Depending on a person’s therapeutic goals, we may also incorporate motivational enhancement therapy (MET), cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), and dialectical behavior therapy (DBT).

Steps to Enter Our Personality Disorder Treatment Center

When you’re ready to get treatment for a personality disorder, the compassionate team at East Tennessee Behavioral Health is here to help. Our admissions staff is available anytime, day or night, so you can contact us at your convenience.

Our admissions process begins with an initial assessment to determine whether our personality disorder treatment center is the best fit for your current needs. At this stage of the process, we’ll also gather some preliminary information, such as your demographic information, treatment history, and insurance and payment information.

We want you to find the right place to get personality disorder treatment. If we determine that our personality disorder treatment center is the most appropriate fit for your needs, we’ll schedule an admission date and guide you through the rest of the admissions process. However, if we believe that another facility can better meet your needs, we’ll make a referral to a place we have vetted and trust.

If you’re struggling with a personality disorder, it can keep you from living life to the fullest. Let the experts at East Tennessee Behavioral Health help you rediscover just how beautiful life can be.

This content was written on behalf of and reviewed by the clinical staff at East Tennessee Behavioral Health. 