Introduction
Many people do not take mental and personality disorders seriously. Nowadays, these disorders are often regarded as mere expressions and temporary states, rather than a serious condition that needs medical attention. For instance, people who are very organized and perfectionist about things, tend to say that they have Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OC), when in fact, OCD is far more than being neat, and organized, and wanting perfection in all things. Another instance is when people experience “mood swings”, which are actually normal and are caused by hormones, people have the tendency to self-diagnose saying that they have Bipolar Disorder, when, again, this disorder is more than just that. A study has shown that out of a sub-sample of 5,692 respondents, the probability of prevalence of any type of personality disorder is at 9.1 percent. This triggers the need to study mental health, in order to help people, understand its causes, effects, and implications.
Prior to this course, my perception of personality disorder was very shallow and meaningless. My notion of people with this kind of disorder, is that they are just easily annoyed, or they are just having difficulty handling their emotions. However, through the help of this course, and the materials that I have encountered and used in this course, now, I have learned that personality disorders are something that should be taken seriously, and should be given ample attention (Royal College of Psychiatrist, 2016). From the textbook Real World Psychology that we used in this course, personality disorders are mental disorders that hinder one’s ability to fully function. A person with personality disorders have a tendency to be inflexible and maladaptive towards social, occupational, and even in practical situations (Huffman & Sanderson, 2014).
Anti-Social Personality Disorder
My initial perception to people with anti-social personality disorder (ASPD) is they are just introverts. They are the ones who easily gets annoyed at the sight of crowds. They isolate themselves from the people around them, just because they are just uncomfortable with it. However, I have learned that my view of ASPD is far from what it actually is, and what it does to person. There are other names which also refers to this anti-social personality disorder are psychopathy, sociopathy, or dissocial personality disorder. People with this type of disorder has no regard for the emotions, feelings, and rights of others (Meloy, 2014). Because of these characteristics, it is often classified as the unhealthiest and most dangerous, of all the mental disorders. It hinders the social and personal development of an individual. There are many ethical and legal considerations for ASPD because it does not only affect the person who experiences it, but most especially the people around them. ASPD can develop as early childhood, and this will be brought until the person reaches adulthood. People with ASPD have high tendencies to perform unlawful, deceitful, manipulative, and reckless deeds.
Borderline Personality Disorder
Before I took this course, I really had no idea regarding Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD). My perception of it is just as simple as mood swings, which are natural for me. Using the course textbook as reference, I learned that it is indeed, instability in the emotions of a person, but a more severe one (National Institute of Mental Health, n.d). People who have BPD are also suffering from instability in his/her emotions, relationships, and self-worth. It is considered as the most complicated of all personality disorders. People with BPD suffer from many different intensities of sadness. They find difficulty in maintaining relationships because they are prone to always feeling depressed, empty, alone, and fear of being abandoned. To cope with these feelings, people with BPD tend to indulge themselves in different vices like smoking, drinking, gambling, and emotional eating (Huffman & Sanderson, 2014). This is alarming because this can put the individual in a more dangerous place. People suffering from BPD always seeks for assurance and absolution in everything.
Conclusion
Mental and psychological disorders do not choose any gender, race, or social status. Though there are external factors, no is still sure on who will obtain this disorder. It is important that these mental conditions be taken seriously. This paper does not intend to teach people to self-diagnose, but rather to help people know and assess themselves if they might be suffering from any of these disease. Each disease is equally important as the other. There is not a single mental disorder that is easier and more accurate than the others. Each of these disease has their own elements that makes it unique. I have discovered that personality disease requires the given serious attention. It must not be taken for granted because these can affect how a child will behave, beginning from their childhood and towards his/her adult life. Everyone must be aware and sensitive enough to determine and discern whether a person is experiencing any of these personality disorders, in order for them to be checked by specialists, and preempt any unfortunate events. It is important to have a positive approach in engaging with people who experience these disorders, so that they will feel comfortable in sharing their thoughts. Treating them like normal people is the best thing to make them feel that they can be comfortable around you, and share their thoughts. Giving them constant compliments will also help a lot making them feel better about themselves, and lessen the negative emotions and thought that they have in their minds. These conditions should be taken seriously, because the individuals who experience these are suffering, we just don’t notice it.
References
Huffman, K., & Sanderson, C. A. (2014). Psychological Disorders. In Real World Psychology. Retrieved May 15, 2016, from https://bookshelf.vitalsource.com/#/books/9781118804001/recent
Meloy, J. (2014). Antisocial Personality Disorder [E-book]. Retrieved May 15, 2016, from http://forensis.org/PDF/published/2007_AntisocialPerso.pdf
National Institute of Mental Health. (n.d.). Borderline Personality Disorder. Retrieved May 15, 2016, from http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/borderline-personality-disorder/index.shtml
National Survey Tracks Prevalence of Personality Disorders in U.S. Population. (2007, October 18). Retrieved May 15, 2016, from http://www.nimh.nih.gov/news/science-news/2007/national-survey-tracks-prevalence-of-personality-disorders-in-us-population.shtml
Royal College of Psychiatrists. (2015). Personality Disorder [Brochure]. Author. Retrieved May 15, 2016, from http://www.rcpsych.ac.uk/healthadvice/problemsdisorders/personalitydisorder.aspx
