Article - Personality Disorders

Personality Disorders

Personality challenges and disorders are pertinent discussion points around us these days. The word “Personality Disorder” carries a huge quantum of prejudices and judgements. To tell someone ‘you have Personality Disorder’, is nothing short of a humiliation or an abuse. Ever since I started my journey into the science of mind, I was much intrigued about the word Personality and its various facets. Great men of Psychology positioned the word in different ways. I am yet to come to a conclusion on one single definition for Personality (Theoretical Definition). However, there are many authoritative studies on the disorders and the researches points that ‘Personality Disorders’ can occur due to hereditary factors, abuses and assaults and most importantly Child Rearing Practices (CRP). An unfavourable condition including genetic, may lead to the development of OCDs (Obsessive Compulsive Disorders), Narcissism and similar challenges to Personality.

In olden days, people generalised Personality Disorders as merely being lethargic, diabolical or hyper energetic. Modern sciences point out numerous dimensions on this aspect. The potential causes, like I mentioned in the previous paragraph, may be hereditary elements, CRP, assaults and one’s overall environmental influences.

Hereditary Elements

Clinical and Research psychologists identified that certain behavioural challenges can happen due to malfunctioning of genes and may lead to Personality Disorders like Obsessive Compulsion. Aggression, fear, anxiety and extreme introversion can also be due to genetic disorders. Such studies are still under question and most of them are not universally accepted in totality. However, Modern Psychology does not reject chances of the same.

Child Rearing Practices

This may aptly be called the core cause of ‘Personality Disorders’. From my personal experiences, I believe that the major agent for battering and disorienting one’s behaviour is wrong rearing practices prevailing in the society. My good friend Mr. Rahul Easwar, who is a social activist and philosopher often uses a word Tabula Rasa, a term used to indicate an epistemological theory that individuals are born without built-in mental content and that all of their knowledge comes from experience and perception. Generally, proponents of the tabula rasa thesis favour the "nurture" side of the nature versus nurture debate, when it comes to aspects of one's personality, social and emotional behaviour, and intelligence (Source: Wikipedia). I partially agree with the same. The inputs during the younger age do determine an individual’s future to a larger extent.

The world is moving at a fast pace and is becoming devilishly competitive. People are forced to work not because they enjoy what they do but to survive. Parents are not able to put the right perspectives to their children in many aspects. They often take out their anger, stress and pain on the children. The childhood traumas caused by these acts may hamper the mental abilities of their wards.  The Collaborative Longitudinal Personality Disorders Study (CLPDS) indicates that the early traumas and shocks will affect the Personality of an Individual. Even verbal assaults and abuses by parents create heavy damage on the psyche of the child.

A research on more than 800 mothers and children points that handling of children in a vocal manner such as screaming at them, threatening them etc. may lead to development of borderline, paranoid personality disorders during adulthood. Such children may become introverts, less confident or aggressive individuals.

High Reactivity

Sensitivity to light, noise, texture and other stimuli may also play a role in determining personality. Overly sensitive children, who have what researchers call “high reactivity,” are more likely to develop shy, timid or anxious personalities. However, the role of high reactivity is still far from ambiguity. 20% infants may fall in the highly reactive group, but less than 10% go on to develop social phobias. (Source: Monitor on Psychology, APA Magazine)

Fellow students and Models

The peer-group plays a vital role in development of many positive as well as negative behavioural patterns in an individual. A solid bonding with an individual who may be a teacher, family member or friend can counterbalance borderline behaviour. Models too play an inevitable role in developing the psyche of an individual.

Drugs and intoxicants

Umpteen observations, researches and studies prove that the intake of drugs can create Personality Disorders. Addicts and alcoholics demonstrate Personality Disorders.

In one of my conversations with Mr. George Mathew, former head of Department of Psychology, University of Kerala regarding Personality and Personality Disorders, he commented that the Personality is the sum total of our hereditary and environmental factors. Every moment in our life leads to a new development in our Personality. Something gets added every moment in the process. A rejuvenating talk with a knowledgeable person can make a positive impact and an interaction with an anti-social may create destruction. Best choice is always to be a receptacle for positive strokes and avoid the non-positive ones.