Having a personality disorder can be challenging, especially if you haven’t been diagnosed. Many symptoms of personality disorders affect every aspect of someone’s life, and eventually cause trouble in these areas, causing the person to seek a diagnosis. For example, someone with a personality disorder may experience paranoia, extreme emotional swings, unstable self-image, unstable relationships with others, impulsive or destructive behaviors, and more. Personality disorders cannot be cured, but they are treatable.
The Personality Disorders Awareness Network (PDAN) outlines several effective treatments that have been used to help lessen the severity of symptoms found in a personality disorder:
- Dialectic Behavior Therapy – this is a comprehensive, evidence-based form of treatment that incorporates several elements like cognitive-behavioral therapy; a few of the elements include biosocial theory and focusing on emotions in therapy, mindfulness, and acceptance-oriented interventions.
- Mentalization-Based Treatment – this form of therapy helps individuals to separate their own thoughts and feelings from others. It is subtler and is not always the primary basis of therapy, but can certainly be used as a component.
- Schema Therapy – according to the American Psychological Association (APA), a Netherlands-based study was conducted using schema therapy, and 70% of the schema therapy patients reported significant and relevant improvement in reducing their symptoms for borderline personality disorder (BPD).
- Psychodynamic Therapy – also known as insight-oriented therapy, this focuses on the unconscious processes that are deep behind a person’s behavior. Psych Central notes that this form of therapy helps to bring to awareness the key motivators behind a person’s behavior and allows the individuals to look deeply into unresolved issues that have risen from past experiences.
- Behavioral Therapy – considered one of the shortest and most cost-effective treatments, this type of therapy helps a person target typically one specific symptom that they would like to stop.
- Social Skills Training – many people with a personality disorder have difficulty understand the feelings and motivations of others. Often done in groups, social skills training is educational and helps people develop tools to better understand others.
- Medication – medications do not cure the disorder itself, but they can aid in reducing some of the symptoms. Many people utilize medication in conjunction with therapy to cover a variety of grounds.
Avalon Malibu is a world-renowned, California state-licensed mental health and substance abuse recovery center. Our licensed, experienced health care professionals will work with you to restore your mind, body, and spirit. If you are ready to seek treatment, call us today at 888-958-7511 for a consultation.
