Major approaches for treating personality disorders

Personality Disorders

Approaches to the Treatment of Personality Disorders:

National Library of Medicine defines personality disorders as a "group of psychiatric conditions in which a person's long-term (chronic) behaviors, emotions, and thoughts are very different from their culture's expectations and cause serious problems with relationships and work."

But for those who suffer from this psychological condition, personality disorders are much more than simply a definition; this disorder is something that an individual must live with and deal with every single day. If left untreated, personality disorders can affect an individual's life, to a large extent, and erase complete days, at times, from an individual's memory. Thus, it is important to examine what kind of methodology exists to treat such disorders. This short essay addresses this question in the following paragraphs.

Due to the severity of the disorder, and the many types that exist, treatment options will vary by individual. However, the Mayo Clinic gives fantastic modalities in which leading physicians are now opting to treat this disorder. A first approach is examining a person's life situation, as well as the specificities of their disorder, as mentioned above. Often times, physicians opt for a "team approach" to examine the severity of the situation. The Clinic also mentions that, while many individuals opt for short-term care, long-term care is a must for others, and should be considered by all, given the complexities of the disorder. The first part of treatment modalities would include an exam with a family doctor, as well as a psychiatrist, psychotherapist or psychologist. Other members of the "team" could also be social workers and family members, the latter of which must often be present in order to be able to help the individual at home.

The types of treatment available for individuals range from psychotherapy to medications to hospitalization, or a combination of the three. According to the Mayo Clinic, "successful treatment depends on [an individual's] active participation in [his or her] care." Psychotherapy, for instance, would include treatment through talking. Furthermore, this would be divided by type of psychotherapy employed. Types include cognitive behavioral therapy, dialectical behavior therapy, psychodynamic psychotherapy, and psycho-education.

The second type of treatment approaches, medications would also include several medications varying in intensity and purpose. For instance, antidepressant medication would be prescribed for those suffering from depression associated with personality disorders. Mood-stabilizing medications would even out an individual's moods. Anti-anxiety medications would help with insomnia and antipsychotic medications would help with "losing touch" symptoms. Again, just as the type of psychotherapy varies, so do the medications needed, which vary by individual and by symptom.

The last resort in the case of treating personality disorders would be hospitalization or residential treatment, which would include a 24-hour inpatient care facility, which would help an individual dealing with a severe case of personality disorder, as well as which would come into play when said individual has tried the previous two options.