JoHo

What is a personality disorder?

A personality disorder is a long-term pattern of inappropriate behaviors, thoughts, and feelings. Personality disorders usually onset in adolescence, or in early adulthood, and last a large part of life. To diagnose a personality disorder in someone under the age of eighteen, the personality pattern must be present for at least one year.

In the DSM-IV personality disorders are on the second axis. This means that people see these disorders differently than acute disorders. The disorders on the second axis are chronic and invasive. The DSM-V has rejected this distinction between disorders on Axis-I and Axis-II. Personality disorders are therefore no longer on the second axis in the DSM-V. The DSM-V has divided ten personality disorders into three clusters, based on their similarities. The DSM-V does admit that this system is limited, has not been properly validated and does not explain the fact that people often have multiple personality disorders from different clusters.