It wasn’t long ago that there was little to no treatment for people with personality disorders. The good news is that this is no longer true. Today, counselors can have a huge impact on people dealing with these disorders.
How Common Are Personality Disorders?
Many people are surprised to learn the outcome of a study from the American Psychological Association: up to 30% of patients who look for help with a mental health issue have a personality disorder. There are currently three categories that personality disorders fall under:
- Disorders that make the client anxious and fearful. They include avoidant personality disorder and obsessive-compulsive personality disorder.
- Behavior disorders that result in dramatic, erratic, and emotional behaviors. They include borderline personality disorder and narcissistic personality disorder.
- Personality disorders that lead to odd and eccentric behaviors. They include schizoid personality disorder and paranoid personality disorder.
These three categories don’t cover every personality disorder currently recognized.
Treatment for Personality Disorders
Each client needs a unique treatment plan depending on their needs but in most cases, the first step is to get emotions under control. There are many options, including both medications and a variety of talk therapies. Understanding core beliefs is also important to treatment.
A core belief is a belief a person holds about themselves, the world, or someone else in their life. The belief is inflexible and rigid and they generally develop over time. In most cases, they start in childhood and are then maintained as the client focuses only on information that supports these beliefs and ignores any information that conflicts with their belief.
One role of a counselor is to help patients learn about their own core beliefs, to find the source of them, and to challenge them to deeply explore them. At Thriveworks in Houston, TX, we provide counseling that strives to change our patient’s life – one session at a time.
