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Personality Disorder

The information you find here has been co-produced with service users with lived experience of Personality Disorder.

This information is useful to people who have, or are exploring a diagnosis of Personality Disorder. We want provide you with information and support around what the diagnosis is, and how you might start to manage it.

It doesn’t matter if, when or how you received the diagnosis, this information will still be relevant to you. It may also be useful for anyone who struggles to manage their emotions.

Our personality is the collection of thoughts, feelings and behaviours that makes each of us the individuals we are.

We don’t always think, feel and behave in exactly the same way – it depends on the situation we are in, the people around us and many other linked factors.

If you experience significant difficulties in how you relate to yourself and others and have problems coping day to day, you may receive a diagnosis of personality disorder.

The International Classification of Disease (11th revision; ICD-11) offers a comprehensive definition of Personality Disorder:

"Personality refers to an individual's characteristic way of behaving experience life, and of perceiving and interpreting themselves, other people, events and situations Personality disorder is a marked disturbance in personality functioning, which is nearly always associated with considerable personal and social disruption. The central manifestations of personality disorder are impairments in functioning of aspects of the self (i.g. identity, self-worth, capacity for self direction) and/or problems in interpersonal functioning (e.g. developing and maintaining close and mutually satisfying relationships, understanding others perspectives managing conflict in relationships). Impairments in self functioning and/or interpersonal functioning are manifest in maladaptive (e.g. inflexible or poorly regulated) patterns of cognition, emotional experience, emotional expression and behaviour."

We now know that each person experiences Personality Disorder in a different way. Have a look at some of the quotes and analogies below from people who have been living with a Personality Disorder for some time.

A speech bubble says: "Having personality disorder means I experience emotions intensely, it can be a challenge. However once diagnosed I could access specialist help and I'm learning to manage my emotions in a more compassionate way."A speech bubble says: "living with a personality disorder has been the most challenging experience of my life. I managed 40 years without help or support, 40 years of confusion and isolation. Only now, I've begun to understand my disorder and get proper support from mental health services. I feel like I do have a place in the world, I am able to build strong relationships and I can achieve my goals."

A speech bubble say: "It has been a very exhausting journey. What has helped me is knowing I am not alone in this chaos week or life, the good, the bad. There is always someone out there to offer us guidance, it's just whether or not we want to help ourselves and I think that is the hardest battle each of us face."