Pearls for Working with People Who Have Personality Disorder Diagnoses.
Personality disorders are a group of diagnostic categories applicable when people show personality traits that are so extreme they cause clear difficulties in their lives and relationships. More widespread agreement is found on sorting by three broad categories (odd/eccentric, dramatic/emotional/erratic, and anxious/fearful) than by more specific subtypes. Primary care physicians need to recognize when extreme personality traits are causing difficulties in their relationships with patients and to have a way to approach these difficulties when they arise. This article reviews current thinking on the diagnosis and treatment of personality disorders, focusing especially on dramatic/emotional/erratic disorders, which are those most often problematic in clinical settings.
Departments of Family Medicine and Psychiatry, NorthShore University HealthSystem, Glenbrook Hospital, University of Chicago, Suite 200, 2050 Pfingsten Road, Glenview, IL 60025, USA. Electronic address: gcombs@northshore.org.
Gene
G
Combs
Department of Family Medicine, NorthShore University HealthSystem, Glenbrook Hospital, University of Chicago, Suite 200, 2050 Pfingsten Road, Glenview, IL 60025, USA.
Lauren
L
Oshman
D001521:Behavior Therapy / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D062405:Motivational Interviewing / Q000379:methods; D010347:Patient Care Planning; D010554:Personality Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy*; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000379:methods*; D012648:Self Care; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
Borderline personality disorder; Cluster B; Dialectical behavior therapy; Motivational interviewing; Personality disorder