What are Different Types of Personality Disorders?
The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV), a manual published by the American Psychiatric Association which is used to diagnose all mental disorders, defines personality disorders as patterns of experience and behavior that are drastically different from the norm. In order to warrant a diagnosis of a personality disorder, an individual must exhibit deviant patterns of behavior in at least two of the areas of thinking, mood, personal relations and impulse control. There are ten personality disorders currently identified in the DSM-IV. These disorders are grouped into three major classes, or clusters. Cluster A, which includes the paranoid, schizoid, and schizotypal disorders, identifies odd or eccentric personality disorders. For example, paranoid personality disorder (PPD) is characterized by persistent feelings of distrust and suspicion against others. A person with PPD may experience constant but unjustified suspicions that others are planning to deceive him or h
