Defining a Personality Disorder

There are ten personality disorders defined in DSM-IV. In each of the disorders, one or more personality traits have become entrenched in a maladaptive pattern. This aberrant personality trait alters the way the person thinks, responds emotionally, relates to others, and/or manages impulses. In addition, it must be fixed both across time and throughout varying social situations (see Table II.I for the diag- 

TABLE 11.1. General Diagnostic Criteria for Personality Disorders 

Thinking and acting in a way that does not fit with the surrounding culture. It is seen in at least two of the following ways  

Has unusually intense, rapidly shifting, or inappropriate emotional responses to others 

Has unusual behavior that does not change despite different situations 

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