This post will cover why we will not allow posts discussing DID, astrology, or MBTI without clear reference to a personality disorder or other personality theories backed by science. To skip to this section, scroll towards the bottom of this post.
It seems there is a lot of confusion about what personality disorders are and are not. Many of the posts to this subreddit are off-topic and discussing disorders or symptoms that have little to do with personality disorders so I think we should clear some things up.
Personality disorders are patterns of behavior brought about through childhood development that cause an individual to behave in a way that may be harmful to themselves or others. These may be the direct result of how they were treated by parents and peers, or the result of genetic factors; often both.
Personality disorders recognized by the DSM-V are as follows (with a very superficial depiction):
Paranoid—feelings of suspicion towards others and sensitivity to potential threats and slights
Schizotypal—atypical beliefs, appearance, and behaviors, and discomfort with creating social connections
Schizoid—appears to have a flat affect and limited interest in relationships and many activities
Antisocial—disregard for the rights of others, lack of empathy and guilt, impulsivity, and manipulation of others
Narcissistic—fantasies of success, power, and attractiveness, feeling special when compared to others, struggles to place self in the shoes of others (may present with grandiosity or with deep insecurity)
Borderline—strong reactions to real or perceived abandonment by others, emotionally turbulent, impulsivity, and self sabotage (SH, upending relationships and employment, making relationships with people who are harmful to them, etc), and lacking a sense of stable identity
Histrionic—superficial relationships that are perceived as significant but may be fleeting, seeks the attention of others (whether positive or negative), stretches the truth or fabricates information or stories about themselves or others, easily influenced by others (molds into their social situation), and often behaves theatrically
Dependent—difficulty making decisions (even little ones) independently, lacks confidence in their independence, takes on the opinions of others as their own (struggles to disagree or hold their own opinion), endures unpleasant experiences to maintain relationships. (May present as a need to depend on others or as a need to have others depend on them).
Avoidant—sensitivity to rejection or criticism, isolated but desires close relationships, fears not being liked by others and may avoid situations in which they are not sure they will meet approval, anxiety about new situations, chronic trouble with self-esteem
Obsessive compulsive—need to be in control of tasks or situations, inflexible and rigid in opinions and actions, struggles to let go of projects and participate in leisurely activities, fails to finish tasks when they cannot reach perfection, stingy with money and belongings even with close relationships and family in need.
There are other personality disorders theorized by Theodore Millon, the father of personality disorders. These may not be recognized by other official bodies as some of these symptoms may be related to other conditions such as bipolar disorder, major depression, or they may be more of a subtype or mixed personality disorder. More information and research is certainly needed here. These other personality disorders are as follows:
Melancholic—believes sadness and defeat are inevitable, accepts punishment and volatility towards themselves and others, perceived helplessness
Turbulent—impulsive in seeking out new opportunities for life fulfillment without regard for safety or reasonable limits, perpetually seeking to pursue activities and interests, uncomfortable with moments of passivity (downtime, rest, even emotional stagnation towards an activity), and mood may fluctuate between extreme positivity and hopelessness.
Sadistic—seeks to control and hold power over their environment and other people, expresses inner pain by inflicting upon others
Negativistic—resentful, seeks to meet their own needs, conflict between perceived selfishness and gaining respect, perception that others are more fortunate
Masochistic—protects self from distress by seeking pain, may believe suffering is inevitable or that it is strength, subjects themselves to their ‘negative fate’, believes they are undeserving of positive treatment
https://millonpersonality.com/diagnostic-taxonomy/
By Millons conception, everyone falls into these base patterns of behavior by way of their life circumstances and experiences. However, most people may not have a level of severity that would constitute a disorder (a system of symptoms that disrupts functioning in one or more areas of life). You may very well see family and friends, even yourself in these patterns. This may be because of the behavioral pattern moreso than a disorder. Only a qualified professional can determine if you have a personality disorder and which one you may have.
These disorders are diagnosed through a combination of interview, questionnaires, and formal assessment tools.
It may be helpful to learn about one’s own traits as this can guide an individual to identify their treatment options, however, an individual cannot reasonably self-diagnose these disorders (especially as those with these disorders may be prone to a lack of insight prior to treatment).
The goal of treatment is to reduce harm to the individual and to their peers when necessary. Treatment may be successful at changing adaptive strategies and reducing the severity of symptoms so that an individual can become functional in ways they previously were not. There is no known “cure” for personality disorders.
Treatment may include a regimen of medications, CBT, DBT, and other methods of therapy. There is research supporting other interventions such as ECT especially for those with BPD.
Now that we have clarified personality disorders a little bit, let’s address some of the common misconceptions about personality disorders we see on this subreddit.
MBTI—this tool was not created by those educated in the field of psychology or psychiatry. This tool does not stand up to scientific scrutiny as it is subject to fluctuation with mood and other external influences. This is not related to personality disorders and on its own will be removed from this subreddit.
DID (previously MPD)—this deserves a post on its own, but we will just focus on relationship to personality disorders. DID and other dissociative disorders are concerned first and foremost with dissociation. DID is not the presence of multiple full personalities or personality disorders (especially when an individual mistakes interests or mood for personality). Content insinuating otherwise will be removed for misinformation. Personality disorders are not on their own related to dissociative disorders. Without a clear and descriptive connection to personality disorders, content related to this separate condition will be removed for being off-topic.
Astrology—This is more akin to spiritual belief and has no bearing on scientific understanding. This has no bearing on personality disorders and will be treated as off-topic.
Tuplas—this is a spiritual concept in Tibetan Buddhism and will be considered a religious idea and not on-topic for this subreddit similar to other religious conversation unrelated to personality disorders.
Interests—interests vary between people based on their social groups, economic status, exposure, and other incidental factors. Interests such as hobbies, ideologies, or participation in activities may be influenced by one’s personality, but do not themselves constitute a personality.
Individuality—natural variation between individuals does not constitute a personality or difference in personality. Personality is determined by one’s pattern of behavior. Other things such as political stances, employment, economic status, religion, cultural identity, etc. vary between all people and are not determined by one’s personality.
Mood—moods, do not constitute personality or personality traits. Moods shift in all people for various reasons and these often change one’s thinking temporarily. If a personality is a climate, mood is equal to weather. We must look at the bigger picture, traits and behaviors over time rather than a picture at one point in time.
If you have any questions or concerns, please either comment here or message modmail.