General Signs of Personality Disorder

[GCAJH]

What are the most common red flags that you're interacting with a personality disordered individual? Are there any general signs that apply to all personality disorders? I know that there are many different personality disorders and that each disorder is characterized by it's own distinctions, but are there some things that they all have in common?

Would one common characteristic be that a personality disordered person would be angry seeing others around them happy? Would this characteristic apply to most types of personality disorders? I understand that there are more than one criteria needed to diagnose someone with a personality disorder. But which PD's would be more likely to include the above described symptom (if it is not present in all PD's)?

[Happy Bunny]

To answer the second part of your question.  No, they would not necessarily be angry. More likely to be obsessional and hold faulty perceptions.  Sorry I cannot direct you to any research.

[S. Earl Martin]

I am not a professional by far, but I have always read or heard that all people have some delussional thinking or things that could be interpreted as mental illness. It is when they become a danger to themselves or others that it becomes a mental illness. If you look at the trouble experts have decideing if someone is competant to stand trial. Or were insane at the time they commited a crime. It becomes apparent it isn't just saying this or that symptom makes someone insane. We have people walking the streets that are definetly delusional, but they are not "locked up". I once went to do a study on Bi Polar disorder. At the interview to see if I qualify I was joking with the psychologist by saying.

" We are just fine thank you. No we're not. I am fine, but your crazy. Don't call me crazy. You are the one who has a problem. Etc." 

They tried to have me commited. I told them I was only jokeing, but that just convinced them I was trying to cover up my condition.

[GCAJH]

I am not a professional by far, but I have always read or heard that all people have some delussional thinking or things that could be interpreted as mental illness. It is when they become a danger to themselves or others that it becomes a mental illness.

That's an interesting way to look at it... that's true, everyone has some delusional thinking, it doesn't necessarily make them sick, often just means they're misinformed or jaded from bad experience.

And something else that's interesting to think about... those who go around interpreting left and right that others have mental illness because of the many delusional thinking patterns they perceive in others... those people would probably actually be more prone to become mentally ill than those they are going around labeling.  Why?  Because thinking this way may eventually come out in the way they treat those people - in unhealthy, destructive ways.  Treating someone who's healthy as though they aren't can't be healthy!  Just a random theory I had... something to think on.

If you look at the trouble experts have decideing if someone is competant to stand trial. Or were insane at the time they commited a crime. It becomes apparent it isn't just saying this or that symptom makes someone insane. We have people walking the streets that are definetly delusional, but they are not "locked up".

I understand what you're saying but I think you're missing part of what I was asking.  I'm not asking if someone 'being angry when others are happy' is HOW YOU KNOW that someone has a personality disorder.  I'm asking if this is one aspect COMMONLY found in personality disordered individuals - who have already been studied extensively in a clinical setting and diagnosed after recognizing all the different criteria needed to make a diagnosis.  Would this usually be a common issue of people with personality disorder?

On a side note - correct me if I'm wrong about any PD's other than psychopathy and antisocial PD (I've studied those extensively) - but personality disorders, I've read, aren't really considered to be mental illness.  It's more engrained than that, it's part of the person's makeup, development of personality.  People with PD's are still able to function, it's just in an unhealthy way that is harmful for healthy people to be around; PD people also have the clarity of mind to know the difference between right and wrong and could choose to do the right thing if they really wanted to.  That's why personality disordered people caught in court can go to prison - they don't have the excuse of being mentally ill; they knew what they did so are held accountable for it, unlike a mentally ill person who would be deemed mentally incompetent.  If the person were deemed mentally ill, instead of being sent to prison, they would be sent to a mental institution to receive help for their condition.  Then there are those who have PD and mental illness... that's another story.  But my point - PD can be isolated and in that case they are competent - not mentallly ill - so held accountable.

I once went to do a study on Bi Polar disorder. At the interview to see if I qualify I was joking with the psychologist by saying. 

" We are just fine thank you. No we're not. I am fine, but your crazy. Don't call me crazy. You are the one who has a problem. Etc."

They tried to have me commited. I told them I was only jokeing, but that just convinced them I was trying to cover up my condition.

Ha, that's very interesting.  Were you doing the study while in college?  Yeah, unfortunately a lot of codependents are drawn into the field of psychology (not saying that there aren't some good ones out there) who I think are always just LOOKING for a new project and lose sight of the reason they're supposed to be there - to actually help people in a healthy and objectional way... rather than try to convince them they have MORE problems that they really do!  Your experience is just proof of that issue.

[GCAJH]

To answer the second part of your question.  No, they would not necessarily be angry. More likely to be obsessional and hold faulty perceptions.  Sorry I cannot direct you to any research.

Yeah I can see that maybe being the case.  I know they are likely to be obsessional and hold faulty perceptions for sure.

[S. Earl Martin]

I did the study after I was injured in a car wreck. I was hit by a drunk driver. I was nearly paralized and had to sell my business. I was experienceing anger issues and did the study to deal with the Bi Polar disorder. They eventually did accept me in the study, but it was a ripp off. They were really trying to find people to get them in treatment with their medications. I passed. Peace

[GCAJH]

I did the study after I was injured in a car wreck. I was hit by a drunk driver. I was nearly paralized and had to sell my business. I was experienceing anger issues and did the study to deal with the Bi Polar disorder. They eventually did accept me in the study, but it was a ripp off. They were really trying to find people to get them in treatment with their medications. I passed. Peace

Well I'm very glad you made it out alive and are okay.

[S. Earl Martin]

No problem. I was asked if I was doing the study in college. Etc. I find it frustrating when I ask something and don't get an answer. So I answered. I did make it out alive. But am I okay? That would depend on who you ask and how you define "okay". Lol Peace