All that Ails your Mind

Much of the strain can be alleviated just by knowing the cause, because that opens the doors for a remedy.

A careful analysis of some of your “eccentricities” will help you bring about changes in your conduct. You can also adjust to the some of the eccentricities of those around you to bring about greater harmony.

Here is a list of some of the most common disorders:

Borderline Personality Disorder
Those who suffer from this disorder are debilitated by an intense fear of abandonment. This fear makes them act in a way that they actually set themselves up to be abandoned. They suffer wild mood swings and are very unpredictable. They are nice and charming one moment and difficult, angry and stubborn the next.

They are also suicidal and frequently engage in self-mutilation. Their actions can be self-destructive.

It is difficult for people suffering from this disorder to nurture long term relationships, simply because they are difficult to live with. Their treatment also needs to be long-term.

Narcissistic Personality Disorder
An individual with this disorder is often accused of having an inflated ego. The individual appears to be in love with himself or herself, and has scant regard for others.

Presenting themselves in a grandiose manner, they demand, not seek, admiration. Despite the many problems they create for others, they believe they are special and so deserve special treatment.

Those who suffer from this disorder tend to be arrogant and can justify themselves easily in taking advantage of others. On the inside though, they are rather sensitive and unable to tolerate criticism.

The biggest hindrance in treating these people is their notion that there is nothing wrong with them and if there are problems, they are caused by others.

Obsessive Compulsive Personality Disorder
An individual with this disorder is a perfectionist. He or she is a stickler for rules and will follow them for the sake of following rules.

It is difficult for afflicted individuals to be able to complete any task, since they will keep redoing it. Their obsession with perfection and rules slows them down.

While they are over-conscientious at work, they do not have thriving relationships. They are also extremely rigid in terms of morals and values, to a degree not even expected by their religious background.

They are reluctant to delegate responsibilities and so get bogged down. They hate disposing off things they don’t need as they are convinced that the need may arise some day. They are also extremely careful with money.

Another weak area is their inability to take quick decisions because of their fear of going wrong.

Intermittent Explosive Disorder
This disorder is marked by aggressive outbursts resulting in either destruction of property or physical assaults on others.

Sufferers, generally men, have a history of losing control of their temper, resulting in aggression, such as assault on others or destruction of property.

Typically, the aggression is not in proportion to the precipitating factor. But they will not hold themselves responsible for their loss of control. They will find something or someone to blame. It could be the victim or external circumstances; just about anything but themselves.

Since they do not feel responsible for what they do, guilt is out of the question and this prevents them from trying to change.

Phobias
A phobia is an intense fear without commensurate cause. The causative factor of a phobia typically poses little actual threat.

Common phobias and fears include fear of closed spaces and open spaces, fear of heights, fear of water, fear of snakes, reptiles or insects, driving etc. While most phobias develop in childhood, some also develop in adulthood.

Paranoia
In this disorder, the affected individual is excessively suspicious of others around him or her, from complete strangers to even close relatives. The affected person feels everyone is conspiring against him or her and is, as a consequence of this, fearful, anxious and suspicious.

A person with mild paranoia manages to function socially. But if the condition becomes severe, it can be incapacitating and would require medical intervention.

All these disorders are precipitated by the demands of life. Often childhood insecurities manifest as psychological disorders in adulthood.

People would benefit immensely in their personal lives if they replaced a judgmental approach about a person with personality disorders with a more informed and constructive approach.