Should people with personality disorders be given the same consideration as those with mental illnesses?

Personality disorders are a sub-category of mental illness. So I don’t quite understand; this is like saying “Should oranges be treated the same as fruit?”

I was just musing earlier today about how we tend to reward some personality disorders with high elected office or corporate/financial leadership roles. Apparently, the incidence of psychopathy is 4 times as high among CEOs as in the general population. Histrionics seem to do quite well in the entertainment industry. Maybe it’s just a matter of finding one’s niche.

Probably, but it is hard to treat people with personality disorders with compassion, because they tend to be so obnoxious.

@thorninmud Thanks for the article… just the other day my boss was lecturing us about how we need to be more people-centric and compassionate towards our employees. Now I have evidence to show him that that is not the way to the top of the food chain :)

@Aethelflaed They’re both psychiatric disorders. But mental disorders fall under Axis I and personality disorders fall under Axis II (DSM). The categories have different aspects of disorder and disability.

@Aethelflaed Where do Autism and Bipolar fall under these categories?

@abysmalbeauty Autism is a mental disorder. Bipolar falls under personality disorder.

@Nimis No. That’s incorrect. The DSM is the Diagnositic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. All mental disorders. The disorders are divided into the following major categories: Disorders Usually First Diagnosed in Infancy, Childhood, or Adolescence; Delirium, Dementia, and Amnestic and Other Cognitive Disorders; Mental Disorders Due to a General Medical Condition; Substance-Related Disorders; Schizophrenia and Other Psychotic Disorders; Mood Disorders; Anxiety Disorders; Somotoform Disorders; Factitious Disorders; Dissociative Disorders, Sexual and Gender Identity Disorders; Eating Disorders; Sleep Disorders; Impulse-Control Disorders Not Elsewhere Classified; Adjustment Disorders; Personality Disorders; and Other Conditions That May Be a Focus of Clinical Attention. From there, each category has it’s own sub-categories. For instance, under Disorders Usually First Diagnosed in Infancy, Childhood, or Adolescence, there are the following sub-categories: Mental Retardation; Learning Disorders; Motor Skills Disorder; Communication Disorders; Pervasive Developmental Disorders; Attention-Deficit and Disruptive Behavior Disorders; Feeding and Eating Disorders of Infancy or Early Childhood; Tic Disorders; Elimination Disorders; and Other Disorders of Infancy, Childhood, and Adolescence.
Borderline personality disorder is a personality disorder, as is Histrionic Personality Disorder. Bipolar is a mood disorder (not a personality disorder), along with Major Depressive Disorder and Dysthymia. Autism is a Pervasive Developmental Disorder under the Disorders Usually First Diagnosed in Infancy, Childhood, or Adolescence category.
The Axes don’t really work like that. “Axis I is for reporting all the various disorders or conditions in the Classification [Clinical Disorders and Other Conditions That may Be a Focus of Clinical Attention] except for the Personality Disorders and Mental Retardation (which are reported on Axis II).... The listing of Personality Disorders and Mental Retardation on a separate axis ensures that consideration will be given to the possible presence of Personality Disorders and Mental Retardation that might otherwise be overlooked when attention is directed to the usually more florid Axis I disorders” (full version, pg 28). So while your statement is technically true, it is not correct and is misleading.

@abysmalbeauty Bipolar is a mood disorder. Autism is a Pervasive Developmental Disorder.

Bibliography:
(2000). Diagnostic criteria from DSM-IV-TR. Washington, D.C: The Association. Sorry, I can’t seem to find my full DSM, only the pocket guide. EDIT: Oh, nevermind, I found the full one

@Aethelflaed question 2, do you think they are related?

@abysmalbeauty Do I think what are related?

Autism and Bipolar

@abysmalbeauty In what way? Like both mental disorders? Yes. Both appear to have an organic component? Yes. Go together like a horse and carriage? Not right now, but I’d never thought about it, so that’s not to say a good argument couldn’t be brought forth. Any other ways you were thinking of?

I’m curious if perhaps there is a similar underlying cause to be quite honest…. perhaps this calls for a new question!

If you read through some of the symptoms of each especially leaning more towards asbergers vs classic autism they are very similar. In my opinion it could be quite easy to misdiagnose one as the other depending on which doctor you see

@abysmalbeauty Ah. Well, I don’t know, that’s not my area of expertise. Although, maybe I’m reading you wrong, but Aspergers is just a mild(er) and specific form of Autism, while Bipolar is totally different. However, there are many disorders that are oft mistaken for each other, while having nothing to do with each other in terms of cause.

@Aethelflaed Perhaps its a question better left answered by the scientists and doctors to come… I do think there could be a link there though

@abysmalbeauty I googled “bipolar autism link” (without quotes) and found that others have the same question. This has a good intro piece on it, with the conclusion that “there seems to be some sort of connection, possibly, but again nothing solid about that possible connection—yet.”

I’d like to also add that while what I wrote above is true about the categorization of various mental disorders, it won’t be for long. Rumor has it (from pretty reliable sources) that the DSM-5, which will be released in a couple years, will drastically restructure things, including at least “significantly restructuring” how personality disorders are identified and assessed, focusing on creating more of a spectrum than a binary, and possibly loosening the rigid categorization to get away from the common problem of having (for example) someone who is almost both histrionic and borderline, but doesn’t quite meet the criteria for either. There’s even talk about getting rid of the personality disorder categorization, though I suspect that proposal won’t take for this version, as it’s a bit too progressive.

Interesting question. For me, the answer always comes down to the behavior, not the disorder (whether we’re talking about Autism or Bi-Polar or Borderline Personality Disorder. While a disorder can explain bad behavior, it does not excuse it. So, I can have sympathy (and/or empathy) for those suffering, I can be supportive of them, lend a shoulder to cry one, etc., but I will not allow their behavior to go unchallenged, whatever its cause.

@Aethelflaed thank you for the link!

I don’t see the benefit of labeling when it comes to mental health problems. If anything, I think it can be counter productive.
I tend to agree with @augustlan in that it comes down to behaviour with me. I do empathise with those suffering from personality disorders, but I often think it’s extremely difficult for their loved ones and so sympathise greatly with them.

@stardust I think this question was poorly-worded. (Or, rather, wasn’t worded at all detail-wise. I blame my iPhone for laziness.) I wasn’t trying to label so much as get to the whole idea of how it is much more difficult to ascertain a personality disorder than a psychosis. That unfortunately can affect how they are treated.