There are many different Personality Disorders, and each type has various symptoms. Someone may inherit a Personality Disorder. They can also be the result of psychological factors (e.g. early life trauma and PTSD). In addition, social factors (e.g. social isolation) can cause it too. The symptoms of these personality disorders can sometimes be overlapping. One can have more than one personality disorder, but one type tends to be more evident than the other.
If you live in Birmingham, getting these symptoms evaluated by a certified psychologist can help make a definite diagnosis and begin the right treatment.
There is no medication to treat Personality Disorders, and the recommended therapy is psychotherapy with an experienced psychotherapist, such as a Clinical Psychologist. In the short-term, a psychiatrist may prescribe medication to help people through a crisis. If a patient needs medication, the psychologist will arrange for them to see an expert psychiatrist who can prescribe them with the right medication.
There are many different psychological treatments for Personality Disorders. To examples are Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Personality Disorders and Dialectical Behavioural Therapy for Personality Disorders.
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy or CBT for Personality Disorders
In Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), the psychologist helps individuals identify patterns in their thinking that lead to specific distressing feelings. Involving a combination of cognitive and behavioural therapies, CBT helps people change the thinking patterns that create negative thoughts, thus assisting them to cope with their disorders better. By focusing more on thoughts than emotions, psychologists help their patients identify the thoughts that evoke negative emotions. Then, patients can manage their negative emotions better.
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy or CBT usually proves to be helpful after completing five to twenty sessions, but to see sustained improvement, therapy may have to last for many months. This is because people with personality disorders find it hard to change. Many years ago, professionals thought that no treatment would work, but we now know that this is not true.
Although CBT may not entirely treat all the symptoms of Personality Disorders, it does help people develop positive thoughts and feel better about themselves. Most people who receive CBT tend to report improvement in their relationships and overall better wellbeing. CBT can help reduce the symptoms of self-harm and self-mutilation in patients.
Dialectical Behavioural Therapy or DBT for Personality Disorders
Dialectical Behavioural Therapy was specially designed for people with Borderline Personality Disorder. Borderline Personality Disorder is also called Emotionally Unstable Personality Disorder. Dialectical Behavioural Therapy or DBT focuses on supporting people and teaching them life skills like mindfulness, interpersonal relationships skills, emotional regulation skills, and distress tolerance skills. DBT is usually provided using a combination of group therapy and individual therapy.
Dialectical Behavioural Therapy (DBT) dates back to the late 1980s. It was inspired by the philosophical process known as dialects. Dialects are based on bringing together things that at first sound opposite People with DBT report a lot of opposing feelings, for example loving and hating someone at the same time. Feeling like this is distressing, and DBT can help with this. In DBT, the psychologist works with the patient to resolve the conflict between the two opposites and agrees on the best way to solve the problem.
Find Therapy for Personality Disorders in Birmingham
It is not uncommon for people with personality disorders to avoid seeking psychotherapy. They may only start therapy when they land themselves in a very dangerous situation or someone else asks them to. Sometimes, this is because patients fear that the psychologist may judge them or tell them that they are not good enough. This fear is unjustified and could not be further from the truth.
The therapy for personality disorder takes longer to respond if the person has been suffering from the disorder for a long time. To begin the treatment for personality disorders, finding a psychologist in Birmingham, Solihull or the City of London is the first step. If you are someone who is suffering from the symptoms of a personality disorder or have a loved one who is suffering from them, ask them to get help.
The Importance of an Expert Psychotherapist for the Treatment of Personality Disorders
For therapy sessions to be beneficial, there needs to be a good rapport between you and your therapist.
Symptoms of some mental disorders may go away with psychotherapy and lifestyle improvements. These improvements could involve eating healthy, spending time with supportive friends, exercising and avoiding alcohol and drugs. It may be hard to see improvements in symptoms of personality disorders without the right therapy.
Also, patients with Personality Disorders are most likely to drop or leave before the therapy is completed. If they drop out of therapy once, they are less likely to try again. For this reason, it is important to receive therapy from someone knowledgeable. Also, it is important to have extensive experienced in the unique therapeutic needs of people with Personality Disorders. A Clinical Psychologist knows how to help people with Personality Disorders. Depending on the severity of personality disorder, therapy can last longer than 20 weeks, and some people may require treatment for years.
Unlike other mental illnesses, personality disorders are hard to treat. However, treatments like Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and Dialectical Behavioural Therapy or DBT are helpful. They can help patients cope with the symptoms of their mental illness better.
Find out how Dr Nick can help patients get the right treatment. Contact him for a friendly, informal conversation.
