No one but a qualified mental health professional can reliably diagnose a personality disorder, but there are certain signs and behaviors that may indicate that someone should be assessed. This article explores 19 telltale signs indicating that an apparently difficult person may be struggling with an underlying behavioral issue.
Intense and Unstable Emotions
Psych Guides states that people with certain personality disorders, such as borderline personality disorder or emotional behavioral disorder, experience difficulty regulating their emotions. Their emotional state may change rapidly from calm to hysterical or happy to angry, and they often have random outbursts of intense, inappropriate emotion.
Difficulty Maintaining Relationships
Unsurprisingly, it is challenging for those with personality disorders to maintain personal relationships, especially if their condition is undiagnosed. Intense emotional responses, a warped sense of self, trust issues, or difficult/dangerous behavior can all stop them from enjoying healthy, stable relationships, no matter how much they need them.
Recklessness
Individuals with antisocial personality disorder (ASPD) often fail to understand or respect social norms, like the rights of others or the legality of their actions. They are often impulsive and reckless, engaging in substance abuse, criminal activity, or unsafe sexual practices. This disregard for consequences can lead to a chaotic and destructive lifestyle.
Distorted Self-Image
Individuals with narcissistic personality disorder (NPD) often have an inflated sense of self-importance and a strong desire to be admired and respected. Choosing Therapy says this need for ‘narcissistic supply’ makes them appear entitled, arrogant, and elitist and often harms their personal and professional relationships.
Awkwardness
Intense social anxiety and an overpowering fear of rejection are common in people suffering from avoidant personality disorder (AvPD). According to the Cleveland Clinic, they often shy away from social interactions or appear uncertain and awkward when around others. The condition goes beyond mere social anxiety and can significantly impact a person’s life.
Low Self-Esteem
Some behavioral problems (including major depressive disorder and avoidant personality disorder) stem from a person’s firm belief that they are worthless and incapable. A study in the National Library of Medicine showed that low self-confidence was positively correlated with psychiatric diagnoses and was common in patients who were anxious or depressed.
Difficulty Expressing Emotions
It’s not only intense, shifting emotions that indicate a personality disorder—an inability to express sufficient or appropriate emotion can also be a warning sign. Individuals with schizoid personality disorder (SPD) often lack emotional range. They can seem stoic, heartless, or bored when interacting with people, often leading to them becoming isolated and solitary.
Detached From Reality
If an individual seems to hold extreme beliefs or unrealistic fantasies, they may be suffering from a personality disorder, like schizotypal personality disorder (STPD). Sufferers conjure up delusions about the world around them, including magical thinking and perceived threats that don’t exist (like alien abduction or being ‘wanted’ by the FBI).
Clingy
People with borderline personality disorder suffer from intense insecurity and anxiety. Grouport Therapy writes, “Individuals with BPD may become overly clingy or possessive in their relationships due to their intense fear of being left alone. They may demand excessive attention and reassurance from their loved ones, which can be emotionally draining and cause strain.”
Self-Importance
Like narcissists, individuals with histrionic personality disorder (HPD) often become distressed if they are not the center of attention. They are frequently overly dramatic and may engage in activities like malicious gossip, over-exaggeration, or inappropriate flirtation to keep the focus on them, even if the attention is negative.
Perfectionism
Obsessive-compulsive personality disorder (OCPD) is a well-known condition that is often casually misdiagnosed. Those truly suffering from OCPD are entirely preoccupied with order, perfection, rules, and cleanliness, to the point that it negatively impacts their lives and causes them severe distress if these unnaturally high standards cannot be met.
Difficulty Controlling Anger
According to Medical News Today, BPD sufferers may “have feelings of intense anger or difficulty controlling their anger.” This is also a defining trait of those with intermittent explosive disorder (IED), who often become verbally or physically aggressive without sufficient cause, resulting in furious outbursts that they aren’t able to control.
Constant Need for Stimulation
Individuals with attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or histrionic personality disorder (HPD) often have short attention spans and constantly crave stimulation and excitement. This can lead them to engage in risky or impulsive behaviors, such as substance abuse, unsafe sex, or reckless shopping sprees.
Blame Shifting
Certain behavioral disorders are characterized by an inability to accept blame, show remorse, or accept responsibility. People with narcissistic personality disorder (NPD), for example, often blame their mistakes or shortcomings on others, even when presented with evidence to the contrary. This can make personal relationships strained or impossible.
Paranoia
Paranoid personality disorder (PPD) and other behavioral conditions (such as schizophrenia) often cause sufferers to suffer intense mistrust and suspicion without reason. They may see insults in harmless remarks, hold grudges over trivial matters, or even accuse others of planning to hurt them or their loved ones.
Difficulty Making Decisions
An intense fear of criticism and rejection and low self-esteem can cause people with avoidant personality disorder or dependent personality disorder to struggle to make everyday decisions without external support. Anxiety about making the wrong choice or upsetting others can make them excessively indecisive and lead to their lives becoming stagnant.
Intense Vanity
Although being preoccupied with one’s looks isn’t a sure sign of a behavioral issue, it is a trait of people suffering from narcissistic personality disorder. Their desire to be adored and admired can make them excessively vain, and they often invest an unusual amount of time in their physical appearance and frequently draw attention to their positive attributes.
Shocking Behavior
Inappropriate or socially unacceptable behavior can be a sign of certain behavioral disorders, such as BPD and HPD. Sufferers may dress in a provocative or extreme manner or use taboo language in a desperate attempt to draw attention to themselves wherever they go. This often stems from a strong need for constant validation and recognition.
Problems at School or Work
Healthdirect states that people with personality disorders often fail to function well in standard social settings, like high school or professional workplaces. This can cause them to struggle with issues like bullying (as the bully or the victim), social exclusion, poor performance, or even being expelled or fired.
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