From Mental Illness to Mental Wellness Pt 4

Personality disorders have carried around many different types of stigmas for a very long time. Because of this, many people walk around undiagnosed and unaware that they even have a condition at all. Many believe that they are the only ones who suffer from the symptoms that they have become so used to living with every day.

There are many different types of personality disorders. There is no “one fits all” when it comes to treating these disorders. Although there are several common indicators, each person is unique in the way they deal with their symptoms. I will touch on a couple of these disorders. Being that I myself suffer from borderline disorder personality, anxiety and depression, I understand the feeling of walking around feeling empty and unworthy of anyone’s love. Not understanding why I could not control my anger or stop myself from being so impulsive.

I also spent most of my life having relationships that were emotional roller coasters and very unstable. I realized that my own fear of abandonment kept me holding on to people who were damaged and never really had my best interest at heart. Even now, I still struggle with my own insecurities and even still have my fear of abandonment from time to time. But now that I am learning how to discipline my mind, it gets easier every time to react differently and keep calm under stressful situations. It is such a freeing experience, to know that you have complete control of your mind and that you have control over every area of your life. It doesn’t matter what situations you have been in. Only when you learn to discipline your mind, can you really truly begin to experience life for what it really is and set yourself up for success for the rest of your life.

There are 10 types of personality disorders that have been grouped into 3 groups:

• Suspicious:
  • Paranoid personality disorder
  • Schizoid personality disorder
  • Schizotypal personality disorder

• Emotional and impulsive:
  • Antisocial personality disorder(ASPD)
  • Borderline personality disorder(BPD)
  • Histrionic personality disorder
  • Narcissistic personality disorder

• Anxious:
  • Avoidant personality disorder
  • Dependent personality disorder
  • Obsessive compulsive personality disorder(OCPD)

A wide range of people get the same diagnosis even though they display different personalities and different experiences. Your experience is unique to you and everyone has their own story to tell.

As I explained earlier, I suffer from BPD and it is a disorder that is very hard to diagnose, as it displays a lot of traits with other disorders. Statistics show that 1.6% of the population has been diagnosed with BPD. I beg to differ, this is only the ones that have been documented. I am pretty sure that there are many more people who are walking around undiagnosed that just keep living life on auto-pilot. Many who feel that the way they behave is perfectly normal. Not knowing that you can take your mind to levels that you never imagined. Once your mind has decided that enough is enough and it needs to change, your mind itself will show you exactly what it needs to thrive and grow. Just like any muscle, our brains need daily exercise and daily discipline to function correctly and to allow yourselves to live the life you deserve.