Do you think that personality disorders are treatable?

[msc545]

I say they are not, based on medical history and my own education and clinical experience, but many people insist, without evidence, that they are. What do you think?

I got kicked off Quora for expressing this opinion, which made many women with personality disorders angry.

[Friendlybro79]

I don't think I can give an education opinion to you because I don't have a professional background. I'll ask you have you ever seen evidence of any success with this? I'm wondering if it's just very difficult to treat. Maybe how we currently treat folks today isn't successful but maybe new ways need to be figured out that could.

[msc545]

It is massively refractory to treatment. Like most disorders, personality disorders wax and wane, but never really seem to remit for any length of time, unfortunately.

[Friendlybro79]

Sounds like you might be able to badage it but the wound never really heals?

[msc545]

yes. The bandage doesn't last long.

[Friendlybro79]

That's sad. Hopefully with time and more studies more effective treatment can be done.

[goaded]

Isn't CBT supposed to be a treatment? Whether they're curable is another question. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cognitive_behavioral_therapy

[msc545]

CBT is good for a few things but personality disorders are not one of them. There is a technique called DBT which is supposedly good for these disorders but I have serious concerns as to whether or not it even works.

[goaded]

I'll look it up. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dialectical_behavior_therapy

[goaded]

This just cropped up: the active ingredient in magic mushrooms being used to support therapy to treat depression. "one in three were no longer diagnosed as depressed at three weeks".
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-63475630

[lightbulb27]

I thought personality was basically fixed and after development doesn't change. So I'm not sure. I guess someone should defend their view with evidence than opinion. I'm not clear on what you mean by personality disorder vs other types of disorders.

When I worked along with a therapist who was treating some of the more difficult cases, she had success using various tools available from psychologists and God. One example was a girl with multiple personalities. Is that a personality disorder in your view? She wrote or was writing a book on this, but old not sure it got published.

In essence, she was using love, love of God to heal deep emotional wounds. She'd use the psychology tools to dig through and locate the underlying memories, wounds that started the snowball effect and distorted the persons view of themselves. Then would correct the false perception or put it into perspective so it was resolved... by way of seeing it from view of love and used prayers to release curses, oaths. By doing such discovery and resolution... call it weeding the garden if you will, it released that person from the entrapments and they were able to progress. This MPD patient was able to bring together into a cohesive person as I understood it and got their life together. It was all caused by terrible child abuse, as are most.

Makes total sense to me, hope that explained it well. The problem I see with psychology, and I'm not studied in it but I see my step daughter taking the classes, it removes God and love as source.. it looks at the fringes of behavior. It seems to avoid the fundamental of what a child wants and comes from... connection, love as emotional energy, security, trust... love... the root energy that inspires growth. Where is love in psychology and healing? I've not seen it outside Christian circles.

Certainly understanding and perspective are part of the disease and cure. like anything in math... getting perspective over the problem is the way to finding solution. addressing underlying "fizzures" established in the mind at young ages by way of false perceptions (as a child doesn't understand but knows right/wrong) seem required to create a new viewpoint. Perceptions would be based upon "personality"... so some can be impacted by events/traumas where others are not.

If occupational therapists can get brains to rebuild and repair, then I'd think "disorders" can be addressed... albeit, not easy. I have a family member with "paranoia", and we know why, but as yet, have not been able to resolve it. But she has not been treated outside of meds. It's certainly... a tough game in the battle of the heart/mind.

So I say yes, seems there's evidence. Seems there should be a lot more evidence if you are asking...

[msc545]

There's a whole section in the DSM-5 that describes the various personality disorders. Since most of the DSM-5 is available online, you might want to take a look at it. As for your example regarding a patient with supposed multiple personality disorder, I don't believe there is any such thing as multiple personality disorder. There is very little evidence to suggest that it actually exists. Your comparison with occupational therapy is not particularly valid in my view since personality is far more complicated than things like motor skills which is basically what occupational therapists work on. All that said, I don't want to invalidate anything you said and I realize you have your own opinions regarding these things.

[lightbulb27]

The woman going to therapy I mentioned had issues in life, the root causes of it were abuse. How that emananted out of here in life and how it was interpreted at the time I undrestand was MPD but I heard that term was changed, and maybe it's not accepted anymore. Either way... got to the root issues, healed those... change occurred in a good way.
true OT is geared to there and development, but it's an example how the mind can change and adapt. whether basic personality can be changed I don't know, and disorder I would think logically... is a matter of creating order out of what they experience as disorder. If it's rooted in physical damage, not sure... that's my point about OT... can such techniques be deployed to heal damage... don't know.

"Treatable" might narrow ones mind to what one has been taught or seen experimented. I don't have faith in medical science in these regards so much as it is based upon money and drugs.

I'd assume the data is out there if such issues are being "resolved", but I wouldn't have trust in the drug solution and minimally in non "release/love" solution because that's always a crutch to hold one where they are at rather than resolve the underlying problem. Maybe works for some but not many. Most humans have basic needs for development... wasn't that what Erickson/Clark chart demonstrated... a pathway into where the defects in development occurred?

I'm reading "how emotions are made"... interesting book. I don't claim to know everything, I know there's much I don't know. So far, it doesn't answer your question...:)

www.amazon.com/.../ref=sr_1_1

[lottiebannotie]

It can be managed to a point but I have never encountered a person suffering one of these disorders not go through multiple spells where they stop taking medication and become a danger usually to themselves but occasionally other people as well

[msc545]

We don't really have any medications for these disorders that are effective. That is part of the problem.

[Jamie05rhs]

@msc545 They don't need medication; they need reeducation. They need a good kick in the ass.

[msc545]

Trust me, none of that works in the slightest. You would know if you would actually tried it.

[Noahzaid]

It depends, some disorders aren’t severe while some are severe to an extent that is considered a disability.

the more severe it is, the most likely it wouldn’t be cured.

In a conclusion, If its minor with less symptoms it can be cured.

[msc545]

What do you consider to be a minor personality disorder?

[Noahzaid]

Like Dependent personality disorder and Obsessive compulsive personality disorder,
Depending on the severity of the symptoms they can be cured through therapy sessions and change daily habits with the support of the surrounding environment.

[msc545]

You know this how?

[Noahzaid]

This is just merely my thoughts and experience through reading mental Articles with a hint of personal perspective.
If You or a friend are experiencing something, I highly advise you to visit a professional expert.

[msc545]

I'm a Ph. D. Clinical Psychologist, which makes me a "professional expert". Both OCD and DPD have severe social and clinical consequences, and neither one is readily treatable, like All Personality disorders.

I highly advise you not to make statements concerning mental health problems unless you actually know what you are talking about.

[Noahzaid]

Well, This isn’t a place to discuss serious mental issues.
This is a place for opinions not scientific research.
So calm your ass down.

[msc545]

You would be surprised to learn how many people get medical and psychiatric advice on sites like this. Spreading misinformation is highly irresponsible, so don't do it.

[msc545]

Try this for your source of information:

https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTR9vP39J/

[exitseven]

No I do not think so. There are a few things i would change about my personality. I actually make myself act differently but inside it is just a fake.

[NathanDavis]

treatable? curable, manageable? reversible?

be nice and explain the different between all those...

[msc545]

Too much work for me. Google can help.

[NathanDavis]

don't worry... I'm no peer-reviewer, lmao

[WhitneySnow]

I think they are but I’m not an expert in the area so I don't know for sure

[msc545]

What makes you think they are?

[Anonymous]

Yes, you could treat them with a combination of therapy, subliminals, diet, exercise and environment.

[msc545]

Unfortunately all the things that you mentioned seem not to work with personality disorders.

[KrakenAttackin]

Agreed. Some might learn to better conceal their pathology, but be cured of them, no.

[On_cloud_wine]

I think medicine causes brain damage and situations and people change is for the worst and that it’s reversible

[On_cloud_wine]

Change us

[msc545]

How do you know all this?

[On_cloud_wine]

I’ve seen it happen to people

[msc545]

So you are an expert in both causality AND brain damage?

[On_cloud_wine]

No. And I don’t think some brain damage is treatable. Not enough where they’ll be the same.

[On_cloud_wine]

I was talking about personality disorders.

[On_cloud_wine]

Like I know someone with brain damage from an accident and they’re quick to lash out when they get angry and they lack sympathy

[msc545]

How is that relevant to the question I asked?

[On_cloud_wine]

You brought up brain damage later. I wanted to stick with the topic questioned on and that’s personality disorders and if I think they’re treatable. Yes, if they don’t have brain damage

[msc545]

I am not sure you understand this. Medicine does not cause brain damage.

[AngryCarl]

Not at present, and probably not ever.

[Jamie05rhs]

Maybe, but most of them don't want to change.

[msc545]

How do you know this?

[Jamie05rhs]

@msc545 Personal experience. I have known people like that.

[msc545]

I have known many patients like this. It's not that they don't want to change, it is that they don't want to change which is part of their pathology of their condition. They have no insight into the harm that their behaviors cause themselves and cause other people. That is different than simply not wanting to change.

[msc545]

It actually represents an almost complete inability to change in any meaningful way.

[Jamie05rhs]

@msc545 I've had a guy actually admit to it before, though. He said he realized that he was fucking up and that he was a bad person.

[msc545]

That sort of admission might just be manipulative, but even if it wasn't that does not indicate an ability or desire to change anything. Also, anecdotal examples are not representative.

[Jamie05rhs]

"That sort of admission might just be manipulative"
Sadly, there is a possibility that you may be correct.

"but even if it wasn't that does not indicate an ability or desire to change anything.". That, too.

[msc545]

😣😣😣

[msc545]

This sort of stuff makes my job a bit tragic...

[Jamie05rhs]

@msc545 Yeah, man. I know. 😔