Abnormal Psychology: General Texts

(National Institute of Mental Health) Personality disorders represent “an enduring pattern of inner experience and behavior that deviates markedly from the expectations of the individual’s culture” per the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual on Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5). These patterns tend to be fixed and consistent across situations and leads to distress or impairment.

(Johns Hopkins Medicine) For people without a personality disorder, personality traits are patterns of thinking, reacting, and behaving that remain relatively consistent and stable over time. People with a personality disorder display more rigid thinking and reacting behaviors that make it hard for them to adapt to a situation. These behaviors often disrupt their personal, professional, and social lives.

(MedlinePlus) Personality disorders are a group of mental disorders. They involve long-term patterns of thoughts and behaviors that are different from what is considered normal in your culture. The thoughts and behaviors are unhealthy and inflexible. They cause serious problems with relationships, work, and social activities. They can make it hard to deal with everyday stresses and problems.

(University of Rochester Medical Center) Personality traits are patterns of thinking, reacting, and behaving. These traits normally remain relatively consistent and stable over time. But people with a personality disorder display more rigid thinking and reacting behaviors that make it hard for them to adapt to a situation. These behaviors often disrupt their personal, professional, and social lives.

(Cleveland Clinic) Personality disorders are a group of a 10 mental health conditions that involve long-lasting, disruptive patterns of thinking, behavior, mood and relating to others. People with personality disorders often don’t realize their thoughts and behaviors are problematic.

(American Psychiatric Association) To be classified as a personality disorder, one's way of thinking, feeling and behaving deviates from the expectations of the culture, causes distress or problems functioning, and lasts over time. The pattern of experience and behavior usually begins by late adolescence or early adulthood and causes distress or problems in functioning. Without treatment, personality disorders can be long-lasting.