Healing the Core of Addiction Personality Disorders

Personality disorders cause individuals to think and behave in ways considered not socially acceptable. Studies have shown that “Persons who have personality disorders experience distorted perceptions of reality and abnormal affective responses, ultimately manifesting in distress across all aspects of the individual’s life, including occupational difficulties, impaired social functioning, and interpersonal hardships.” Many people with personality disorders have co-occurring conditions, including substance use disorder (SUD) or other mental health issues. Clinicians at Exclusive Hawaii Rehab use evidence-based treatment to address the root cause of primary or secondary personality disorders.

What Are Personality Disorders?

Most individuals notice the signs of personality disorders in late teens or early adulthood. The disorders are characterized by unusual and rigid beliefs and thought patterns. People with personality disorders often have very strict ways of viewing and interacting with the world. However, their sense of self and values may change rapidly, and many people with the disorder have trouble controlling impulsive thoughts or behaviors.

Currently, there are ten identified personality disorders. The ten disorders are categorized into three clusters and include:

• Cluster A: Paranoid personality disorder, schizoid personality disorder, and schizotypal personality disorder
• Cluster B: Antisocial personality disorder (APD), borderline personality disorder (BPD), histrionic personality disorder (HPD), narcissistic personality disorder (NPD)
• Cluster C: Avoidant personality disorder, dependent personality disorder, obsessive-compulsive personality disorder (OCD)

The experts at Exclusive Hawaii Rehab treat all ten personality disorders. Individual talk therapy is the most common treatment for personality disorders. However, some clients may require other therapies or prescription medication to manage more severe symptoms.

Treating Personality Disorders and Co-Occurring SUD

Individuals with personality disorders have a higher risk of developing SUD. The symptoms and side effects of personality disorders make it difficult for individuals to recover from SUD without the help of professional mental health treatment. Exclusive Hawaii Rehab treats primary mental health disorders and co-occurring SUD. Clients with personality disorders often require additional support services during treatment and aftercare to ensure the best outcome. Underlying issues like childhood trauma or chronic stress may contribute to the development of personality disorders and SUD.

Treatment for co-occurring SUD and personality disorders often includes:

• Prescription medications and natural medicine to manage symptoms
• Psychotherapy and psychiatry
• Community-based support services
• Trauma therapy

Borderline and antisocial personality disorder are especially common co-occurring disorders with substance abuse.

How to Recognize the Signs and Symptoms

Every personality disorder has different warning signs, symptoms, and side effects. In addition, each person reacts to them based on their own unique experiences, beliefs, and circumstances. Individuals with personality disorders have inconsistent beliefs and values, making their behaviors often unpredictable.

Some of the general signs and symptoms of personality disorders include:

• Feeling emotionally disconnected from others
• Difficulty establishing and maintaining healthy relationships
• Self-isolating behaviors, including withdrawal from friends and family
• Negative feelings about self, including guilt, shame, anger, or worthlessness
• Anxiety
• Depressive symptoms
• Difficulty feeling empathy or compassion for others
• Issues identifying, regulating, and expressing emotions
• Paranoid thoughts or behaviors and difficulty trusting others
• Impulsivity
• Self-harming behaviors
• Fear of rejection or abandonment

The symptoms of each disorder manifest in different ways. However, individuals with any personality disorder have difficulty relating to others. People diagnosed with personality disorders often use maladaptive behaviors to cope with their condition.

Treatment Options at Exclusive Hawaii Rehab

An accurate diagnosis is essential to creating an effective treatment plan. Many people with personality disorders have co-occurring conditions, and the symptoms may overlap, making diagnosis more challenging. The clinicians at Exclusive Hawaii Rehab use comprehensive assessments and screening tools to accurately diagnose personality disorders and any co-occurring conditions.

Treatments and services offered at Exclusive Hawaii Rehab include:

• Naturopathic medicine
• Nutritional therapy
• Nature immersion
• Skill development
• Psychotherapy
• Experiential therapies
• Individual and group therapy
• Support groups
• Medication management
• Aftercare planning
• Alumni services

Some people find it challenging to engage in treatment for personality disorders. Often, clients have difficulty recognizing their behaviors are problematic. According to MedlinePlus, “To them, their thoughts are normal. They may see others as the problem.” Sometimes, this causes tension between clients and others. The care team at Exclusive Hawaii Rehabe collaborates with clients and their families to find the best approach to help clients identify and address mental health issues.

Family Participation in Treatment for Personality Disorders

The clinical team encourages families to participate in various aspects of treatment. Personality disorders often stem from underlying trauma or stress and profoundly affect close relationships.

Family engagement in the treatment process does the following:

• Ensures all family members receive essential support and access to resources
• Provides family members with education about mental health disorders and recovery
• It opens lines of communication between clients and family members

The stress of coping with personality disorders puts family members at risk of developing their own mental health issues. According to Internet Interventions, family members of individuals with personality disorders “are more likely to experience mental health problems, such as depression, anxiety, or stress, compared to the general population; and some of these problems, such as burden, emotional regulation difficulties, and impaired empowerment, are greater than in family members of patients with other severe mental disorders or serious illnesses.” Treatment programs at Exclusive Hawaii Rehab help clients and their loved ones heal together.