Parnoid

14 Pages 3464 Words

Antisocial Personality Disorder; Narcissistic Personality Disorder.

Internet Mental Health (www.mentalhealth.com) copyright © 1995-2000 by Phillip W. Long, M.D.

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Paranoid Personality Disorder
Perspectives q.v.
 Disease
 Dimensional
 Behavior
 Life Story



The Disease Perspective
The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (American Psychiatric Association, 1994, pp. 637-638) describes Paranoid Personality Disorder as a pervasive distrust and suspiciousness of others such that their motives are interpreted as malevolent, beginning by early adulthood and present in a variety of contexts, as indicated by four (or more) of the following:
 suspects, without sufficient basis, that others are exploiting, harming, or deceiving him or her;
 is preoccupied with unjustified doubts about the loyalty or trustworthiness of friends or associates;
 is reluctant to confide in others because of unwarranted fear that the information will be used maliciously against him or her;
 reads hidden demeaning or threatening meanings into benign remarks or events;
 persistently bears grudges, i.e., is unforgiving of insults , injuries, or slights perceives attacks on his or her character or reputation that are not apparent to others and is quick to react angrily or to counterattack;
 has recurrent suspicions, without justification, regarding fidelity or spouse or sexual partner.
The disorder does not occur exclusively during the course of Schizophrenia, a Mood Disorder With Psychotic Features, or another Psychotic Disorder and is not due to the direct physiological effects or a general medical condition.



The Dimensional Perspective
Dimensions
Here is a hypothetical profile, in terms of the five-factor model of personality, for Paranoid Personality Disorder (specula...