If you don’t work in the mental health profession, you may not know what the so-called “cluster B” personality disorders are. However, it’s highly likely you have encountered someone at one time or another who has one. These disorders are relatively common.
We will look at four of the cluster B personality disorders right now. Once you read about them, you might be able to recognize the traits in someone you know.
1. Borderline Personality Disorder
Symptoms of borderline personality disorder are usually fairly easy to detect. Someone who has this condition usually has a long history of unstable relationships. Those can be with friends, family members, and other individuals in their life.
Such a person will usually have an unrealistic view of themselves. They will regard themselves as more important than other people. They may also engage in dangerous or unstable personality behaviors sometimes. Binge eating, reckless driving, and substance abuse are all usually par for the course with such a person.
2. Antisocial Personality Disorder
Someone with antisocial personality disorder will usually repeatedly break the law, and they will think little of doing so. They are often likely to be deceitful. They might seem erratic, impulsive, or incapable of planning ahead.
Someone with this condition will usually be aggressive or irritable. They might think little of putting someone else at risk. They will not usually show any remorse for their actions. They may also behave in a consistently irresponsible fashion.
3. Narcissistic Personality Disorder
Someone with narcissistic personality disorder usually shows a lack of empathy for other people in their life. They often are more than willing to exploit others if they think they can get away with it.
They might have a notable sense of entitlement. They may feel the need for constant admiration from others, and if they do not get it, they become noticeably irritable. They may have an inherent belief in their own superiority.
They will typically have fantasies about receiving praise from those around them, even for minor acts that do not mark them as being special or standing out. More than anything, they will have a grandiose idea of their own self-importance.
4. Histrionic Personality Disorder
Someone with histrionic personality disorder is often quite easy to recognize. They are usually very animated and have a hard time sitting still. They may constantly talk, laugh, sing, or otherwise draw attention to themselves. Many individuals with this disorder enter the theater profession.
They may also seem dramatic all the time, as though they have an audience, even when no one else is present or they’re speaking to someone in a one-on-one format. They might seem self-indulgent. They will often flirt or try to attract the attention of those around them, and they will pout or become even more animated if they don’t feel they have enough eyes on them.
Only a doctor or therapist can diagnose any of these disorders. However, if you know the signs, you might theorize as to who in your life has one of them.
