What Are Personality Disorders?
5. How Are Personality Disorders Diagnosed?
The descriptions listed previously are overviews, and it is easy to see how common stereotypes of each disorder can morph into a caricature rather than a real person with a full life and a difficult-to-understand personality. If you know someone with a personality disorder, you probably understand how complicated they can be. If you don’t, don’t be fooled by the diagnosis: These are real people with real lives, emotions, and relationships.
It can be so difficult to diagnose personality disorders that it sometimes takes years. Therapists observe traits listed in the DSM-V, which is often referred to as the “Bible” of mental disorders, to arrive at a diagnosis.
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