Personality disorders are often misunderstood—they’re not character flaws, but survival strategies formed in response to childhood trauma. These coping mechanisms, while helpful in abusive or neglectful childhood environments, become harmful in adulthood, leading to repeated struggles in relationships, school, work, and daily life. Most people experience occasional periods of emotional reactivity or social withdrawal, but in personality disorders, these traits are more intense and constant. For example, someone with Borderline Personality Disorder might react intensely and impulsively in nearly all situations, while someone with Schizoid Personality Disorder might isolate themselves entirely. Though sometimes believed to be untreatable, personality disorders can improve with the right care, and the majority of people who receive effective treatment will no longer meet the diagnosis. We can help.

At Owl & Eagle Health and Wellness, our team of board-certified psychiatric nurse practitioners provides compassionate, expert care for teens and adults living with personality disorders. Using a team-based, holistic approach, we combine the latest in psychiatric treatment, psychotherapy, and integrative care to support your mental and emotional well-being. We can help you better understand your patterns of thinking and behavior, manage distressing symptoms, improve relationships, and build healthier coping strategies. Our approach not only addresses the challenges of personality disorders but also promotes lasting improvement in overall mental and physical health.

For expert assessment and holistic psychiatric treatment for Personality Disorders at Owl & Eagle Health and Wellness, Contact Us with questions or Book Now to request an intake appointment today.

Appointments are available either in-person in our offices in Golden or Denver, Colorado, convenient to the Denver Metro area, or via telehealth anywhere in Colorado. We look forward to meeting you!

Personality Disorders Q&A

What causes Personality Disorders?

The following factors increase risk for Personality Disorders:

Heredity: If other people in your family have Personality Disorders, you are more likely to have a Personality Disorder as well.

Reactive temperament: People who have been more sensitive and emotionally reactive since early childhood are at higher risk of Personality Disorders.

Childhood trauma: Children who experience physical or sexual abuse, especially if it occurs repeatedly over a long period, are more likely to develop Personality Disorders

Rejection, invalidation, or emotional abuse: When parents or other important people in a child’s life emotionally abuse, manipulate, or reject the child, or if they disregard or dismiss the child’s thoughts or feelings, the child is more likely to develop a Personality Disorder.

What are the symptoms and types of Personality Disorders?

Symptoms common to all Personality Disorders include the following:

• Patterns of thoughts, feelings, or behavior that started in childhood and have caused difficulty in multiple areas of life (ie: school, work, relationships, etc.)

• Negative ideas about self and other people (ie: feelings of superiority or inferiority, beliefs that people can’t be trusted, or that people are gullible and easily taken advantage of, etc.)

• Dysfunctional emotional responses (ie: emotional over-or under-reactivity compared with most other people)

• Dysfunctional impulse control (ie: persistent impulsivity or excessive control of thoughts and behavior)

• Limited insight into the dysfunctional nature of their own thoughts and behavior and a tendency to blame problems on other people

Specific types of Personality Disorders and their key features include:

Borderline Personality Disorder: fear of abandonment, lack of a clear identity, emotional reactivity, impulsive behavior, and unstable relationships

Narcissistic Personality Disorder: lack of empathy, feelings of superiority, and desire for admiration, power, wealth, or special treatment

Antisocial Personality Disorder: lack of empathy, lack of regard for other people’s rights, and pattern of exploiting, manipulating, and violating people

Histrionic Personality Disorder: strong emotions, dramatic self-presentation with clothing, hairstyle, makeup, speech, and gestures, and attention-seeking behavior

Paranoid Personality Disorder: fear and distrust of others, pervasive belief that people are dangerous, belief that people dislike them and are trying to harm them

Schizoid Personality Disorder: preference to be alone and lack of desire for relationships with others

Schizotypal Personality Disorder: odd or eccentric behavior or speech, magical thinking, and discomfort in close relationships

Avoidant Personality Disorder: shyness, feelings of inferiority, and avoiding people due to fear of rejection

Dependent Personality Disorder: need to be taken care of by others, allowing others to treat them poorly due to fear of losing the relationship

Obsessive Compulsive Personality Disorder: perfectionism, need for control and order, and rigid and uncompromising beliefs and behavior

How are Personality Disorders treated?

Treatment for Personality Disorders can be challenging, because people with Personality Disorders often do not realize that their own thoughts and behaviors are dysfunctional. They may not seek treatment at all, or may get stuck in patterns of blaming other people rather than working on their own contributions to their problems. They may have a pattern of idealizing psychiatric providers and therapists until they say or do something that the patient doesn’t like or agree with, at which point they may leave treatment prematurely. However, if people with Personality Disorders stay in treatment, and fully engage and participate, treatment can be very effective.

At Owl & Eagle Health and Wellness, our board certified psychiatric nurse practitioners offer skillful, effective, and compassionate care for people with Personality Disorders. We will perform a thorough diagnostic evaluation to identify Personality Disorders and other co-occurring psychiatric disorders. We will work with you to create a treatment plan incorporating psychiatric interventions, psychotherapy, and evidence based integrative care such as nutritional recommendations, vitamins, supplements, exercise, yoga, meditation, and breathwork.

Medication can be used to treat symptoms of Personality Disorders, such as anxiety, depression, mood swings, or angry outbursts, and symptoms of any co-occurring psychiatric disorders. Most psychiatric medications have manageable side effects, and most resolve in the first weeks of treatment. Genetic testing can help identify which medications are most likely to be effective and well tolerated. Specialized psychotherapy such as Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) can help people with Personality Disorders develop awareness of their dysfunctional patterns of thought and behavior, understand how these patterns developed, and learn to develop healthier and more functional patterns of thought and behavior. In patients whose symptoms do not improve sufficiently with these initial treatments, Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) can be very helpful. This holistic treatment approach can improve your symptoms and help you work toward optimal overall health and wellness.

If you would like to learn more about psychiatric evaluation and holistic psychiatric treatment for Personality Disorders for teens and adults at Owl & Eagle Health and Wellness, Contact Us with questions or Book Now to request an intake appointment today.

Appointments are available either in-person in our offices in Golden or Denver, Colorado, convenient to the Denver Metro area, or via telehealth anywhere in Colorado. We look forward to meeting you!