EXAM III-STUDY GUIDES
CHAMBERLAIN COLLEGE OF NURSING
NS 320 STUDY GUIDE- EXAM 3
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CHAPTER 34: PERSONALITY DISORDERS
Personality is defined as “an enduring pattern of behavior that is considered to be
both conscious and unconscious and reflects a means of adapting to a particular
environment and its cultural, ethnic and community standards.” An individual with
a healthy personality has the following characteristics:
● Sees his or her own strengths and weaknesses
● Identifies his or her own boundaries
, ● Recognizes interactions and thoughts that lead to strong emotions such as
joy or anger
● Interacts with others without expecting them to meet all needs
● Seeks a balance of work and play
● Accomplishes goals
● Defines and expresses spirituality
In contrast, personality disorder (PD) is defined as “an enduring pattern of inner
experience and behavior that deviates markedly from the expectation of the
individual’s culture, is pervasive and inflexible, has onset in adolescence or early
adulthood, is stable over time, and leads to distress or impairment.” A person with a
PD exhibits long-term maladaptive behavior that prevents him or her from
accomplishing desired goals in relationship and other endeavors. These
behaviors are not experienced as uncomfortable or disorganized by the individual,
as are the symptoms of clients with anxiety, mood, or psychotic disorders. The main
maladaptive behavior may affect only one aspect of the person’s life, such as
intimate relationships. Therefore, many individuals with PDs do not seek treatment
unless there is a crisis or a comorbid diagnosis that causes distress. All of the PDs
have 4 characteristics in common:
, ● Inflexible and maladaptive response to stress-ex. Compulsive traits may get
the job done at work but be hard on a relationship; rigid behavior serves
what function?
● Disability in working and loving-for the most part PDs have normal ego
functioning but have difficulty with interpersonal and loving relationships;
all PDs have self-esteem issues
● Ability to evoke interpersonal conflict-PDs can’t see themselves objectively;
therefore they lack the desire to alter aspects of their behavior to enrich or
maintain important relationships. They cannot trust others and are
constantly fearful of being hurt
● Capacity to “get under the skin”- PDs have uncanny ability to merge personal
boundaries with others.
Individuals with PDs tend to be less educated or unemployed. They are often single,
or, if married have marital difficulties. They often have comorbid substance abuse
disorders, and may commit violent and non-violent crimes, including sex offenses.
People with PDs evoke emotional reactions in health care workers: may be
aggravating, and demanding, or seductive and dependent; staff may react with
inappropriate responses such as sexual interest, the urge to rescue, or the desire to
withdraw. Profound problem to trust.
Causes of PD are multifactorial -environment (child abuse)-biological
(genetic)-psychosocial (antisocial-harsh or rigid family upbringing). Use many
CHAMBERLAIN COLLEGE OF NURSING
NS 320 STUDY GUIDE- EXAM 3
Providing an complete, well-written
description of your document means
the world to your upload. A good
description significantly increases the
chances of your document being found
on. Furthermore, it helps your content
get found via search engines like
Google.
CHAPTER 34: PERSONALITY DISORDERS
Personality is defined as “an enduring pattern of behavior that is considered to be
both conscious and unconscious and reflects a means of adapting to a particular
environment and its cultural, ethnic and community standards.” An individual with
a healthy personality has the following characteristics:
● Sees his or her own strengths and weaknesses
● Identifies his or her own boundaries
, ● Recognizes interactions and thoughts that lead to strong emotions such as
joy or anger
● Interacts with others without expecting them to meet all needs
● Seeks a balance of work and play
● Accomplishes goals
● Defines and expresses spirituality
In contrast, personality disorder (PD) is defined as “an enduring pattern of inner
experience and behavior that deviates markedly from the expectation of the
individual’s culture, is pervasive and inflexible, has onset in adolescence or early
adulthood, is stable over time, and leads to distress or impairment.” A person with a
PD exhibits long-term maladaptive behavior that prevents him or her from
accomplishing desired goals in relationship and other endeavors. These
behaviors are not experienced as uncomfortable or disorganized by the individual,
as are the symptoms of clients with anxiety, mood, or psychotic disorders. The main
maladaptive behavior may affect only one aspect of the person’s life, such as
intimate relationships. Therefore, many individuals with PDs do not seek treatment
unless there is a crisis or a comorbid diagnosis that causes distress. All of the PDs
have 4 characteristics in common:
, ● Inflexible and maladaptive response to stress-ex. Compulsive traits may get
the job done at work but be hard on a relationship; rigid behavior serves
what function?
● Disability in working and loving-for the most part PDs have normal ego
functioning but have difficulty with interpersonal and loving relationships;
all PDs have self-esteem issues
● Ability to evoke interpersonal conflict-PDs can’t see themselves objectively;
therefore they lack the desire to alter aspects of their behavior to enrich or
maintain important relationships. They cannot trust others and are
constantly fearful of being hurt
● Capacity to “get under the skin”- PDs have uncanny ability to merge personal
boundaries with others.
Individuals with PDs tend to be less educated or unemployed. They are often single,
or, if married have marital difficulties. They often have comorbid substance abuse
disorders, and may commit violent and non-violent crimes, including sex offenses.
People with PDs evoke emotional reactions in health care workers: may be
aggravating, and demanding, or seductive and dependent; staff may react with
inappropriate responses such as sexual interest, the urge to rescue, or the desire to
withdraw. Profound problem to trust.
Causes of PD are multifactorial -environment (child abuse)-biological
(genetic)-psychosocial (antisocial-harsh or rigid family upbringing). Use many
