Personality disorders

Photo of a man and woman conversing beside a yellow taxi on a city street; the woman is holding the taxi door open.
PERSONALITY DISORDERS

What the new science of narcissism says about narcissists

What the new science of narcissism tells us about its nuances, and how to avoid its darts while gaining from its strengths

by W Keith Campbell & Carolyn Crist

Photo of a wet pavement reflecting a person’s silhouette and orange lights on a rainy day.
PERSONALITY DISORDERS

Some people feel so utterly alone it’s as if they don’t exist

People diagnosed with ‘avoidant personality disorder’ fear getting close to other people, yet crave greater connection

by Kristine Dahl Sørensen & Marit Råbu

Black and white photo of two policemen, a man in dark clothing, and a priest standing in a dimly lit setting.
VIRTUES AND VICES

Are people with dark personality traits more likely to succeed?

Turn towards the light: contrary to popular belief, nice guys have more success and happiness in the long run

by Craig Neumann & Scott Barry Kaufman

A smiling woman with tattoos at an outdoor festival, surrounded by blurred people and trees in the background.
PERSONALITY

The trait that makes some people so frustrating – and alluring

Conscientiousness is constantly touted as a virtue, so what’s life like for people with the opposite trait – disinhibition?

by Janan Mostajabi

Black and white photo of a man smoking at a desk as a woman with glasses looks at papers beside him in an office setting.
PERSONALITY DISORDERS

Popular views of narcissism are distorted and too pessimistic

As therapists, we’ve treated people with narcissistic personality disorder. We have a more hopeful story to tell about them

by Giancarlo Dimaggio & Igor Weinberg

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DIFFICULT EMOTIONS

Feeling nothing can be as devastating as feeling too much

Emotional ‘emptiness’ is a damaging, underexplored phenomenon. Better understanding it could help steer people to fulfilment

by Christopher J Hopwood

Blurry sepia photo of two children sliding down a playground slide in sunlight.
PERSONALITY DISORDERS

To understand borderline personality, imagine having no history

For people with an unfairly stigmatised mental health condition, and the rest of us, it’s vital to connect past with present

by Alexander Kriss

Photo of a group of young people taking a selfie with a smartphone outdoors in a busy urban setting.
PERSONALITY

Is narcissism really on the rise among younger generations?

A fresh investigation of vast numbers of young people from around the world has thrown up some surprising results

by Jakob Pietschnig & Sandra Oberleiter

Abstract painting of a dark silhouette on a textured brown and blue background with areas of peeling, suggesting age or decay.
PERSONALITY DISORDERS

People with BPD need compassion yet even clinicians stigmatise them

Both clinicians and laypeople misunderstand and stigmatise borderline personality disorder. Those who have it deserve better

by Sara Rose Masland & Hannah E A Peeples

A person wearing sunglasses looking at their reflection in a window with a blurry outdoor scene visible.
PERSONALITY DISORDERS

How to start recovering from BPD

Borderline personality disorder is often misunderstood. Here’s what you should know about it and how to get real support

by Sara Rose Masland & Thea McAfee

Photo of a fluffy black dog lying on a sofa with a person in a red checkered shirt sitting behind on the left.
PERSONALITY DISORDERS

There’s a growing case for renaming ‘personality disorders’

The concept of personality disorders has been around for centuries but it’s flawed and needs both a rethink and a new name

by Matt Huston