DSM BASICS
What does DSM stand for?
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders
Which cluster is “odd/eccentric”?
Cluster A
Which disorder involves fear of abandonment and emotional instability?
Borderline Personality Disorder
Wanting your workspace clean and organized
Normal
Staying up all night to perfect an assignment
Could be OCPD OR normal student behavior
Personality disorders are defined as enduring patterns of what?
Behavior and inner experience
Which cluster includes emotional and dramatic disorders?
Cluster B
Which disorder is characterized by grandiosity and need for admiration?
Narcissistic Personality Disorder
Refusing to let anyone else help because they’ll “mess it up”
OCPD
Refusing to let group members help because they won’t do it “right”
OCPD trait
At what life stage do personality disorders usually begin?
Adolescence or early adulthood
Which cluster includes anxious/fearful disorders?
Which disorder involves social detachment and lack of desire for relationships?
Schizoid Personality Disorder
Dramatic emotional reactions during stressful situations
Normal or cluster B
Feeling guilty for resting
Could reflect OCPD + modern productivity culture
True or False: Personality disorders are flexible and situation-specific
False
Which cluster does OCPD belong to
Cluster C
Which disorder is often confused with OCPD but includes intrusive thoughts?
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
Avoiding social situations due to fear of judgment
Avoiding social situations due to fear of judgment
Posting a perfectly curated life on social media
Could reflect perfectionism, not necessarily a disorder
What must a disorder cause to be diagnosed?
Distress or impairment
Why are clusters criticized?
Overlap, oversimplification, not culturally flexible
Which disorder involves dependence on others for decision-making?
Dependent Personality Disorder
Why is it difficult to distinguish disorder vs normal behavior?
mental health exists on a spectrum rather than as a strict binary.
Why is it hard to diagnose personality disorders in 2025?
Because behaviors are influenced by culture, social media, and environment