Personality Disorder Basics
DSM-5 Clusters
Personality Disorders
Myth or Fact
Personality Disorders Pop Culture
100

What are personality disorders?

These are enduring patterns of thinking, feeling, and behaving that deviate from cultural expectations.

100

This cluster is known as “odd and eccentric.”

What is Cluster A?

100

This Cluster A disorder involves distrust and suspicion of others.

What is Paranoid Personality Disorder?

100

People with personality disorders can never improve


Myth. Treatment helps many people reduce symptoms and build healthy coping skills.

100

This character from Euphoria displays emotional instability, fear of abandonment, and chaotic relationships traits consistent with Borderline Personality Disorder.

Who is Cassie Howard?

200

Personality disorders typically begin during this developmental stage.

What is adolescence/early adulthood?

200

Avoidant, Dependent, and Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorders belong to this cluster.

What is Cluster C?

200

This disorder involves unstable moods, self-image, and relationships.

What is Borderline Personality Disorder?

200

Personality disorders usually begin in adulthood

Myth. They typically begin in adolescence.

200

The Joker  is often wrongly labeled with schizophrenia; clinicians say his traits more closely resemble this disorder.

What is Antisocial Personality Disorder?

300

What is the categorical model?

This model views disorders as distinct boxes you either do or do not fit into.

300

Antisocial, Borderline, Histrionic, and Narcissistic Personality Disorders belong to this cluster.

What is Cluster B?

300

This Cluster B disorder involves excessive emotionality and attention-seeking.

What is Histrionic Personality Disorder?

300

Cluster B disorders involve dramatic or emotional behavior


Fact.

300

This character from Breaking Bad has been cited as showing traits of Narcissistic Personality Disorder due to entitlement and grandiosity.

Who is Walter White?

400

What is the dimensional approach?


This type of approach sees personality traits on a continuum rather than fixed categories.

400

Personality disorders in this cluster often include dramatic or erratic behavior.

What is Cluster B?

400

People with this disorder are preoccupied with order, perfection, and control.

What is Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder (OCPD)?

400

Antisocial Personality Disorder is the same as psychopathy.


Myth. They overlap but are not identical.

400

Nina from Black Swan has related to this personality disorder, like perfectionism and obsession with control

What is Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder?

500

What is a hybrid model?

The DSM-5 combines both categorical and dimensional thinking, creating this type of model.

500

Paranoid, Schizoid, and Schizotypal Personality Disorders fall under this cluster.

What is Cluster A?

500

This Cluster B disorder shows little remorse and a disregard for others’ rights.

What is Antisocial Personality Disorder?

500

Dimensional models capture severity better than categorical ones.

Fact

500

This singer’s 2010 song “Monster” references living with multiple personalities, though it inaccurately portrays Dissociative Identity Disorder.

Who is Lady Gaga?