Counselling for personality disorders offers a comprehensive and personalised approach to help individuals manage and heal from their negative experiences. By developing coping skills, emotion regulation techniques, and interpersonal strategies, our therapy service aims to empower individuals with personality disorders to improve their emotional well-being, enhance their relationships, and achieve a greater sense of stability and fulfilment in their lives.
Personality disorders are a group of mental health conditions characterized by persistent and rigid patterns of thinking, feeling, and behaving that significantly impact a person’s life and interpersonal relationships. These disorders can deviate from social norms and cause distress and impairment in various areas of functioning. People with personality disorders often struggle with difficulties in self-identity, emotional regulation, impulse control, and maintaining stable relationships.
Personality disorders can be complex and sometimes misunderstood, both for the people experiencing them and for those around them. While there’s still much to learn, research suggests that several factors may contribute to how these patterns of thinking, feeling, and relating develop over time:
Genetics: There’s evidence that certain traits linked to personality difficulties — like anxiety, fear, or tendencies toward compulsive behaviour — can run in families, although no single “personality disorder gene” has been found.
Brain Differences: Some studies have found subtle differences in how certain areas of the brain work in people with specific personality disorders. For example, changes in how the amygdala processes fear might play a role in conditions like paranoid personality disorder, and some differences have been observed in the frontal lobe among people with schizotypal traits.
Childhood Trauma: Growing up with experiences of abuse, neglect, or trauma can shape how people see themselves, others, and the world. For instance, childhood sexual abuse has been linked in some studies to borderline personality disorder, while difficulties with trust and closeness are often connected to both borderline and antisocial personality patterns.
Emotional or Verbal Abuse: Ongoing criticism, humiliation, or verbal aggression during childhood can also impact self-esteem and how people relate to others, and may increase the risk for certain personality difficulties later in life.
Cultural and Social Factors: Rates of different personality disorders vary across cultures, suggesting that cultural values and social norms can influence how personality traits develop and how distressing they become. For example, some regions report fewer cases of antisocial traits but higher rates of conditions like avoidant or obsessive-compulsive personality patterns.
Personality disorders are not anyone’s fault, and they’re not a life sentence. As research continues to grow, we’re gaining better insights into these complex conditions and how to support people in living more fulfilling and connected lives.
It’s normal for everyone to experience emotional ups and downs or have traits that sometimes cause challenges. Having some of these experiences doesn’t automatically mean someone has a personality disorder.
However, if certain patterns of thoughts, feelings, or behaviours continue over time and start making daily life feel overwhelming or difficult — in relationships, work, or how you feel about yourself — it might be helpful to talk with a mental health professional. Getting support can help you better understand what’s happening and find ways to feel more balanced and connected.
