Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsSymptomsTypesDiagnosisCausesTreatmentCoping

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

Symptoms

Types

Diagnosis

Causes

Treatment

Coping

Close

Mixed personality disorder refers to a type of personality disorder that does not fall into the 10 recognized personality disorders. It is possible for people to have traits or symptoms of more than one personality disorder at the same time, while not meeting the criteria for any single one of them.

This is not a surprising category as there is a significant overlap between the symptoms of several of the personality disorders. Since this is in a way a “catch-all” category for people with some symptoms of many different personality disorders, there is a wide range of symptoms among people who receive this diagnosis.

Personality Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (PD-NOS)

Symptoms of Mixed Personality Disorder

Most people have a fairly flexible personality that allows them to adapt to a variety of circumstances, people, and events. People with personality disorders, on the other hand, tend to get stuck in rigid ways of relating to people and events.

These rigid thoughts may affect how they think about themselves and the world around them, how they experience emotion, how they function socially, and how well they can control their impulses.

Mixed personality disorder is one of the most commonly diagnosed personality disorders. In one study looking at patients referred for psychotherapy, 18.4% met the diagnostic criteria for a mixed personality disorder.

Types of Personality Disorders

A personality disorder is defined as a chronic and pervasive mental disorder that affects thoughts, behaviors, and interpersonal functioning. The DSM-5 recognizes 10 distinct personality disorders, which are arranged into three clusters.

Cluster A: Odd-Eccentric

Cluster B: Dramatic-Emotional

If you are having suicidal thoughts, contact theNational Suicide Prevention Lifelineat988for support and assistance from a trained counselor. If you or a loved one are in immediate danger, call 911.For more mental health resources, see ourNational Helpline Database.

If you are having suicidal thoughts, contact theNational Suicide Prevention Lifelineat988for support and assistance from a trained counselor. If you or a loved one are in immediate danger, call 911.

For more mental health resources, see ourNational Helpline Database.

Cluster C: Anxious-Fearful

What Are Cluster C Personality Disorders?

Press Play for Advice On How to Stop People-Pleasing

Subscribe Now:Apple Podcasts/Spotify/Google Podcasts

Diagnosis of Personality Disorder

In order to be diagnosed with a personality disorder, a person must exhibit symptoms that meet the diagnostic criteria established in the DSM-5, including:

While the DSM-5 retained the DSM-IV’s categorical approach to diagnosing personality disorders, it developed an alternate model, which it suggests could be an area for future study.

Using this alternate hybrid model, clinicians would assess personality and diagnose a personality disorder based on a combination of specific difficulties in personality functioning, as well as the general patterns of pathological personality traits.

Differential Diagnosis

Before a clinician can diagnose a personality disorder, they must make adifferential diagnosisto rule out other disorders or medical conditions that may be causing the symptoms. This is very important but can be difficult as the symptoms that characterize personality disorders are often similar to those of other psychiatric disorders and medical illnesses.

Personality disorders also commonlyco-occur with other illnesses.

Causes of Personality Disorders

Genetic vulnerabilities may make people more susceptible to these conditions, while experiences and other environmental factors may act as a trigger in the development of a personality disorder.

Personality Disorder Treatment

Since the symptoms and characteristics of mixed personality disorder span a wide range, there is not one specific treatment that is helpful to all people with the diagnosis. The particular symptoms present are often treated as if the person does meet the criteria of one of the personality disorders described above.

For example, if a person meets some, but not all of the criteria for borderline personality disorder, one of the empirically validated psychotherapytreatments for borderline personality disordermay be pursued. In general, the treatment of personality disorders also requires that the person with the disorder wishing to pursue therapy.

The Best Online Therapy ProgramsWe’ve tried, tested and written unbiased reviews of the best online therapy programs including Talkspace, Betterhelp, and Regain.

Psychotherapy

Your treatment plan will depend largely upon your symptoms but may involve the use of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) or a subtype known as dialectical-behavioral therapy (DBT).

Medications

Psychotherapy is often more effective than medications, but medications may be prescribed to address certain symptoms. Antidepressants and anti-anxiety medications may be used to treat symptoms of depression and anxiety. Antipsychotic medications may be prescribed when people have Cluster A symptoms such as eccentric thoughts or behaviors.

How to Cope With a Personality Disorder

While personality disorders are fairly common, many people do not realize that they have one of these conditions. One of the best ways to improve your quality of life is to recognize the signs and find effective ways to cope with symptoms that lead to distress and impairment.

Professional support from a therapist combined with self-care can help people learn to manage their condition.

Recognize Your Symptoms

If you have mixed traits such as avoidance or dependence, consider the impact these might have on different aspects of your life including work and relationships. By better understanding these traits, you’ll have a clearer idea of what you can do to work around them.

Have a Plan

Some traits can make it hard to take care of your health and home. You might do well some of the time, only to have periods where you struggle to keep up. Come up with a self-care plan that works for you and enlist the help of friends and family who can help keep you on track.

A Word From Verywell

While research suggests that personality disorders with mixed symptoms are quite common, people often go underdiagnosed and undertreated. With appropriate treatment, you can learn to manage symptoms that may be having a negative impact on multiple areas of your life. Talk to your doctor if you suspect that you may be experiencing symptoms of some type of personality disorder.

Introduction to Personality Disorders

1 SourceVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Verheul R, Bartak A, Widiger T.Prevalence and construct validity of Personality Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (PDNOS).J Pers Disord. 2007;21(4):359-70. doi:10.1521/pedi.2007.21.4.359Additional ReadingClark L, Vanderbleek E, Shapiro J, et al.The brave new world of personality disorder-trait specified: Effects of additional definitions on coverage, prevalence, and comorbidity.Psychopathology Review. 2015;2(1):52-82. doi:10.5127/pr.036314Verheul R, Bartak A, Widigier T.Prevalence and construct validity of Personality Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (PDNOS).J Pers Disord. 2007;21(4):359-370. doi:10.1521/pedi.2007.21.4.359

1 Source

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Verheul R, Bartak A, Widiger T.Prevalence and construct validity of Personality Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (PDNOS).J Pers Disord. 2007;21(4):359-70. doi:10.1521/pedi.2007.21.4.359Additional ReadingClark L, Vanderbleek E, Shapiro J, et al.The brave new world of personality disorder-trait specified: Effects of additional definitions on coverage, prevalence, and comorbidity.Psychopathology Review. 2015;2(1):52-82. doi:10.5127/pr.036314Verheul R, Bartak A, Widigier T.Prevalence and construct validity of Personality Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (PDNOS).J Pers Disord. 2007;21(4):359-370. doi:10.1521/pedi.2007.21.4.359

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Verheul R, Bartak A, Widiger T.Prevalence and construct validity of Personality Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (PDNOS).J Pers Disord. 2007;21(4):359-70. doi:10.1521/pedi.2007.21.4.359

Clark L, Vanderbleek E, Shapiro J, et al.The brave new world of personality disorder-trait specified: Effects of additional definitions on coverage, prevalence, and comorbidity.Psychopathology Review. 2015;2(1):52-82. doi:10.5127/pr.036314Verheul R, Bartak A, Widigier T.Prevalence and construct validity of Personality Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (PDNOS).J Pers Disord. 2007;21(4):359-370. doi:10.1521/pedi.2007.21.4.359

Clark L, Vanderbleek E, Shapiro J, et al.The brave new world of personality disorder-trait specified: Effects of additional definitions on coverage, prevalence, and comorbidity.Psychopathology Review. 2015;2(1):52-82. doi:10.5127/pr.036314

Verheul R, Bartak A, Widigier T.Prevalence and construct validity of Personality Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (PDNOS).J Pers Disord. 2007;21(4):359-370. doi:10.1521/pedi.2007.21.4.359

Meet Our Review Board

Share Feedback

Was this page helpful?Thanks for your feedback!What is your feedback?HelpfulReport an ErrorOtherSubmit

Was this page helpful?

Thanks for your feedback!

What is your feedback?HelpfulReport an ErrorOtherSubmit

What is your feedback?