Personality disorders : a short history of narcissistic, borderline, antisocial, and other types

The fascinating and controversial history of personality disorders. The concept of personality disorders rose to prominence in the early twentieth century and has consistently caused controversy among psychiatrists, psychologists, and social scientists. In Personality Disorders , Allan V. Horwitz traces the evolution of defining these disorders and the historical dilemmas of attempting to mold them into traditional medical conceptions of disorder. Using the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, or DSM , as a guide, Horwitz explores the group of conditions that make up personality disorders and considers when they have been tied to or separated from other types of mental illnesses. He also examines how these disorders have often entailed negative moral and cultural evaluations more focused on perceived social deviance than on actual medical conditions. Deep conflicts exist in a variety of disciplines in determining the nature of these disorders. During the twentieth century, a particularly sharp division arose between researchers who study personality disorders and the clinicians who treat them. Because researchers strive to develop general laws and clinicians attempt to understand individuals' specific problems, their values, methods, and goals often conflict. Synthesizing historical and contemporary scholarship, Horwitz examines controversies over the definitions and diagnoses of personality disorders and how the perception of these illnesses has changed over time. "In this book, the author explores how personality disorders rose to prominence in a variety of disciplines and the controversies they have generated. It will consider the variety of ways that personalities have been seen as "disorders" and tied to or separated from other kinds of mental disorders. Relatedly, it will examine how the notion of the "personality disorder" has involved negative moral and cultural evaluations that are more related to social deviance than to medical conditions"-- Provided by publisher Cover Half Title Title Copyright Contents Preface 1 Issues 2 Personality Disorders Emerge 3 Personality Becomes Social 4 Personality Flourishes 5 Personality Disorders in the DSM-III 6 Personality Contentions in the DSM-5 7 Mental Disorders or Problems in Living? Notes References Index A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W Y Z