Summary
Personality disorders are patterns of perceiving, relating to, and thinking about the environment and oneself that are negative, abnormal, or stressful. They typically persist over time and involve perceptions, thoughts, and behaviors upsetting to the individual who experiences them and which cause significant problems in the person's relationships and professional and social activities. They can include antisocial behavior, acute shyness or sensitivity, negative perceptions, and more severe forms, such as paranoia or schizophrenia. Personality Disorders, Second Edition defines and explains these behavioral patterns, which are organized into three types, or clusters, the social and medical issues related to them, and how doctors can treat them.
About the Author(s)
Heather Barnett Veague, Ph.D., received her doctorate from Harvard University and completed postdoctoral training at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, Albany Medical College, and Stanford University. She focuses on cultivating a developmental approach to psychopathology and has received advanced training in the assessment of autism spectrum disorders, learning disorders, mood disorders, ADHD, anxiety disorders, eating disorders, and psychotic disorders.
M. Foster Olive received his bachelor's degree in psychology from the University of California, San Diego, and went on to receive his Ph.D. in neuroscience from UCLA. He is currently an associate professor in the Behavioral Neuroscience Program in the Department of Psychology at Arizona State University. His research focuses on the neurobiology of addiction, and he has published in numerous academic journals including Psychopharmacology, The Journal of Neuroscience, and Nature Neuroscience. He has also authored several books in the Drugs: The Straight Facts series, including titles such as Peyote and Mescaline, Sleep Aids, Prescription Pain Relievers, Designer Drugs, Crack, and LSD.