1. Acknowledge and Confront the Problem
The hardest step for someone with a personality disorder is the first one: acknowledging the problem. Because of the rigidity involved in the condition--the patterns of behavior that are designed to avoid responsibility--it can be extremely difficult to acknowledge its reality. Even if it causes considerable damage to the rest of your life, it often feels easier just to maintain the status quo rather than seek genuine change. But until you can look at yourself in the mirror and vow to address the issue, no other form of treatment is likely to succeed.
2. Engage in Psychotherapy
Psychotherapy is the basis for treating most kinds of personality disorders. It involves regular discussions with a trained psychologist designed to help you acknowledge your maladaptive behavior, understand the possible causes and learn less rigid thought patterns that will help you to interact with society in a healthier way.
Personality disorders take years to develop and may take just as long to heal. The process requires a serious commitment for a considerable length of time. There may be periods when you are inclined to quit, and you will need to find a therapist with patience and experience in dealing with personality disorders. With time and effort, however, you can successfully address the condition.
3. Look Into Group or Family Therapy
Group therapy involves interaction with others who might share your condition while family therapy entails working with those close to you, both under the guidance of a therapist. This can be useful in identifying the social patterns around you that reinforce your personality disorder as well as providing an outlet for confronting and healing the wounds of the past. It can also help friends and family members better understand your condition and let all of you learn better ways of dealing with socially inappropriate behavior. Like individual psychotherapy, this kind of treatment is difficult. It entails taking responsibility for past behavior and dealing with realities that have been denied for years. You should probably speak to a therapist at length before deciding whether group or family therapy is right for you.
4. Ask About Medication
Medication cannot address the source of a personality disorder, as it is rooted too deeply in your identity, but it can help you cope with some of the symptoms. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) antidepressants can be used to stem negative emotions or anxiety. Anticonvulsants address impulse-control problems and emotional outbursts while antipsychotic drugs can treat those with borderline and schizotypal personality disorders. Medication often works best in conjunction with therapy and should only be taken under the supervision of a doctor. In some cases, it should be accompanied by an attempt to reduce the levels of stress in your life, which will allow the medication to work more readily and can help you better adapt to healthier patterns of thought.
