1 in 5 young adults has personality disorder
Dec 3, 08- (by Jason Schwartz)
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- Controversy Alley, Sober Salon
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Come on. 20% of young people have a personality disorder? Wikipedia (not my favorite source, but I’m short on time.) offers this definition of personality disorders:
Personality disorders are defined by the American Psychiatric Association (APA) as “an enduring pattern of inner experience and behavior that deviates markedly from the expectations of the culture of the individual who exhibits it“. [1] These patterns, as noted, are inflexible and pervasive across many situations, due in large part to the fact that such behavior is ego-syntonic (i.e., the patterns are consistent with the ego integrity of the individual), and therefore, perceived to be appropriate by that individual.
8% with obsessive compulsive personality disorder? 12% with anxiety disorders?
Counting substance abuse, the study found that nearly half of young people surveyed have some sort of psychiatric condition, including students and non-students.
So, if a young person is seated in front of a psychiatrist, they have a 1 in 2 chance of being diagnosed with a psychiatric condition? If you’re an addict, what are your chances of being diagnosed with something other than a substance use disorder?
If the only tool you have is a hammer, everything starts to look like a nail.
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1 in 5? Seems like the last I heard it was one in a hundred, but don’t quote me on that. I’d think personality disorders are more common that the average person realizes, but that seems extreme. I’m getting kinda old, and I’ve only ever run across one other person other than me that would qualify for one. If there’s one in five, then I’d actually be quite frightened.