Personality Disorders

Everyone has their own unique combination of personalities which makes them who they are. However, certain types of personalities and thinking styles can lead to mental disorders. Knowing them is half the battle won ! These personalities can be both ways, either too much or too little, both of which can cause problems to self and others. Striking the right balance is the key.

- Thinking too much or too little
- Very critical of self and others or too very nice
- Taking everything seriously or taking things for granted
- Demanding
- Perfectionist or careless
- Worrier or not caring at all
- Argumentive or submissive
- Negative or too very positive - be realistic
- Avoidant
- Impatient or waiting too long and not taking any decisions
- Arrogant or putting yourself down all the time
- Too very emotional or logical - use both your emotions and logic
- Dependent or not willing to take help from others - be interdependent
- Aggressive or passive
- Loner
- Workaholic or lazy
- Over spending or miser
- Blaming self or others for everything
- Having very high expectations or putting self down
- Assuming the worst

If you have come across more disorders in your practice please add them in the comments below.

How to deal with difficult feelings

Things you can do to deal with your difficult feelings :

- Allow yourself to feel what you are currently feeling. No need to do anything.
- Accept it. Thank it.
- Relax and deep breathing.
- Its just a temporary feeling. It will pass. Give it more time.
- Mindfully watch the feeling and associated bodily sensations without any labels, judgements, analysis, etc.
- Float right through it.
- Check for the underlying message it is trying to tell you.
- Go on with your normal life in-spite of the way you are feeling.

Things not to do :

- Fight it
- Avoid it
- Run away from it
- Suppress it
- Not want it
- Hate it
- Try to turn it off
- Forcefully trying to change it
- Push it away
- Be upset with it
- Wish you didnt have it
- Withdraw from normal life activities
- Worry about it
- Get obsessed with it
- Labeling them as good or bad

Thinking Styles

Catastrophizing : Jumping to worst possible conclusions.

All or nothing (black and white) thinking : Thinking in extremes, all or nothing terms.

Over-generalizing : Drawing generalized conclusions (always, never, etc) from a specific event.

Fortune-telling : Making negative and pessimistic predictions about the future.

Mind-reading : Jumping to conclusions about what other people are thinking about me.

Mental filtering : Focusing on the negative and over looking the positive.

Disqualifying the positive : Discounting positive information or twisting a positive to negative.

Labeling : Globally putting myself down in an extreme and self-attacking way.

Emotional reasoning : Listening too much to the negative gut feeling instead of looking at objective facts.

Personalizing : Taking an event or someones behavior too personally or blaming yourself.

Demands : Rigid 'should', 'must', 'ought', or 'have to' rules about yourself, other people or the world.

Low frustration tolerance : Telling myself that something is 'too difficult', or 'unbearable' or 'I cant stand it' when its actually hard to bear but bearable.