Personality Couch

Dependent Personality is characterized by a pervasive and excessive need to be taken care of, resulting in submissiveness and clinging behavior. Individuals with this disorder often fear separation and rely heavily on others for decision-making. In this series, we dive in to the brief history dependent personality before looking at the DSM criteria. We also give our psychoanalysis of the condition, discuss the 6 subtypes, and compare it to other diagnoses like Borderline Personality (BPD) and Histrionic Personality (HPD).

Histrionic Personality has long been thought of as a female disorder…but it’s not! In this series, we dive into the horrific history of hysteria and histrionic before looking at the DSM criteria. We also give our psychoanalysis of the condition, discuss the 6 subtypes, and compare it to other diagnoses like Borderline Personality (BPD). We conclude the series by discussing how histrionic and schizoid are opposites that attract one another!

OCPD in one of the few personality disorders that has a straightforward history. It overlaps a lot of conditions and is the most common personality disorder! In this series, we take a critical look at the DSM, psychodynamic theory, subtypes, differential diagnosis, and more!

In this series, we unpack this countercultural and sometimes criminal personality while taking a critical look at the DSM criteria as a “trash can diagnosis” for the misfits and misbehaved. We discuss subtypes and look at differential diagnoses between ASPD and Psychopathy and ASPD and Narcissism. We end the series by exploring the overlap between schizoid and antisocial in our “Dark Schizoid” episode.

In this series, we use a critical lens to discuss this personality’s late origins in the 1960s and further discuss how sociopolitical culture influences personalities across generations. We look at the 6 subtypes according to Millon and also the unique attachment style with this personality. Looking at the DSM criteria, we also explore the nuanced differences between this personality and schizoid presentations.

In this series, we take a critical look at schizoid vs schizotypal personalities and unpack the research about genetic markers like schizotypy that put an individual at risk of schizophrenia. We look at DSM criteria; the 6 subtypes according to Millon; and explore the instability inherent in this condition, making it more prone to falling out of reality and into psychosis.

Our most popular series by far, we discuss how the schizoid personality is often misunderstood and liken this type to a turtle, preferring to be alone vs in the social world. We explore psychodynamic theory and Nancy McWilliams’ conceptualization (which we find more complete than the DSM). We also contrast schizoid and autism; answer viewer questions; explore subtypes (and make our own!); and also contrast SzPD with avoidant personality.

In this series, we explore the mysterious paranoid personality by discussing its increase in the post-pandemic landscape. We discuss the instability inherent in this type as well as the 6 subtypes according to Millon (self-righteous, obdurate, querulous, insular, fanatic paraphrenic, and malignant paraphrenic). We also contrast paraphrenia and schizophrenia diagnoses and end the series by discussing 3 true crime cases with paranoid components: Jeffrey Weise, Richard Farley, and Timothy McVeigh.

In this series, we unpack narcissism as a trait vs when it’s pathological; NPD in the DSM-5; and various presentations of narcissism, including: vulnerable, grandiose, communal, and malignant variations. We also address malignant narcissism in politics by exploring what it looks like when world leaders display these traits. We conclude the series by exploring “worse” conditions, including sadism and psychopathy in dark personalities.

In this series, we uncover the much-debated and tumultuous naming of borderline and share our unfiltered thoughts about the stigmatization of this condition. We explore the misrepresentation of BPD in the media and discuss how this only perpetuates trauma and rejection dynamics inherent in this disorder. We also look at DSM criteria, treatment options, and the ever-popular “quiet borderline” name.

In our first episodes, we uncover our own journeys to becoming personality experts and explore myths and trends in clinical practice;we define personality; and we discuss how we spot personality disorders by understanding the drama triangle. We examine the various DSM, Millon, and psychodynamic personalities and have fun likening them to ice cream flavors! Going a bit darker, we also look at personalities that kill and ones that didn’t make it into the DSM.