Ep 44: The 3 Most Unstable Personalities | Schizotypal, Borderline, & Paranoid

In this episode of the Personality Couch Podcast, we (licensed clinical psychologists Doc Bok and Doc Fish) explore the 3 most unstable personality disorders: schizotypal, borderline, and paranoid. All 3 types are at risk of psychosis. We first discuss historical personality classifications of neurotic, psychotic, and borderline, highlighting that the borderline space between neurotic and psychotic is the most prone to instability. This borderline space is where schizotypal, borderline, and paranoid personalities sit. We discuss the risky traits of each personality, including cognitive slippage, emotional instability, and extreme rigidity. We also discuss some of our thoughts and experiences in diagnosing these rather tricky disorders!

Are you a clinician stuck on a case? To schedule a consultation, please visit the practice website! https://www.questpsych.org/

Chapters

• 00:00 Intro & Psychodynamic Personality Organization
  • 02:31 Neurotic Personality Organization
  • 04:47 Psychotic Personality Organization
  • 05:48 Borderline Personality Organization
• 07:57 Schizotypal Personality & Instability
  • 08:57 Why Personalities Are Unstable (according to Millon)
  • 13:55 Personalities that Coexist with Schizotypal
• 16:30 Borderline Personality & Instability
  • 21:16 Personalities that Coexist with Borderline
• 23:18 Paranoid Personality & Instability
  • 26:52 Personalities that Coexist with Paranoid
• 30:18 Our Experiences with Diagnosing Unstable Personalities
• 33:39 Summary & Conclusion