Psychopathology (Three Clusters)

Psychopathology
Name
Institution
Personality disorders are broadly categorized into three clusters; A, B and C. The first cluster is known as eccentric and comprises paranoid people, schizoid and schizotypal disorders. The second cluster that is referred to as dramatic or erratic group consists Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD), Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD), Histrionic Personality Disorder (HPD) and Antisocial Personality Disorder (APD) and thirdly is the cluster of bipolar disorders (American Psychiatric Association, 2013).
These three categories are not distinctly different because they share some common features such as thinking patterns that are altered, misleading or exaggerated emotional reactions, difficulties in relating with other people and unregulated impulses. These features are common to all the disorders but still, for one to be considered to have any of the disorder, they must portray at least two substantial and outstanding of the characteristics (Fertuck & Lenzenweger et al., 2006).
Besides, these disorders can be diagnosed within one person, and also people tend to experience one or more of these disorders at one point or another in their lives. For example, a young person who is known to be antisocial can shift from that to having another disorder like paranoid after undergoing an unpleasant experience. In such a case, the treatment can be based on their earlier disorder but also considerate of the experience and the impact.
There are several instances where these disorders ‘co-occur’ making the clear distinction between the clusters difficult.

Grucza, Przybeck & Cloninger, 2007 established that almost every personality disorder occurs along with another (Grucza, Przybeck & Cloninger, 2007). He outlined the most common ‘co-occurring’ disorders like bipolar disorder along borderline disorder. While bipolar disorders have extreme features of depressed moods and elevated moods, borderline also experience unregulated impulses both resulting in destructive behavior such as substance abuse and sexual liaisons. Interestingly, the medications prescribed for these two disorders are often the same.
References
American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (DSM-5®). American Psychiatric Pub.
Grucza, R. A., Przybeck, T. R., & Cloninger, C. R. (2007). Prevalence and correlates of binge eating disorder in a community sample. Comprehensive Psychiatry, 48(2), 124-131.
Fertuck, E. A., Lenzenweger, M. F., Clarkin, J. F., Hoermann, S., & Stanley, B. (2006). Executive neurocognition, memory systems, and borderline personality disorder. Clinical Psychology Review, 26(3), 346-375.