Wednesday 1 January 2014

Personality Disorders


For years while I endured sustained assaults and suffered Domestic Abuse, I made excuses for my perpetrator.  My attacker has never shown any remorse for her actions or even acknowledged the impact it has had on me and our children.  It’s over 4 years since I escaped from the relationship and I’ve been able to move forward, but I still try and seek understanding as to why my ex behaved in the manner she did.  
Most of the data sources will tell you that Domestic Violence perpetrators are narcissistic  and taking full advantage of male privilege.  However, when pointed out that women can also behave in a violent manner towards their intimate partners, denial can no longer be used that this actually happens because it’s now accepted as possible.   Mind you, if a woman is a perpetrator of Domestic abuse, it is because of the effects of alcohol abuse or illness. 

This train of thought is very familiar to me for I used to tell my children after they’d witnessed their mother attack me, “Your mum’s not well, only she doesn’t realise it – we must all try and keep calm to help her.”
I have spoken to many people describing what I experienced.  Quite a few, from different backgrounds which included Mental Health professionals, all commented along similar lines, “Sounds like she has Borderline Personality Disorder(BPD)”

The main way of diagnosing BPD is the matching of 5 out of 9 criteria.  Diagnosis, though, are hard to come by because treatment is often extremely difficult because of the way the patient’s anger control skills and interpersonal skills could manifest themselves.

My own personal research into Personality Disorders certainly gave me some answers for I could identify certain types of behaviour.   I saw behavioural patterns that were consistent with Borderline Personality Disorder.  I also saw behavioural traits that matched another disorder known as Antisocial Personality Disorder ( also known as Dissocial personality disorder). 

Antisocial personality disorder,  borderline personality disorder, along with narcissistic personality disorder and histrionic personality disorder, and are so closely related that they are referred to as the "antagonistic" cluster of personality disorders.  If antagonistic sounds too harsh, this group is often referred to as Emotive and Impulsive Cluster.

From my research, interviews with other DV victims and discussions with professionals, it is my belief that ALL perpetrators of Domestic Abuse, irrespectively of gender, have a personality disorder from this antagonistic cluster.

Let me briefly explain each type:

Dissocial [Antisocial] Personality Disorder F60.2 - ICD10 Description, World Health Organization
Dissocial [antisocial] personality disorder is characterized by disregard for social obligations, and callous unconcern for the feelings of others. There is gross disparity between behaviour and the prevailing social norms. Behaviour is not readily modifiable by adverse experience, including punishment. There is a low tolerance to frustration and a low threshold for discharge of aggression, including violence; there is a tendency to blame others, or to offer plausible rationalizations for the behaviour bringing the patient into conflict with society.

Borderline Personality Disorder F60.3 - ICD10 Description, World Health Organization
Borderline personality disorder is characterized by a definite tendency to act impulsively and without consideration of the consequences; the mood is unpredictable and capricious. There is a liability to outbursts of emotion and an incapacity to control the behavioural explosions. There is a tendency to quarrelsome behaviour and to conflicts with others, especially when impulsive acts are thwarted or censored. Two types may be distinguished: the impulsive type, characterized predominantly by emotional instability and lack of impulse control, and the borderline type, characterized in addition by disturbances in self-image, aims, and internal preferences, by chronic feelings of emptiness, by intense and unstable interpersonal relationships, and by a tendency to self-destructive behaviour, including suicide gestures and attempts.

Narcissistic Personality Disorder F60.8 - ICD10 Description, World Health Organization
Narcissistic personality disorder is not classified as a specific personality disorder by the World Health Organization's ICD-10. In contrast, the American Psychiatric Association's DSM-5 does classify this as a specific personality disorder; characterized by a pervasive pattern of grandiosity (in fantasy or behaviour), interpersonally exploitative, envious of others, arrogant attitudes,  need for admiration, and lack of empathy.

Histrionic Personality Disorder F60.4 - ICD10 Description, World Health Organization
Histrionic personality disorder is characterized by shallow and labile affectivity, self-dramatization, theatricality, exaggerated expression of emotions, suggestibility, egocentricity, self-indulgence, lack of consideration for others, easily hurt feelings, and continuous seeking for appreciation, excitement and attention.

Causes of personality disorders
The causes of personality disorders are not fully known. Possible causes include trauma in early childhood such as abuse, violence, inadequate parenting and neglect. Genetic  and neurological factors could also play a part in the onset of a personality disorder.

These findings are consistent with my own views for I believe that the actions of a domestic violence perpetrator stem from their own learnt behaviours of childhood.  If they have experienced some early life trauma and not received the necessary professional help, that ‘learnt’ behaviour has moulded their personality disorder.  I have written elsewhere about my own experience and my ex- wife’s background which hinted at some deep trauma which she has never divulged. 

At the start of the piece I drew attention to the contrasting attitudes towards gender-specific perpetrators…men abuse because they think themselves superior while women only abuse because they are ill ( and alcohol abuse is also viewed as an illness).  Actually, we need to destroy all the gender myths.  Domestic Violence is NOT Gender-specific.  Both men and women abuse and both men and women are victimised.  Substance abuse is now considered an illness, and perhaps we will only see great inroads into solving and minimising the occurrence of domestic abuse incidents when we accept that ‘prone to violence’ behaviour is also an illness and treat ALL perpetrators for personality disorders.  

9 comments:

  1. I agree with you that domestic abuse and violence COULD be caused by mental disorders or clusters of mental disorders. As you've shown, the behavior of an abuser is somewhat like several disorders, but none that can be shown as definitive fits to describe the behavior.

    It is society's fault that we look to women as weaker (and therefore more susceptible to mental illness). We assume men to be "stronger" (able to transcend mental illness) and therefore any act of violence or abuse they inflict becomes their "choice".

    We've got it all screwed up.

    The only thing I disagree with you about is that control, manipulation, abuse and violence is a personality disorder at all. I do not believe these people are disordered - I think they know how to get what they want and do what needs to be done to get it.

    If "extreme selfishness" is a disorder, then I stand corrected. The one concession I would make is sociopathy. If you just don't have a conscience, then you can never care what you do to others.

    I enjoy your blog very much.

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    1. Hi Kellie Jo Holly, always good to hear from you and you make some interesting points. As you know, my abuser was female which is maybe why I am/was looking at personality disorders because as you rightly comment ,,,'we look to women as weaker (and therefore more susceptible to mental illness)' I won't disagree with you about control, manipulation, abuse, violence at all especially if they stand alone without any other disordered traits showing themselves. Keep up the good work

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  2. Nice blog chum, keep plugging away, sooner or later people will have no choice but to listen.......
    Forty Two

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  3. I feel for you. I was also in a relationship with a female domestic abuser. I managed to get out, but not before our daughter was conceived. There followed 3 years of court room hell as she threw every accusation she could think of at me. This book really helped me learn to anticipate and plan for her behaviour:

    http://www.amazon.co.uk/Splitting-Protecting-Borderline-Narcissistic-Personality/dp/1608820254

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  4. I was doing some research for a class and I stumbled upon your blog. It's both impressing and humbling. Stay strong and best wishes!

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  5. Great Blog and very poignant I will come back and read some more of your work

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  6. Spot on analysis. When we all become serious about stopping / eradicating domestic violence is when we address the root cause. Until then, it's just a profit-making industry not unlike the current state of of medical system treating symptoms and "managing" illness. Cheers to you, Blog Author! I'm in your camp.

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  7. Hey!! Thanks for the post. Bipolar personality is a kind of mental health disorder which completely ruin your life completely.
    I know this because I gonna through this horrible state of mind. To overcome the depression I searched for the best Counselling in South West London. Finally, I get rid of it. Hey! you have shared really a great post.

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  8. Thank you so much for this blog. Like you and your daughter, my kids and myself are also survivors of domestic violence. Unfortunately, so are my partner and his kids. It wasn't until my partner and I got together and started opening up to each other about our past experiences that I realised that his ex had been violent, abusive and controlling. He and his children had been suffering domestic violence and abuse for years, but because his ex partner is female...well, you know the rest. Because he didn't talk about it and because his ex usually kept it behind closed doors- and because it's so much more socially acceptable for a woman to be screaming at her partner than the other way around- nobody had a clue. And when they split up, she made sure to tell every single friend and family member in common that it was he who was the bad guy. Sugar wouldn't melt in her mouth. The things she did to try to make herself look like the victim and to punish my partner for actually leaving have affected the children horribly.

    I've recently started my own blog about my own experiences of domestic violence and abuse, perhaps as a way of trying to heal (hmm, not sure writing about it isn't just picking at the wounds so far), but also to help others in the same boat. I've tried so far to keep gender out of it as much as possible, because it's not only women who suffer domestic violence. It's men too.

    I have absolutely no doubt that both my violent ex and my partner's violent ex have mental illness in common. My ex waas diagnosed by a court appointed psychologist with Narcissistic Personality Disorder verging on Psychopathy. My partner's ex has a surprising amount of similarities in her behaviour: how didn't I spot it? I think that was a big part of why we both stayed for so long in such horrendous situations, trying to look after these insanely cruel people, desperately hoping that they'd finally agree to get the help they appeared to so badly need. But of course, mental illness aside, all they wanted was control. And when you've been controlled and manipulated, pushed about and kicked and punched for so long, one's own mental health is hardly in great shape.

    I had no idea until my partner and I got together that it was possible to have a relationship that didn't involve being told what to do and having to make compromises on everything (in other words, do as you're told or face the consequences!). I thought all couples argued: they don't. I consider myself one of the lucky ones: I got away and found a kind, compassionate partner. But my god, the consequenses of domestic violence on the kids is another battle altogether.

    I'll save the rest for my own blog, but thanks again. Plenty to read here. I'll check out your daughter's blog too. It takes a lot of strength to put your feelings and experiences out there; it's a daily battle to try to forget sometimes, so sharing your experiences to help others: that's something you both must be very proud of.

    Wishing you and your daughter all the best.

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