Two people can enter mental health treatment with the same diagnosis, similar histories, and compatible symptoms, yet respond to the same approach in totally different ways. Our personalities are one of the largest (and least-discussed) reasons why this is.
The ways you think about things, relate to others, regulate your emotions, and make meaning from your experiences all influence how you go through treatment. This article will help you better understand:
Your personality is a core component of just about any kind of treatment. The traits you bring into the therapy room can shape the entire arc of the clinical experience, often in very powerful ways.
Mental health and personality patterns intersect in ways that are both unique and meaningful. For instance, someone with a strong pull toward perfectionism might approach therapy much differently than someone with an avoidant style of engagement. These aspects of yourself are the lens through which any given intervention is filtered and can determine what interventions land or bounce away.[1]
In the sections below, we consider how our personalities can influence healing in different ways.
The relationship between therapist and client is a strong predictor of how well the overall treatment works – and personality is a primary force that shapes this relationship. Individual differences in therapy success are reflected by how well the dynamic between you and your clinician accommodates your relational style.
For instance, someone who experiences authority figures as threatening likely needs a different approach than a person who defers. When your therapist’s natural style clashes with your personality-driven relational patterns, the work can stall out because it’s not speaking to your unique needs.
Personality and depression treatment can influence one another on several levels. Depression that develops within the context of a self-critical personality tends to be more long-lasting than depression with other origins.
Cognitive distortions can fuel its symptoms, and treating the mood disorder without addressing the aspects of personality reinforcing it isn’t likely to fully succeed.[2]
Difficult personality therapy challenges can present themselves when standard, evidence-based approaches assume people have capacities that their personalities aren’t strong in or haven’t yet developed.
Cognitive behavioral therapy, for example, relies on someone’s ability to observe their own thoughts with some distance and examine them rationally. But for someone whose personality involves emotional reactivity and identity instability, taking this step might be extremely difficult without more preparation-based work that standard CBT usually doesn’t touch on.
Psychotherapy for personality disorders is much different than that for depression or anxiety (though these issues and others can co-occur with personality disorders, known as “dual diagnosis”).
The patterns that define a personality disorder tend to come up in the therapeutic relationship as well, making the work more complex but also, when handled well, richer and deeper.
For example, borderline personality disorder (BPD) treatment illustrates this well. The ongoing emotional dysregulation and fears of abandonment that characterise BPD are frequently active toward the therapist and around session boundaries, usually in response to perceived slights.
However, a clinician who isn’t experienced in working with this dynamic might accidentally reinforce the same patterns they’re trying to address with their client.
Broadly speaking, treating personality disorders that are complex usually takes more time than other conditions. Personality is constructed over a lifetime, and therapy progress isn’t linear. So the therapeutic relationship itself is both the primary driver of change and the challenge to it, with the risk of patient drop-off very high at the start.[4]
AMFM is here to help you or your loved one take the next steps towards an improved mental well-being.
Therapy for personality patterns demands an approach that accounts for how someone’s style will interact with the work itself and not just what symptoms need addressing.
For example, dialectical behavioral therapy, or DBT, was developed for borderline personality disorder and is one of the most evidence-based approaches for emotional difficulties. It combines individual therapy with skill-based work to build new capacities.[5]
Likewise, several other unique approaches in personality psychology therapy operate on the assumption that the symptoms on the surface won’t shift until the underlying schema and outlook someone has is addressed. It’s a longer-term approach that is typically clinically indicated as part of the recovery process.
Personality-based therapy, in short, has to be built around your unique needs for it to be effective. No two people are alike, and treatment plans should always reflect this by being authored to speak directly to your needs and goals.
Schema therapy was developed in the 1990s to better address personality disorders and complex psychological patterns. The theory behind it holds that early life experiences – especially unmet needs in early childhood – produce lasting frameworks for viewing experiences, known as “schemas.” These schemas organize how someone sees themselves, other people, and the world.[6]
A child who grows up in an unpredictable, chaotic environment might then develop a schema around abandonment. Similarly, someone who grows up with harsh criticism might develop a deep belief that they are somehow fundamentally flawed.
Schema-based treatment works on several levels at the same time. A therapist will help you identify your core schemas and better understand where they came from, along with how they impact your world and relationships.
Schema therapy uses the therapeutic relationship as a vehicle for change in and of itself. This happens via a process known as “limited reparenting”, or providing corrective emotional experiences that meet needs that were unmet growing up.[7]
Outpatient-based treatment is appropriate for many people. But someone’s personality issues may be severe enough (or complex enough, existing with co-occurring conditions) where weekly appointments simply aren’t enough to meet their needs.
Starting more intensive treatment with more frequent clinical contact can improve your skills acquisition. And, time in therapy with a full clinical team can bring multiple perspectives and holistic support.
AMFM (A Mission For Michael) Mental Health Treatment provides residential treatment and a full spectrum of care across three states for many mental health concerns, including personality disorders, depression, anxiety, trauma, and much more.
We use evidence-based treatment modalities such as DBT and schema therapy for your personalized treatment plan, along with the know-how, experience, and support you need to sustain your recovery.
Our expert clinicians believe in treatment persistence and finding what works for each individual to result in the best possible outcome.
We accept insurance and are in-network with most major insurance providers. You can easily check your insurance coverage for treatment online or by calling us at 866-478-4383. All communication is confidential, and there is no obligation when you reach out to us.
If you’re ready to receive effective treatment, start the admissions process today.
100% Confidential
No Commitment
Instant Results
If you’re concerned that your personality may be affecting your healing process, the following answers to commonly asked questions could help give you extra clarity.
Personality disorders are treatable. For example, BPD was once considered to be one of the most difficult conditions to treat. Yet now it has a growing body of evidence that shows meaningful and lasting symptom reduction with the right approach.
Your personality structure doesn’t change quickly, and treatment is likely longer-term than for other conditions, but personality disorders aren’t fixed in place or untreatable.
A few patterns will likely emerge: repeated arguments with your therapist that end in premature termination, a sense that the same issues keep coming up in new therapeutic relationships, and feedback from clinicians about the same dynamics.
Talking about things with your therapy team can open up productive conversations that move things forward and pave the way for finding the right treatment styles and modalities for you.
CBT tends to focus on modifying disordered thought patterns and behaviors, featuring structured sessions that are symptom-focused.
Schema therapy goes much deeper, seeking out early beliefs that formed in childhood and continue to influence your experience even decades later. It’s generally a longer-term therapy and is more relational.
At AMFM, we strive to provide the most up-to-date and accurate medical information based on current best practices, evolving information, and our team’s approach to care. Our aim is that our readers can make informed decisions about their healthcare.
Our reviewers are credentialed medical providers specializing and practicing behavioral healthcare. We follow strict guidelines when fact-checking information and only use credible sources when citing statistics and medical information. Look for the medically reviewed badge on our articles for the most up-to-date and accurate information.
If you feel that any of our content is inaccurate or out of date, please let us know at info@amfmhealthcare.com
