Chapter 17: Mental and Physical Health

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Alright everyone, get ready because today we're tackling a big topic.

Oh yeah.

The sometimes wild world of personality disorders.

Oh, that's a good one.

We're going deep into Chapter 17 of the Personality Puzzle.

Okay.

And on this deep dive,

our mission, if you choose to accept it, is to try to figure out how our personalities, mental health and physical health, are all connected.

Yeah.

And you know what's so interesting about this chapter is that it really makes us think about personality traits, not just as these like little quirks we all have, but as like these forces, you know, that can really either like make our lives better or kind of send them, you know, in a not so good direction.

So we're talking about a potential dark side to personality?

Yeah, exactly.

Like a dark side.

That's a really intriguing way to think about it.

Yeah.

But where do we actually draw that line, you know, between just having a strong personality, you know, being a little quirky, and an actual personality disorder?

Well, the book lays out like two main criteria, right?

The first one is that the personality traits have to be pretty extreme.

Okay.

So we're not just talking about someone who's like a little shy or a little stubborn, right?

These are traits that are like statistically rare and they actually cause problems for the person.

Okay, so not just like your average, everyday quirks or personality traits.

Yeah, it's got to be something that really sets them apart.

It has to be something more significant.

Yeah.

Now, when we say problems, what do we actually mean by problems?

Good question.

Yeah, so we're talking about like significant distress either for the person themselves or for the people around them.

So like imagine someone who's so suspicious of everyone that they can't keep a job.

Oh, wow.

Or maintain a relationship.

Like that level of disruption, you know, that's a pretty big indicator.

That paints a very different picture than just thinking of someone as, you know, being difficult or challenging to deal with.

Exactly.

Sounds like these disorders can have a really deep impact.

Oh, for sure.

On someone's life.

Absolutely.

And to really get how these disorders are diagnosed and categorized, we have to look at this tool that psychologists use.

Okay.

It's called the DSM or the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual.

Yes, the famous DSM.

Yes.

I've definitely heard of it.

But you know, for those of us who haven't taken, you know, years of psychology classes, can you just give us like a quick rundown of what it is and why it matters?

So basically think of the DSM like a big dictionary of mental disorders.

You know, it's a system for diagnosing and classifying mental health conditions and it makes sure everyone in the field is speaking the same language.

Right.

So it's like a common ground for everyone to be on the same page.

Yeah.

It's crucial for research, for communication among professionals.

And yes, even for insurance purposes.

That's important.

It matters.

That makes a lot of sense.

It's this like standardized way to help understand and treat these complex conditions.

But I've also heard that the DSM has been, you know,

a little controversial.

It's gone through a lot of revisions.

With each one, there's always those debates and disagreements, the best way to, you know, categorize these things.

To define these disorders.

Right.

Exactly.

And the current version of DSM -5, it actually reflects like a pretty big shift.

OK, now you've got my attention.

Tell me more about this shift.

OK.

So the old system, which is still in the book,

grouped 10 specific personality disorders into three clusters.

OK.

But the DSM -5 is moving away from those like rigid categories and focusing more on personality traits.

Interesting.

Yeah.

They've adopted a model that's similar to the big five.

OK.

But with a twist.

OK.

Call it the bad five.

The bad five.

Yeah.

OK.

So instead of putting people into these like not little boxes.

Exactly.

We're looking at these bad five on more of a spectrum.

Yeah, more nuanced.

OK.

Little more realistic.

That sounds more realistic.

Yeah.

What about those 10 original disorders?

Right.

Do they all just disappear?

Good question.

And the DSM -5?

Well, not entirely.

OK.

Six of them are still there.

OK.

And they're still widely recognized.

OK.

Let's take a look at these survivors.

All right.

I'm ready to meet the remaining six.

OK.

So first up.

OK.

Schizotypal personality disorder.

OK.

People with this disorder often have, you know, odd beliefs, strange thinking and trouble with social interaction.

They might have unusual experiences or hold really strange beliefs.

OK.

So is it like extreme eccentricity?

Yeah.

That's a good way to put it.

That sometimes almost seems like schizophrenia.

Right.

The line can be blurry.

Right.

But with schizotypal personality disorder.

Yeah.

The eccentricity is so strong.

OK.

It really messes with their daily life.

That sounds really challenging.

It is.

OK.

Who's next on our list?

Next, we have one that gets, you know, a bad rap sometimes.

OK.

Narcissistic personality disorder.

OK.

And it might seem like it's just being vain or self -centered.

Right.

But it goes way deeper than that.

OK.

People with this disorder have an inflated sense of importance,

a need for admiration and a lack of empathy for others.

So it's not just about, you know, taking too many selfies.

No, it's deeper.

It's about this fundamental lack of concern.

Exactly.

For other people's feelings.

Yeah.

And a belief that they're superior.

Yeah.

And that sense of entitlement can make them exploit others.

Right.

And act in harmful ways.

Wow.

That sounds like.

It can be tough.

A recipe for relationship disaster.

It can be.

OK.

I'm curious about the next one.

All right.

Next up.

What else made the cut?

We have antisocial personality disorder.

OK.

This one is marked by a pattern of disregard for the rights of others.

OK.

People with this disorder often lie, manipulate, act recklessly with little to no remorse.

This one sounds a little scary.

It can't be.

Is this the same thing as psychopathy?

That's a good question.

A lot of people kind of use them interchangeably.

Yeah.

I always hear those two together.

Yeah.

But it's important to distinguish them.

OK.

They overlap, but they're not the same.

Antisocial personality disorder is a clinical diagnosis based on what we see.

OK.

Psychopathy is more of a broader personality type that includes a lack of empathy, superficial charm and just not caring about others.

OK.

So someone could have antisocial personality disorder.

Yes.

But not be a psychopath.

Exactly.

But most psychopaths would probably.

Yeah.

That's a good way to think about it.

Meet the criteria for this disorder.

And the book actually uses Ted Bundy as an example.

Oh, wow.

He displayed both antisocial personality disorder.

OK.

And psychopathy.

Right.

His crimes were not only awful, but also meticulously planned, which shows that chilling lack of empathy.

That's a sobering example for sure.

It is.

OK.

Let's move on.

Move on to the next one.

OK.

So next we have a disorder that's often intense, intense emotional instability.

OK.

Borderline personality disorder.

OK.

So imagine a roller coaster of emotions.

OK.

A deep fear of being abandoned and a shaky sense of self.

Yeah.

Relationships are often tumultuous.

Right.

And there's a tendency to act impulsively even self harm.

This one sounds just heartbreaking.

It is.

Must be so painful.

It is a very difficult disorder to live with, both for the person and their loved ones.

Yeah.

And the book talks about this thing called splitting, which is common in borderline personality disorder.

OK.

This is where they see people as either all good or all bad.

So it's like their perception of people swings.

Yes.

From one extreme.

Yeah.

It makes relationships really tough.

Yeah.

It makes it almost impossible to build any kind of trust or intimacy in a relationship.

Yeah.

OK.

I'm ready for the next one.

All right.

Let's talk about avoidant personality disorder.

OK.

This one is all about extreme shyness.

OK.

Social anxiety and a fear of rejection or criticism.

OK.

People with this disorder often isolate themselves to avoid any situation where they might feel judged.

So it's not just being an introvert.

Right.

It's much more severe.

It's more of that pervasive fear.

Yeah.

Imagine being so afraid of judgment that you avoid work, school, social events.

Right.

It's like living in constant fear of being seen.

That sounds incredibly isolating.

It is.

OK.

We're on our last one.

Yes.

Last but not least.

Our final survivor.

We have obsessive compulsive personality disorder or OCPD.

OCPD.

This one is often mixed up with obsessive compulsive disorder.

OCD.

Hold on.

Before we go any further, can you clarify that difference?

Because I think a lot of people get those too.

They do.

It's a common misconception.

Yeah.

Mixed up.

People with OCD experience intrusive thoughts and compulsions like repetitive hand washing or checking that they know are irrational but feel compelled to do.

OK.

OCPD, on the other hand, is a personality style all about orderliness, perfectionism and control.

Ah, I see the distinction.

Yeah.

So with OCPD, it's more about this rigidity and need for control.

Right.

It affects their whole personality.

It affects their entire personality.

Yeah.

OCD is more about those specific intrusive thoughts.

Yeah.

Good summary.

And compulsions.

And the book connects OCPD to Freud's idea of the anal character.

Interesting.

Remember that someone who's either really neat or really messy hoarding things?

Right, right.

He thought this came from potty training where kids learn to control, you know, their bodily functions.

That is a fascinating connection.

It is.

OK.

So we've now met all six of these survivors of this DSM -5 shakeup.

Now I'm really curious about these bad five traits that you were talking about earlier.

Let's get into it.

Can you break those down for us?

OK.

So the bad five are basically the big five but flipped.

OK.

So instead of openness to experience, we have psychoticism, which is like unusual beliefs, eccentricity and being detached from reality.

OK.

Instead of conscientiousness, we have disinhibition.

Right.

Which is being impulsive, reckless and not following rules.

OK.

Instead of extroversion, we have detachment, social withdrawal,

emotional coldness and a lack of interest in others.

OK.

Instead of agreeableness, we have antagonism, which is being manipulative, deceitful and hostile.

OK.

And lastly, instead of emotional stability, we have negative affectivity, which includes anxiety, depression and just emotional volatility.

So it's like the big five, but we're seeing the dark side.

Exactly.

Like the flip side.

Of each trait.

Yeah.

And it shows that it's all a spectrum, right?

Right.

No one's purely good or bad when it comes to personality.

And we all have shades of these traits.

Yeah.

We all have those different sides to us.

And that's a really important point.

It's not about labeling people as good or bad, but recognizing that these traits exist on a continuum.

They do.

At one end, it's healthy.

At the other end, it's not.

Yeah.

At the up end, we have those extreme versions.

Yeah.

And that's where the problems stack.

That can lead to problems.

Exactly.

You know, something I've always wondered about is whether these personality traits can actually affect our physical health.

Oh, that's a great question.

Right.

Like, is there a connection between our minds and bodies when it comes to personality?

That's something I've always been curious about, too.

Yeah.

And researchers have been looking into this for decades.

Yeah.

The link between personality and physical health,

it's complex and fascinating.

Yeah.

And that's what we're going to do into next.

OK.

I'm ready to dive into that rabbit hole.

Let's do it.

Let's see what the research has to say about how our personalities can either help or hurt our physical well -being.

It's interesting stuff.

So you're curious about how personality can affect our physical health.

Yeah.

I've always wondered about that.

Well, for a long time, there was this idea of the type A personality.

OK.

You know, the person who's always on the go.

Right.

Always in a hurry.

Stressed on edge.

Multitasking, getting impatient if the line's too long.

Exactly.

That's the one.

And everyone thought this type was headed for heart disease.

Right.

That was like the classic thinking.

It was.

But it turns out that might be a bit of an oversimplification.

Really?

Yeah.

So all those years of telling people to slow down, relax.

Not that simple.

We're kind of misguided.

Well, ambition and hard work.

They're not bad in themselves.

It's more about how those things are expressed.

It's actually chronic hostility.

OK.

That simmering anger and cynicism.

Right.

That's the real problem for your heart.

So it's not the striving that's harmful.

Right.

It's that negativity that can come with it.

It's like holding on to bitterness is literally toxic.

Wow.

That's a powerful way to put it.

And it makes sense when you think about stress being in fight or flight all the time.

Yeah.

It's rough on your body.

It takes a toll.

It does.

OK.

So it's not about telling people to stop working hard.

No.

It's about finding healthier ways to manage stress.

Exactly.

Find that balance.

Right.

And maybe cultivate a more positive outlook.

That's key.

What about those positive vibes only messages from a few years ago?

The power of positive thinking.

Right.

I always felt like that was.

I know what you mean.

Oversimplifying things a bit.

You're not alone.

Yeah.

That idea that positive thoughts can cure cancer.

Right.

It's been debunked.

OK.

So it's not about denying negative emotions.

No.

Those are part of life.

Right.

We have to experience the full range of emotions.

It's about how we manage them.

OK.

How we cope with stress.

Exactly.

How we build resilience.

Yes.

That's the key.

That makes a lot more sense to me.

Good.

So if it's not all about positive vibes.

Right.

What does the research say are the best personality traits?

OK.

Well, one trait stands out.

OK.

Conscientiousness.

Uh huh.

It's a health superstar.

I knew those organized people were on to something.

They are.

They really are.

So what is it about conscientiousness?

Well, conscientious people.

Yeah.

They tend to make healthier choices.

OK.

So it's more than just being tidy.

It is.

It's about having that self -discipline.

Yes.

That long -term vision.

And it affects their health habits too.

So they're thinking about the future consequences of their actions.

And the research is clear.

OK.

Conscientiousness is linked to living longer.

Wow.

So it's like a built -in shield against disease.

You could say that.

OK.

That's impressive.

It is.

This brings up a big question.

OK.

What's that?

Can we change our personalities to improve our health?

That is the million -dollar question.

Right.

Because if we know certain traits are better,

can we just shift our personalities?

Well, completely overhauling a personality is tough.

But research suggests that traits can be modified.

So there's hope.

There it is.

Those of us who want to cultivate healthier traits.

It might not be easy, but it's possible.

OK.

An impractical approach, though, and one of the book highlights, is to focus on changing specific behaviors.

So instead of trying to become a different person, we can focus on the actions we know are healthy.

Exactly.

Like if you want to avoid heart disease, quitting smoking, eating well.

Those are more achievable.

Much more achievable.

Than a total personality makeover.

It's about taking those small steps.

Right.

And it empowers people to take control.

It does.

Regardless of their personality.

I like that.

Yeah.

And this leads us to a really interesting question.

OK.

What exactly is a healthy personality?

That's a great question.

If we could create the ideal person, what would their personality be like?

It's like the ultimate personality challenge.

It is.

So what does the DSM -5 say?

OK.

It describes a healthy personality as someone with a good sense of self,

a balanced emotional life, and the ability to be productive and have good relationships.

So it's not just about not having mental illness.

No.

It's more than that.

It's about having those positive qualities.

Exactly.

The things that help us thrive.

OK.

That's a pretty thorough description.

And there are two researchers, Howard Friedman and Margaret Kern.

They identified six key indicators.

OK.

They say healthy people can do what they want, feel good, have good relationships, are productive, think well, and they live long lives.

Wow.

That covers a lot.

It does.

It's like a holistic view of well -being.

And what's fascinating is how much this aligns with what Fervid said.

Oh, really?

Years ago, he defined health as the ability to love and to work.

Wow.

That's amazing.

It is.

It all comes back to those basic needs.

Right.

Connection, purpose, fulfillment.

Exactly.

So while personality and mental health are complex, it's really about living a meaningful life.

It really is amazing how those core principles still hold up, you know, like love and work.

They do.

OK.

We've covered so much in this deep dive for all those personality disorders, too.

How personality can affect our physical health.

It's all connected.

Can you give our listener like a quick recap of the takeaways before we wrap up?

All right.

So the biggest thing is that personality is a powerful force.

It shapes our mental health, our physical health.

Even how long we live yet, understanding our own personality, it can help us live a better life.

It's like having that owner's manual.

I like that.

On the mind and body.

Yeah.

But what about those of us who are thinking, wait, do I have a personality disorder?

That's a common question.

How should we approach that?

Well, remember, personality disorders are on a spectrum.

Just because you have some traits doesn't mean you have a disorder.

It has to be extreme and causing problems in your life.

So it's about recognizing those extremes and knowing when to get help.

Exactly.

And if you were ever worried, talk to a therapist.

Right.

It's always good to talk to an expert.

It is.

And something I found really empowering is that even if we can't totally change our personalities, we can change our behaviors and our habits.

That's a P.

Improve our health.

And that brings me to a final thought.

OK.

I'm ready.

If parts of personality disorders exist in all of us,

what dark side of your personality

might be worth watching?

Yeah.

That's a great question for our listeners to think about.

It is.

It's about self -reflection and working on those parts of ourselves.

Right.

Becoming the best versions of ourselves.

Exactly.

Well, that wraps up our deep dive into personality, mental health and well -being.

Fascinating stuff.

We hope you enjoyed it.

I did.

And as always, keep learning, keep questioning, keep exploring, keep diving deep into the human mind.

Until next time.

See you on the next deep dive.