Ketamine Infusions for Personality Disorders in Los Altos, CA

Personality is the way of thinking, feeling and behaving that makes an individual truly unique. An individual’s personality is influenced by experiences, inherited characteristics, environment (surroundings, life situations) and influential people in their lives, such as friends and family. A person’s personality typically stays the same over time, however there can be slight variations. A personality disorder is defined as a way of thinking, feeling and behaving that causes distress or problems functioning which deviates from normalized expectations, and lasts over time. The pattern of experience and behavior begins by late adolescence or early adulthood and causes distress or problems in functioning. Without treatment, personality disorders can be enduring. Personality disorders affect at least two areas:

• Way of thinking about oneself and others
• Way of responding emotionally
• Way of relating to other people
• Way of controlling one’s behavior

There are 10 types of personality disorders:

Antisocial Personality Disorder — This is defined as a pattern of disregarding or violating the rights of others.
Avoidant Personality Disorder — Avoidant personality disorder is a pattern of extreme sensitivity to criticism, feelings of inadequacy and extreme shyness, which can make someone avoid certain situations.
Borderline Personality Disorder — BPD is a pattern of intense and unregulated emotions, instability in personal relationships, poor self-image and impulsivity.
Dependent Personality Disorder — As the name suggests, dependent personality disorder is characterized by a pattern of needing to be taken care of as well as submissive and clingy behavior.
Histrionic Personality Disorder — Histrionic personality disorder is defined as a pattern of excessive emotion and attention seeking.
Narcissistic Personality Disorder — This personality disorder, as the name suggests, is characterized by a pattern of need for admiration and lack of empathy for others.
Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder — Similar to OCD (obsessive-compulsive disorder), this is characterized by a pattern of preoccupation with orderliness, perfection and control.
Paranoid Personality Disorder — This personality disorder makes one suspicious of others, and can even make them see others as mean or spiteful.
Schizoid Personality Disorder — Schizoid personality disorder refers to someone who has a pattern of behavior of being detached from social relationships and expressing little emotion.
Schizotypal Personality Disorder — People with schizotypal personality disorder have a pattern of being very uncomfortable in close relationships, as well as having distorted thinking and unconventional or strange behavior.

A personality disorder can be diagnosed by having a mental health professional looking at and analyzing long-term patterns of functioning and symptoms. Diagnosis is typically made in individuals over the age of 18. Because people under the age of 18 are still developing their personalities, they are typically not diagnosed with personality disorders. Some people with personality disorders may not recognize a problem, as it may only be apparent to others. In addition to this, it is possible for a person to have more than one personality disorder. It is estimated that around 9 percent of American adults have at least one personality disorder.

Untreated personality disorders can result in great personal and social costs, including significant unhappiness, lost productivity, hospitalizations, and even imprisonment. People with untreated personality disorders also are at higher risk for abusing alcohol or drugs, violent or self-destructive behavioral tendencies, as well as suicidal thoughts.

If you live in the Los Altos area, you can find help for a personality disorder at Bay Area Ketamine Center. Our compassionate medical professionals can help you understand what you are going through and actively work to improve your mental health, and therefore your quality of life.

Call Bay Area Ketamine Center today to book an appointment, or visit our clinic conveniently located at 746 Altos Oaks Drive, Los Altos, CA 94024. Our office is open five days a week, from Monday to Friday, during the hours of 10 AM to 6 PM. We look forward to serving you! We serve patients from Los Altos, CA, Sunnyvale CA, Palo Alto CA, Stanford CA, Atherton CA, Cupertino CA, and BEYOND.