Ep 44: The 3 Most Unstable Personalities | Schizotypal, Borderline, & Paranoid

In this episode of the Personality Couch Podcast, we (licensed clinical psychologists Doc Bok and Doc Fish) explore the 3 most unstable personality disorders: schizotypal, borderline, and paranoid. All 3 types are at risk of psychosis. We first discuss historical personality classifications of neurotic, psychotic, and borderline, highlighting that the borderline space between neurotic and psychotic is the most prone to instability. This borderline space is where schizotypal, borderline, and paranoid personalities sit. We discuss the risky traits of each personality, including cognitive slippage, emotional instability, and extreme rigidity. We also discuss some of our thoughts and experiences in diagnosing these rather tricky disorders!

🆘Are you a clinician stuck on a case? To schedule a consultation, please visit the practice website! 👉https://www.questpsych.org/

Chapters

00:00 Intro & Psychodynamic Personality Organization
      02:31 Neurotic Personality Organization
      04:47 Psychotic Personality Organization
      05:48 Borderline Personality Organization
07:57 Schizotypal Personality & Instability
      08:57 Why Personalities Are Unstable (according to Millon)
      13:55 Personalities that Coexist with Schizotypal
16:30 Borderline Personality & Instability
      21:16 Personalities that Coexist with Borderline 
23:18 Paranoid Personality & Instability
      26:52 Personalities that Coexist with Paranoid
30:18 Our Experiences with Diagnosing Unstable Personalities
33:39 Summary & Conclusion