Personality Disorders

Compassionate Diagnosis, Medication Support & Emotional Stabilization

Discover how our trauma-informed care fosters emotional balance and strengthens relationships.

Personality disorders are widely misunderstood.

They are not character flaws, manipulation, or intentional behaviors — they are long-standing patterns of emotion, identity, and relationships shaped by a mix of genetics, environment, trauma, and nervous system sensitivity.

At Arizona Mental Wellness, our psychiatric team offers trauma-informed, nonjudgmental evaluation and treatment for individuals experiencing personality disorders or personality-related emotional dysregulation.

Our focus is on stabilization, reducing distress, improving emotional regulation, and helping clients build healthier, more secure relationships with themselves and others

You deserve understanding — not stigma.

Customized medication plans designed to alleviate symptoms and enhance overall well-being.

Understanding Personality Disorders Through a Psychiatric Lens

Explore our empathetic approach combining trauma-informed evaluations, personalized medication management, and integrated therapies for lasting emotional balance.

Personality disorders involve enduring patterns affecting:

  • Emotional regulation
  • Impulse control
  • Self-image and identity
  • Interpersonal functioning
  • Stress tolerance
  • Interpersonal sensitivity
  • Core beliefs and thought patterns

These patterns often overlap with:

Trauma-Informed Psychiatric Evaluation

A psychiatric evaluation provides clarity and reduces confusion — with zero judgment.

Types of Personality Disorders We Support

Personality disorders are complex, and every person’s experience is unique.

Rather than placing people into rigid categories, we focus on patterns of emotions, thinking, and relationships that may be causing distress.

Here are some of the common patterns we help clients navigate:

Patterns involving social detachment or unusual thinking

Some people find it difficult to connect with others or feel more comfortable alone. Others may have unusual perceptions, anxiety in social situations, or difficulty trusting.

These patterns are sometimes associated with diagnoses like:

  • Paranoid tendencies
  • Schizoid traits
  • Schizotypal traits

We focus on helping you feel safer, more grounded, and better understood — not on labeling you.

Patterns involving strong emotions or impulsivity

Many individuals experience intense feelings, fear of abandonment, difficulties in relationships, or impulsive reactions.

These patterns can relate to:

Often these experiences come from trauma, chronic stress, attachment wounds, or nervous system sensitivity. We approach this with compassion and skill, never judgment.

Patterns involving anxiety, perfectionism, or dependency

Some people struggle with chronic worry, fear of rejection, difficulty making decisions, or high perfectionism that becomes overwhelming.

These patterns can appear in:

  • Avoidant tendencies
  • Dependent relationship patterns
  • Perfectionistic or rigid thinking styles

We help clients build confidence, reduce fear, and develop healthier coping strategies.

You don’t need to fit neatly into any category

Many people experience traits rather than a full diagnosis, and symptoms often overlap with:

Our goal is to understand your story, your patterns, and your strengths — not to place you in a box.

We also treat:

  • Personality disorder traits without meeting full criteria
  • Trauma-related personality patterns
  • Emotional instability and overwhelm
  • Attachment dysregulation
  • Identity confusion or shifts
  • Chronic interpersonal conflict

A diagnosis is not required to receive support.

Psychiatric Evaluation for Personality Disorders

Our evaluations are collaborative, paced, and trauma-informed.

We explore:

The purpose is insight and stabilization — not labeling or judgment.

How Psychiatry Helps Beyond Medication

Psychiatric care also provides:

  • Emotional stabilization strategies
  • Psychoeducation about patterns and triggers
  • Understanding relational dynamics
  • Tools for distress tolerance
  • Support during crises or emotional intensity
  • Guidance for building more secure patterns
  • Coordination with therapy for long-term change

Our goal is to help you feel grounded, safe, and emotionally supported.

Why Psychiatry + Therapy Together Work Best

While medication stabilizes symptoms, therapy creates deeper healing.

We collaborate with therapists who specialize in:

Mindfulness and nervous system regulation

  • DBT (gold standard for BPD)
  • Emotion-focused work
  • Schema therapy
  • CBT / ACT
  • Trauma-informed care
  • Attachment-based therapy

Medication Management for Personality Disorders

Medication does not cure personality disorders — but it can significantly reduce symptoms that interfere with daily functioning, relationships, and quality of life.

  • Medication may help with:
  • Trauma-related distress
  • Mood instability
  • Anxiety or panic
  • Depression
  • Impulsivity
  • Anger or irritability
  • Sleep disruption
  • Emotional overwhelm

Mood Stabilizers

Helpful for emotional reactivity, mood swings, and impulsive behaviors:

  • Carbamazepine
  • Lamotrigine
  • Lithium
  • Valproate

SSRIs / SNRIs

Helpful for depression, anxiety, rumination, and emotional sensitivity:

  • Venlafaxine
  • Sertraline
  • Escitalopram
  • Fluoxetine
  • Duloxetine

Atypical Antipsychotics (Low Dose)

Used for severe emotional dysregulation, intrusive distress, or agitation:

  • Risperidone
  • Quetiapine
  • Aripiprazole

Medications for Co-Occurring Conditions

Medication plans are collaborative, conservative, and individualized.

Types of Personality Patterns We Support

Personality Disorders & Neurodivergence

Many neurodivergent clients are misdiagnosed or misunderstood.

We take care to differentiate:

  • ADHD rejection sensitivity vs emotional dysregulation
  • Autistic communication differences vs interpersonal impairment
  • OCD/OCPD traits vs perfectionism
  • Trauma responses vs personality patterns
  • Sensory overwhelm vs emotional reactivity

Our approach validates neurodiversity and avoids harmful pathologizing.

When to Seek Psychiatric Support

You may benefit from psychiatric care if you experience:

  • Intense or rapidly shifting emotions
  • Fear of abandonment / relationship instability
  • Chronic shame, guilt, or self-criticism
  • Impulsivity or high-risk behaviors
  • Identity confusion or unstable sense of self
  • Persistent emptiness or numbness
  • Emotional sensitivity or strong reactions
  • Trauma-related responses
  • Difficulty maintaining routines or relationships

There is hope — and you don’t have to navigate this alone.

You Deserve Understanding, Not Judgment

Personality disorders are treatable with compassionate, coordinated care.

Our psychiatry team helps you stabilize, understand patterns, and build emotional resilience.

👉 Book a Psychiatry Appointment (/appointments/)

📞 (XXX) XXX-XXXX

📧 info@arizonamentalwellness.com

You are not “too much.”

You are someone who deserves care, clarity, and respect.

Begin Your Journey to Emotional Wellness Today

Join us to experience compassionate care tailored to your personality health needs.

  • Trauma-Informed Psychiatric Evaluations
  • Personalized Medication Management
  • Integrated Therapeutic Approaches
  • Support for Co-occurring Conditions
  • Evidence-Based Symptom Relief
Q: How can a psychiatric provider help with personality disorders?

A: A psychiatric provider offers diagnostic clarity, emotional stabilization, medication support, and an understanding of long-standing patterns. Treatment focuses on symptom management, relational stability, and improving day-to-day functioning.

Q: What medications are used for personality disorders?

A: While no medication cures personality disorders, psychiatrists may prescribe mood stabilizers, SSRIs/SNRIs, or adjunctive medications to treat symptoms such as emotional instability, anxiety, depression, or impulsivity. Medications are customized to each person’s needs.

Q: How are personality disorders diagnosed?

 
A: Diagnosis involves a detailed psychiatric evaluation of emotional patterns, identity, relationships, and long-term coping strategies. Providers also consider trauma history and co-occurring conditions such as anxiety, depression, ADHD, or OCD.

Q: Can personality disorders improve with treatment?

A: Yes. Many individuals experience significant improvement with psychiatric support and therapy. Medication helps stabilize symptoms, while therapy builds deeper emotional resilience and healthier relationship patterns.

Q: Is psychiatry or therapy more important for personality disorders?

 
A: Both play valuable roles. Psychiatry improves stability and reduces symptoms that disrupt functioning, while therapy provides skill-building and long-term healing. The combination leads to the strongest outcomes.