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Articles on Personality disorders

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Mariah Carey recently announced she has bipolar II disorder. Most of us won’t know what that means. AAP/Alba Vigaray

Mood and personality disorders are often misconceived: here’s what you need to know

Media portrayals don’t help misconceptions about disorders such as bipolar, schizophrenia and borderline personality disorder. So what do these terms actually mean?
Television serial killer Dexter may be more of a psychopath than a sociopath due to his methodically delivered kills. Pimkie/Flickr

Psychopaths versus sociopaths: what is the difference?

Psychopaths and sociopaths have similar characteristics, lacking remorse or empathy for others. And they can both be violent, deceitful and manipulative. But what are the differences between the two?
Narcissism is a key trait in the subset of ‘dramatic, emotional and erratic’ personality disorders. ShellyS/Flickr

Explainer: what are personality disorders and how are they treated?

Personality disorders have been richly illustrated by filmmakers. Think of attention-seeking Scarlett in Gone with the Wind. Or the villains in Silence of the Lambs and The Talented Mr. Ripley.
Compared to other antisocial people, psychopaths lack empathy and are less able to understand punishment. Viktor Gladkov/Shutterstock

Why violent psychopaths don’t ‘get’ punishment

The psychologist David Lykken once wrote that most violent crime could be prevented by cryogenically freezing all males aged 12 to 28. Although this option might be appealing at times for high school teachers…

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