Hii!

This blog is devoted to the pursuit of gathering new knowledge. What constitutes an "individual" and distinguishes that individual from any other person on the planet is an idea that has tickled my curiosity since the start of my student career as an undergraduate psychology major. Now, as a Mental Health Counseling graduate student at Florida State University, how the fibers of personality knit together to form a unique identity continues to intrigue me. This is especially true when something in that personality goes wrong and a personality disorder is present. 

As an intern in a psychiatric unit that treats people who are personality disordered, I have become only more interested in the “enduring pattern of inner experiences and behavior that deviates markedly from the expectations of the individual’s culture” (Woo & Keatinge, 2008); a personality disorder. Interacting with people who are personality disordered has fascinated me, and learning more about these disorders, how to recognize them and how best to work with people who have them is a goal of mine. I realize the challenge in this, I’ve been told by supervisors that often counseling such individuals can be frustrating and fruitless, but would it be fun if it was easy? Although professional counselors have cautioned me that personality disordered clients rarely present voluntarily for counseling on an outpatient basis,  it has been my experience that they readily pop up in psychiatric inpatient settings, which is a setting in which I am interested in working after graduation.

So, for these reasons I want to learn all I can about personality disorders and how to work with patients who are personality disordered. What can be read in psychopathology texts and diagnostic manuals is, admittedly, extensive but what do we really know about personalities, or to a great extent, personality disorders? I aim to find out. What we already know, that is. Or at least, what we think we know. As my career develops am I interested to see how the realm of personality disorder research and knowledge expands upon the ground already covered and reaches new heights. I am excited to read and research the realm of personality disorders and share the information I find on this blog. 

Therefore, the aspiration of this blog is to chronicle the expansion of my knowledgeable about personality traits and disorders, how this influences a person’s ability to adapt, change and cope with their environment and how this ultimately affects their mental health. In addition, discovering the latest research on effective means through which to counsel patients who have any of the differing personality disorders in a clinical setting is an advantage that I hope to gain through my quest for knowledge.

Kim

PS. This is PJ, who has graciously agreed to help me in my pursuit by acting as blog coauthor. His contribution today: purring very loudly while I was trying to concentrate.

 

Woo, S., & Keatinge, C. (2008). Diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders across the lifespan. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.