DSN-IV (The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of 'Normal' Disorders)

Personality Disorders

301.666 Normal Personality Disorder

Meets qualification for at least two of the following criteria:

A. Egocentrism (at least one of the following):

(1) Egocentric perspective (e.g. fails to realize that others may have a different perspective, needs, nature, or experiences from his or her self)

(2) Egomania (e.g. acts or talks as though better or more important than peers or others)

(3) Selfishness (either of both of the following)

(a) Marked greed or covetousness

(b) Domineering or "bossy" attitude

B. Lack of originality (at least one of the following):

(1) Rigidly follows traditions or social rituals

(2) Is often "faddish," follow the latest fads, fashions, or "crazes" invented or set by others

(3) Often demonstrates a "herd mentality" (e.g. thoughtlessly follows a social reference group or a local group of friends, often gives into "peer pressure")

C. Lack of Sympathy (one or both of the following):

(1) Cruel or callous towards the feeling of others (e.g. engages in teasing or ridiculing other, plays potentially harmful "practical jokes" on unsuspecting victims who are unlikely to be amused)

(2) Often Manipulative (e.g. uses others as tools to towards own goals, treats others as objects which may be acquired for own satisfaction, uses dishonesty as convenient way to achieve social goals)

Description

An incredibly prevalent disorder, Normal Personality is dangerous and often chronic. Normal Personalities are primarily marked by conformity (either to tradition or to "fads"), self-centered attitudes and behavior, and a general lack of genuine caring for others.

Normal Personality often appears to begin early in life. As children, they are often excessively aggressive and cruel. They commonly believe they must have the latest toy from a commercial, or wear the latest fashion. Often Normal children have trouble with possessive pronouns, and will call all objects "mine." Starring at cathode ray tubes (such as TVs) for long periods of time is also a common behavior.

As Normal Personalities are both extremely common, and potentially dangerous, the importance of them cannot be understated. The prognosis is often poor; however, Normal Personality can sometime be successfully cured. When dealing with Normal Personalities, it is generally best to watch your back, and to be as understanding as possible. In many cases it may be necessary to avoid contradicting the normal behavior, as normal people are likely to show aggression to those who refuse to follow their "norms."

Associated Features & Differential Diagnosis

The exact relationship between normal personality and other forms of personality is disorder uncertain. It has been suggested that Normal PD may be a milder variant of Antisocial Personality Disorder. Also, many normal people are overly emotional, possibly showing evidencing a connection to Histrionic Personality, or even (considering the excessive need for even shallow companionship and selfish behavior) Borderline Personality. It may often be difficult to differentiate the more common Normal Personal ity from these other, more publicized disorders. As these diagnostic categories are not generally considered normal, they are not covered here, however, information on them may be found in the widely distributed DSM-IV, make their inclusion here unneeded.

It has also been noted that most cases of Normal Personality also have Neurotypical Disorder, and that converse is also true. However, Neurotypical individuals without normal personality are known, as is Normal Personality in rare non-Neurotypical people. Thus there is no reason to assume the presence of Neurotypicallity automatically implies a Normal Personality; therefore, a dual diagnosis of both Normal Personality and Neurotypical Disorder is perfectly acceptable. However, a possible causal relatio nship may exist, with Neurotypicallity contributing to the development of Normal Personality. Therefore, the presence of Normal PD should be reason to check for possible Neurotypicallity.

Prevalence

The exact prevalence and incidence are not know. However, normal personality appears to be frighteningly common, and it incidence may be increasing.

Prognosis

Normal personality is most often a lifelong condition. Rarely is there any significant improvement of symptoms. It has been suggested that the presence of Neurotypicallity makes the prognosis worse, though this has not been substantiated. Despite the severe social dependencies and possible cognitive impairments associated with Normal Personality, such people are often relatively high functioning. Many of them even become successful professionals, with politicians being an especially common in this pop ulation. However, the egocentrism, poor insight, and narrow standards of acceptability may make the person with Normal Personality dangerous to other in the community, being particularly threatening to those who are not themselves Normal.

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Copyright © 1996, 1997, 1999 Jared Blackburn

As Normal Personalities are both extremely common, and potentially dangerous, the importance of them cannot be understated. The prognosis is often poor ... it may be necessary to avoid contradicting the normal behavior, as normal people are likely to show aggression to those who refuse to follow their "norms."