The observed behaviors are not secondary to another mental disorder, nor are they precipitated by substance abuse or a general medical condition.
Clinical features:
The distinction is often difficult to make in clinical practice, as personality change may be the first sign of serious neurologic, endocrine, or other medical illness.
Patients with frontal lobe tumors, for example, can present with changes in motivation and personality while the results of the neurologic examination remain within normal limits.
Individuals with personality disorders are often regarded as "difficult patients" in clinical medical practice because they are seen as excessively demanding and/or unwilling to follow recommended treatment plans. There is an alternative perspective that personality characteristics vary as a continuum between normal functioning and formal mental disorder.
It includes individuals who are odd and eccentric and who maintain an emotional distance from others.
Individuals have a restricted emotional range and remain socially isolated.
Patients with schizotypal personality disorder frequently have unusual perceptual experiences and express magical beliefs about the external world.
The essential feature of paranoid personality disorder is a pervasive mistrust and suspiciousness of others to an extent that is unjustified by available evidence.
Cluster B disorders include antisocial, borderline, histrionic, and narcissistic types and describe individuals whose behavior is impulsive, excessively emotional, and erratic.
Cluster C incorporates avoidant, dependent, and obsessive-compulsive personality types; enduring traits are anxiety and fear.
The boundaries between cluster types are to some extent artificial, and many patients who meet criteria for one personality disorder also meet criteria for aspects of another.
The risk of a comorbid major mental disorder is increased in patients who qualify for a diagnosis of personality disorder.
HOMOEOAPTHIC APPROACH:
Ignatia:
Ignatia is the great homoeopathic remedy for hysteria.
The symptoms are great sensitiveness to external impressions.
Patients laugh and cry alternatively; the face flushes on the slightest emotion; spasmodic laughter which oftentimes ends in screaming
The globus hystericus is present and so is the clavus hystericus which shows itself as a sharp pain, as if a nail were being driven into the top of the head.
Asafoetida:
One of the characterizing feature of hysteria is the globus hystericus, or the sensation of a ball in the throat.
Asafoetida has this symptom very prominently.
It seems with this drug to be a sort of reversed peristalsis and it is especially the remedy if the nervous symptoms be in any way due to the checking of habitual discharges.
It is a bursting feeling, as if everything would come out of the mouth.
Hysterical colic is, therefore, well met by Asafoetida.
Magnesia muriatica :
It has some of these symptoms; flatus collects and rises like a ball in
the throat, almost preventing breathing ; relieved by eructations.
the patient swallows continually to keep the lump down, and this gulping adds to the difficulty in breathing.
There is a great deal of restlessness and anxiety and a changeable mental condition.
The muscles jerk and twitch.
The entire system is over-sensitive. Hysterical convulsions due to suppression of discharges will often indicate
Moschus:
Fainting is the great keynote of Moschus.
When hysterical attacks are found with fainting, other drugs may be indicated.
It is especially the remedy for the paroxysm. The stimulation of tetanic spasms, the unconsciousness or frequent swooning will point to Moschus.
No remedy is as good as Moschus for this condition, it an indispensable remedy in hysteria.
Muscular twitchings are present and violent spasm or constriction of the chest.
She may even turn blue in the face, foam at the mouth and be chilly.
Moschus, too, has a profuse discharge of pale urine, the globus
hystericus, headache and flatulent symptoms.
Castoreum:
This remedy also presents a long line of nervous symptoms. It suits in many instances the symptoms which precede hysteria such as an irritable weakness.
Those who are on the borderland of hysteria may be benefited
by Castoreum.
Tarentula:
Among the animal remedies and they are all great produces of nervous symptoms the spider poisons stand first in the production of symptoms simulating hysteria.
This remedy is useful in hysteria; the paroxysms are apt to be feigned, and the patient has immoderate attacks of uncontrollable laughter.
The most prominent symptom of the drug, however, is restlessness and trembling of the limbs; the patient is compelled to keep continually on the move.
For great fidgetiness of the feetit is our best remedy for this condition.
It is a common symptom in hysterical condition where chronic uterine disease is present.