Cluster B personality disorders — antisocial, narcissistic, borderline, histrionic

DSM-5 diagnostic criteria for the Cluster B personality disorders

Lovefraud uses the word “sociopath” as an umbrella term to cover all of the exploitative personality disorders — antisocial, narcissistic, borderline, histrionic and psychopathic. But what are the traits of each of these disorders?

Dr. Robert Hare, a Canadian psychologist, identified the common characteristics of psychopaths. These are the criteria used by university research psychologists who study the disorder. Lovefraud summarizes Dr. Hare’s characteristics on the following page:

Key symptoms of psychopaths

Clinicians who treat patients refer to the diagnostic criteria in the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, now in its fifth edition (DSM-5). This book is the bible of the mental health field.

In the DSM-5, “psychopath” is not a recognized diagnosis, and neither is “sociopath.” Rather, the DSM-5 refers to “antisocial personality disorder,” which is similar, but not quite the same.

The DSM-5 includes 10 personality disorders in total, which are divided into Cluster A, Cluster B and Cluster C. Here on Lovefraud, we are describing people with the Cluster B disorders, which are characterized by dramatic, overly emotional or unpredictable thinking or behavior.

Following are the Cluster B personality disorders described in the DSM-5, the estimated prevalence of the disorders, and the diagnostic criteria for each.

Antisocial Personality Disorder

Prevalence: 3.05 to 3.8 percent of the population

Must have shown a pattern of antisocial behavior since at least age 15, and exhibit at least 3 of the following 7 behaviors:

1. Failure to conform to social norms, lawful behaviors, acts that are grounds for arrest
2. Deceitfulness, lying, conning for profit or self-amusement
3. Impulsivity or failure to plan ahead
4. Irritability and aggressiveness – physical fights, assaults
5. Reckless disregard for safety
6. Consistent irresponsibility – failure to work, pay bills
7. Lack of remorse – indifferent or rationalizing

More info

Narcissistic Personality Disorder

Prevalence: 1.0 to 6.2 percent of the population

Must show 5 of the following 9 behaviors:

1. Grandiose sense of self importance
2. Fantasies of unlimited success, power, love
3. Belief he/she is special and unique
4. Need for excessive admiration
5. Sense of entitlement
6. Interpersonally exploitative behavior
7. Lack of empathy
8. Envy of others, or others envy him/her
9. Arrogant and haughty behaviors

More info

Borderline Personality Disorder

Prevalence: 1.9 to 5.9 percent of the population

Must show 5 of the following 9 behaviors:

1. Frantic efforts to avoid real or imagined abandonment
2. Unstable and intense interpersonal relationships
3. Identity disturbance
4. Impulsivity
5. Recurring suicidal behavior
6. Emotional instability in reaction to day-to-day events
7. Chronic feelings of emptiness
8. Inappropriate, intense anger
9. Transient, stress-related paranoid or severe dissociative symptoms

 More info

Histrionic Personality Disorder

Prevalence: 0.3 to 1.8 percent of the population

Must show 5 of the following 9 behaviors:

1. Self-centeredness
2. Constantly seeking reassurance or approval.
3. Inappropriately seductive appearance or behavior.
4. Rapidly shifting emotional states that appear shallow
5. Overly concerned with physical appearance
6. Opinions are easily influenced by other people
7. Excessive dramatics, exaggerated displays of emotion.
8. Tendency to believe that relationships are more intimate than they actually are
9. Highly suggestible

More info

Next: How sociopaths blend in