Personality Disorders in Modern Life

"Personalities are like impressionistic paintings. At a distance, each person is ‘all of a piece’; up close, each is a bewildering complexity of moods, cognitions, and motives." —Theodore Millon Exploring the continuum from normal personality traits to the diagnosing and treatment of severe cases of personality disorders, this book is unique in its coverage of both the historical forerunners and the contemporary theorists. Attention to detail and in-depth discussion of the subtleties involved in these debilitating personality disorders make this book an ideal companion to the DSM-IV. This vital resource features: Discussion of the developmental aspects of personality disorders Balanced coverage of the major theoretical perspectives — biological, psychodynamic, interpersonal, cognitive, and evolutionary Individual chapters on all DSM-IV personality disorders and their subtypes Case studies, used throughout the text, bring to life the many faces of these disorders. This book will enlighten the reader’s understanding of others while illuminating the inner working of human personalities.