• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

FHE Health - Addiction & Mental Health Care Homepage

Drug, Alcohol and Mental Health Treatment

MENUMENU
  • About
        • About FHE Rehab
          • About FHE Health
          • Our Staff
          • Locations We Serve
          • Testimonials
        • Our Campus
          • Gallery
          • Our Videos
          • Our Wellness Center
        • Our Locations
          • Alcohol Rehab
          • Detox Center
          • Drug Rehab
          • Mental Health Center
          • Outpatient Rehab
        • Careers at FHE Health
          • Employment Opportunities
        • Our Expertise
          • Accreditations
          • Educational Affiliates
          • Education Scholarship
  • Addiction
        • Treatment Programs
          • Treatment Program Overview
          • Alcohol Addiction
          • Drug Addiction Treatment
          • Behavioral Addiction
        • Levels of Care
          • Continuum of Care
          • Addiction Detox
          • Inpatient Addiction Treatment
          • Outpatient Addiction Treatment
        • What We Treat
          • Alcoholism
          • Amphetamines
          • Benzodiazepines
          • Cocaine
          • Heroin
          • Opioids
          • Sedative
  • Mental Health
        • Mental Health Rehab
          • Mental Health Care
          • Onsite Psychiatric Care
          • Dual Diagnosis
        • Levels of Care
          • Residential Mental Health Care
          • Outpatient Mental Health Care
        • What We Treat
          • ADD & ADHD
          • Anxiety Disorders
          • Bipolar Disorder
          • Depression
          • Eating Disorders
          • Personality Disorders
          • PTSD
          • Schizophrenia
          • Substance Use Disorder
          • Trauma
  • Programs
        • FHE Programs
          • Specialty Program Overview
          • Restore (Mental Health)
          • Empower! (Women's Program)
          • Shatterproof (First Responders)
          • Thrive (Behavioral Health)
          • Compass (Working Professionals)
        • Support Programs
          • Alumni
        • Therapies
          • Acupuncture
          • Breathwork Therapy
          • CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy)
          • DBT (Dialectical Behavioral Therapy)
          • EMDR Therapy
          • Expressive Arts Therapy
          • Individual Therapy
          • Group Therapy
          • Gambling Therapy
          • Music Therapy
          • Massage
          • Yoga
        • Medical Care
          • Medical Integration
          • Ketamine Infusion
          • IV Vitamin
          • Fitness & Nutrition
          • Medication-Assisted Treatment
          • Medication Management
        • NeuroRehab Services
          • Neuro Rehabilitation
          • NeuroFeedback Training
          • Neurostimulation Therapy
          • EEG Brain Mapping
          • Insomnia Treatment for PTSD
  • Resources
        • FHE Guides
          • Understanding Drug Abuse
          • Signs of Addiction
          • The Disease of Addiction
          • Confronting Addiction
          • Staging an Intervention
          • Rehab Success Rate – Does It Really Work?
          • Withdrawal Timelines
          • Life After Rehab
          • LGBTQ+ Community Resources
          • Senior Resources
          • Union Member Resources
          • Veteran Resources
          • Remote Resources Toolkit
        • Learning Center
          • Help for You
          • Help For Loved Ones
          • Help For Alcoholism
          • Help With Substance Abuse
          • Behavioral & Mental Health
          • Life in Recovery
          • Rehab Explained
          • Addiction Statistics
          • View All Articles
        • The Experience Blog
          • Addiction News
          • Alumni
          • Community Events
          • Expert Opinions
          • FHE Commentary
          • FHE News
          • Treatment Legislation
          • View All Articles
  • Admissions
        • Insurance
          • Blue Cross Insurance
          • Beacon Health / Value Options Insurance
          • Cigna Insurance
          • Humana Insurance
          • TRICARE Insurance
        • Admissions
          • Steps to Addiction Help
          • Will Insurance Cover Behavioral Treatment?
          • Self-Pay Rehab
        • FAQ
          • Keeping Your Job in Rehab
          • Example Day in Rehab
        • Contact Admissions
          • Contact Us
          • Secure Payment Form
  • Contact

Call for Immediate Help: (844) 299-0618

Home > Featured in Mental Health > Domestic Violence and Personality Disorders: The Eye-Opening Link

March 19, 2021 By Kristina Robb-Dover

Domestic Violence and Personality Disorders: The Eye-Opening Link

Domestic Violence and Personality Disorder

Domestic violence is a serious problem in this country: Approximately one in four women and one in nine men in the U.S. have experienced rape, physical violence, and/or stalking by an intimate partner in their lifetime, according to the American Psychiatric Association. The long-term, psychological effects can be devastating for victims, 20 percent of whom (roughly) will go on to develop a mental health disorder.

Strikingly, the medical literature has turned up another mental health to domestic violence—between those who perpetrate domestic violence and personality disorders. Someone with an abusive personality disorder (such as narcissistic personality disorder, for example) may not spontaneously seek out help for their abusive behaviors, but a psychiatric evaluation and treatment could help them more fully recognize toxic behaviors and develop healthier coping patterns for managing them.

Domestic Violence and Personality Disorders

In the U.S. about 10 percent of the population suffers from some type of personality disorder. This percentage, according to the journal Innovations in Clinical Neuroscience has remained consistent over time. Of course not everyone with a personality disorder will behave violently, but statistics demonstrate that people with certain types of personality disorders like borderline personality disorder, obsessive-compulsive personality disorder, and narcissistic personality disorder have a higher tendency to commit domestic violence, particularly when other risk factors are involved such as substance abuse.

Personality disorders are complex forms of mental illness that affect both men and women. People suffering from these conditions often feel intense emotions. When some people experience intense anger or rage, they may feel incapable of controlling their feelings. Physical aggression can be one manifestation of these disorders. Individuals who are diagnosed with what psychiatrists refer to as “Axis II personality disorders” (which includes those conditions mentioned above), frequently begin to show symptoms of these conditions during childhood.

It’s not uncommon for people diagnosed with personality disorders to have been victims of violence themselves as children. Psychiatric professionals will look for symptoms when assessing someone’s condition, such as an unstable sense of self or a history of social difficulties. Often, for instance, people with a borderline personality disorder may struggle to trust others in their close interpersonal relationships and/or act impulsively, without thinking about the likely consequences of their actions.

The Effect of Personality Disorders on Relationships

People who have an untreated abusive personality disorder may demonstrate traits like:

  • Sensitivity to rejection or abandonment
  • Poor social skills
  • Hostility toward a gender
  • High levels of dependence
  • Controlling behaviors
  • Heightened feelings of rage
  • Acts of mental and/or physical abuse

It is therefore not surprising that an abusive personality disorder might raise the chances of committing spousal abuse (as studies have shown). These types of behaviors can take a serious toll on a relationship and undermine the safety of the partner being victimized.

In many cases, the abusing partner will show remorse after an incident of abuse, but while their condition remains untreated, it typically remains unmanageable too. This is why domestic violence is seldom a “one-and-done” event. It is invariably chronic and may even escalate over time.

Abusive Signs to Watch for

A person who has displayed a tendency toward aggression and who is suffering from a personality disorder may be at higher risk of instigating domestic violence. While the initial signs may not always be easily identifiable, here are some signs to note that can indicate personality traits of an abuser and behaviors associated with domestic violence:

  • Routine criticizing
  • Blames the victim for their outbursts/behaviors
  • Makes unfounded accusations
  • Displays controlling behaviors (i.e. instructs partner what to wear)
  • Throws objects
  • Punches walls or kicks furniture
  • Has physically attacked their partner
  • Prevents partner from getting medical care
  • Shows aggression toward household pets
  • Prevents partner from seeing friends/family
  • Prevent’s partner’s access to money
  • Prevents partner from working
  • Forces partner to engage in sex
  • May refuse to wear a condom

These are just some of the signs and traits of domestic violence perpetrators.

Seeking Help Is Difficult But Crucial

Seeking help in situations that involve domestic violence is difficult for victims. They often feel conflicted about seeking help, knowing that their calls for help will signify legal consequences for their partners. Often, these situations continue until the victim suffers serious injury or worse or is able to leave the relationship once and for all.

In the meantime, perpetrators of domestic violence rarely seek help to manage their aggression. They may be totally unaware that they suffer from a personality disorder—yet with help and treatment they might begin to change their abusive behaviors.

What Should Victims and Perpetrators of Domestic Violence Do?

Both victims and perpetrators of domestic violence can benefit from mental health treatment. Often, victims require professional counseling to help them recognize they are in a dysfunctional relationship that could be dangerous for them and other members of the household. Quite simply, they may need help finding the support and resources they need to leave an abusive relationship.

At the same time, a person who has committed acts of domestic violence may want to consider whether their aggressive and dangerous behaviors are signs of an underlying personality disorder. In many cases, treatment can help. After an evaluation, psychiatric professionals can make a diagnosis and then recommend a course of treatment that is tailored to the individual’s needs. Treatment may involve medication and ongoing therapy. With treatment, people can learn how to effectively manage their mental health condition.

The worst thing that both victims and perpetrators of domestic violence can do is ignore the situation and hope it gets better. Victims are not obligated in any way, shape or form to remain with or forgive their abusers. Instead, they should seek counseling for themselves. They may need therapy to overcome the trauma they’ve experienced at the hands of an intimate partner. These situations are often emotionally charged. Therapists can help victims take care of themselves and teach them how to spot the signs of an abuser, so they are not vulnerable to these types of relationships in the future.

Abusers don’t have to remain abusive forever. Recovery is possible. It often takes time and commitment, but treatment can help people understand how their mental health condition may have developed and what they can do to manage it (so they can prevent themselves from lashing out at those closest to them). Therapists help clients understand which of their behaviors are dysfunctional and how to stop them. In these situations, treatment is essential, or the dysfunctional patterns of behavior are likely to continue.

If you are a victim of abuse or are engaging in abuse of any kind, seek help now before the situation gets worse. Visit FHE Health to learn about our mental health treatment and counseling programs. Our team of experienced clinicians is dedicated to helping people end the patterns of behavior that result in domestic abuse.

Filed Under: Featured in Mental Health, Behavioral & Mental Health

About Kristina Robb-Dover

Kristina Robb-Dover is a content manager and writer with extensive editing and writing experience... read more

Primary Sidebar

Learning Center

  • Help for You
  • Help For Loved Ones
  • Help For Alcoholism
  • Help With Substance Abuse
  • Behavioral & Mental Health
  • Life in Recovery
  • Rehab Explained
  • All Articles

Sign up for the Blog

Our Facilities

Take a look at our state of the art treatment center.

View Our Gallery

The Experience Blog

  • Addiction News
  • Alumni
  • Community Events
  • Expert Columns
  • FHE Commentary
  • FHE News
  • Treatment Legislation
  • All Articles

FHE Health Is Open With Enhanced Safety Protocols... Read more

Footer

FHE Health

© 2022 FHE Health

505 Federal Hwy #2,
Deerfield Beach, Florida 33441
1-844-299-0618
youtube facebook instagram
  • Contact
  • Careers at FHE Health
  • Privacy Policy
  • Sitemap
A+ BBB and Top Places to Work - Sun Sentinel

The FHE Health team is committed to providing accurate information that adheres to the highest standards of writing. If one of our articles is marked with a ‘reviewed for accuracy and expertise’ badge, it indicates that one or more members of our team of doctors and clinicians have reviewed the article further to ensure accuracy. This is part of our ongoing commitment to ensure FHE Health is trusted as a leader in mental health and addiction care.

If there are any concerns about content we have published, please reach out to us at marketing@fhehealth.com.

Request a Call

  • We guarantee 100% privacy. Your information will not be shared.
  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

844-299-0618

Call/Text Me