Nursing

Personality Disorder Dinner Party

Using the information provided below, decide which person likely has which personality disorder; complete the table as indicated, using at least 2 current resources (remember to cite properly!).

Meet your guests

Betty danced into the party and immediately became the center of attention. With sweeping gestures of her arms and dramatic displays of emotion, she boasted about her career as an actress in a local theater group. During private conversation, a friend inquired about the rumors that she was having some difficulties in her marriage. In an outburst of anger, Betty denied any problems and claimed that her marriage was “as wonderful and charming as ever.” Shortly thereafter, while drinking her second martini, Betty fainted and had to be taken home.

Alex wandered into the party but didn’t stay long. The “negative forces” in the room were unsettling to his “psychic soul-spot.” The few guests he spoke to felt somewhat uneasy being with this aloof “space cadet.”

Lindsey paraded into the party drunk and continued to drink throughout the night. Laughing and giggling, she flirted with many of the men and to two of them expressed her “deep affection.” Twice during the evening, she disappeared for almost half an hour, each time with a different man. After a violent argument with one of them, because he took too long to get her a drink, Lindsey locked herself in the bathroom and attempted to swallow a bottle of aspirin. Her friends encouraged her to go home, but she was afraid to be alone in her apartment.

Karen watched the party for several minutes from outside through the window before entering. Once she went in, she seemed very uncomfortable. When people tried to be nice to her, she looked guarded and distrustful. People quickly became uncomfortable with her habit of finding fault with every little thing that they said or did. Karen accused some guests of being hostile, even as she unconsciously picked fights with others. She didn’t stay very long at the party.

Bob spent most of the time talking about his trip to Europe, his new Mercedes, and his favorite French restaurants. People seemed bored being around him, but he kept right on talking. When he made a critical remark about how one of the women was dressed, and hurt her feelings, he could not apologize for his obvious blunder. He tried to talk his way around it, and even seemed to be blaming her for being upset.

Scott arrived at the part exactly on time. He made a point of speaking to every guest for five minutes and had practiced the social conversations in which he would engage his mind. He talked mostly about technology and finance and avoided any inquiries about his feelings or personal life. He left precisely at 10 PM because he had a work project to do at home, which was already late because he just couldn’t get it “right”.

Mike wasn’t invited to the party. No one really knows him very well because he rarely talks. In fact, he spends most of his time alone at home reading.

Ken arrived at the party and was immediately chastised for wearing shorts and a t-shirt to the formal dinner. He didn’t care; societal rules are made to be broken, right? He grabbed two cocktails and made a beeline for the most beautiful woman in the room. He’s attentive and charming and attempts to impress the woman with details of his successful/lucrative business, although he is actually unemployed. The woman thwarts his advances because she is happily married, which causes Ken to become enraged. At dinner, Ken refuses to sit in his assigned seat, and physically removes another guest in order to sit next to another beautiful woman.

Assess Your Dinner Guests