I Need You... Now Go Away!

Reclaiming Your Life When You or Someone You Love Has a Personality Disorder

By: Laura Dabney

Many people find themselves in the same painful relationship patterns-choosing the wrong partners, replaying the same arguments, or feeling misunderstood again and again. These struggles are not about bad luck or flaws, but about inherited distorted intimacy patterns that have become stuck over time.

Psychiatry sometimes calls these "personality disorders," a term that can sound frightening or insulting. In reality, it simply points to long-standing ways of relating that can sabotage the very relationships we long for. And this is true no matter which "side" of the problem you believe you're on: whether you're disrupting closeness, or struggling with someone else's disruptions, change is possible.

With the right therapeutic guidance, people can recognize their patterns, learn healthier ways of connecting, and finally experience the lasting intimacy they long for. If you've noticed the same struggles repeating, know this: change is not only possible - it's within reach.