The Depressive Personality Disorder is
not yet recognized by the DSM Committee. It makes its appearances in Appendix B
of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, titled "Criteria Sets and Axes
Provided for Further Study." It is not clear in what way is the
Depressive Personality Disorder different to other depressive illnesses,
such as Dysthymic Disorder.
The Depressive has pervasive and continuous depressive cognitions (thoughts)
and behaviors. They manifest themselves in every area of life and never abate.
The patient is gloomy, dejected, pessimistic, overly serious, lacks a sense of humor, cheerless, joyless, and constantly unhappy. This
dark mood is not influenced by changing circumstances.
The Depressive's self-image is distorted: he holds
himself to be worthless, inadequate, a loser. His sense of self-worth and his
self-esteem are invariably and unrealistically low. This
borders on self-hatred and self-abnegation. The Depressive chastises
himself unnecessarily. His inner dialog (sometimes verbalized) is derogatory
towards his self, blaming and self-critical. Freud called this inner judge the
Superego. The Depressive's Superego is sadistic, unrelenting, unforgiving,
self-denigrating, and, ultimate hatefully self-destructive. Dimly aware of this
semi-suicidal streak, Depressives are naturally anxious and prone to excessive
worrying and brooding.
The Depressive extends this propensity to humiliate and punish to his nearest
and dearest. His masochism is complemented by equally exacting sadism. He is
negativistic, passive-aggressive, critical, judgmental, and punitive towards
others. Such recurrent outbursts are followed by feelings of remorse and guilt,
often coupled with maudlin and prostrate apologies.
The Narcissist's Inner Judge - click HERE!
The Depressive Narcissist - click HERE!
Depression and the Narcissist - click HERE!
Many additional Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Personality Disorders - click HERE!
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