Personality disorders can be difficult to diagnose as traits differ from one person to another. To put it simply, those who have a personality disorder have difficulty in dealing with people around them and tend to be inflexible. It is not easy for a psychiatrist to spot such disorders and identify the underlying causes. However, hereditary factors and the experiences a person goes through as a child can play a major role in diagnosing psychological problems, Al-Riyadh daily reports. Abdullah Al-Hariri, a cognitive behavioral therapist, says the symptoms of personality disorders do not manifest easily and cannot be quickly spotted. "A person with such disorders tends to have negative behavior and does not get along well with others. He always acts with hostility and impulsiveness toward others," said Al-Hariri. "We always wonder why terrorists blow themselves up and hurt others. The truth is terrorists suffer from personality disorders and they are always hostile toward society. You cannot help but wonder why they do it although they know it is wrong. Only an expert can spot a pattern in their behavior and their thinking," he added. The World Health Organization (WHO) identifies 15 types of personality disorders and for each type there is a different method of treatment. Experts say it is crucial therapists identify the right way to treat the disorder and that it is common for persons with such disorders to spend a lot of time on social media websites and they are susceptible to terrorist groups. The fact that they have this condition does not mean they should not be held responsible for their actions. On the contrary, they should be severely punished. Psychiatrist Huda Al-Saylan said a psychopath is someone who does not respect social traditions, religious values and the rights of others, lies all the time and above all is very hostile, defensive and unstable. "The most noticeable trait of a psychopath is his covert hostility toward others. He tries hard to show others he is nice in order to hurt them. He holds grudges against others and sows sedition," said Al-Saylan. A psychopath can be violent and show no remorse, said Al-Saylan. "This is because, at the end of the day, he only cares about quenching his thirst for hostility. He does not care whether the victim is an old man, woman, or even a child. He can easily abuse a child and beat him up without regretting his actions. Some fathers are real psychopaths," he added. The childhood of a psychopath is often full of instances in which he opposes his family's actions, acted with hostility toward them and his classmates. The symptoms do not get better over time, rather they get more complicated and difficult to decipher. For example, a psychopath will frequently miss school, get in fights with classmates, reject laws and feel restless and unstable all the time. "In the teenage years, the symptoms of personality disorder start to manifest for the expert eye. He would run away from home frequently and rebel against acceptable social norms. In the adult years, instability gets worse and social adaptability becomes more difficult," said Al-Saylan. "Some experts in the field have called for putting psychopaths in prison and mental hospitals to protect society against their dangerous actions," he added.
