[allabout]

Can anyone recommend articles or refer me to a definition of "Character Disorder?" Is it different from a Personality Disorder? Is it the same as one having "characterological issues?" Thank you.

[pachyderm]

I have never liked the term "character" in this context. To me it sounds like not a description of a fact, but an attempt to judge. Not helpful at all.

[90mphINneutral]

Back in the DSM III personality disorders use to be called character disorders. They changed that in the DSM IV because the term "character" wasn't accurate. At least this is what I heard.

[Perna]

Yes, I think it's the old name for personality disorder but Europeans still use it sometimes I think. Where did you hear the term?

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/m...01/ai_n9197353

[allabout]

Thank you all for your thoughts about it. The 2 terms "character disorder" and "characterological issues" both came from psychiatrists/psychoanalysts. Interestingly, the person in my life who has been identified, at least in part, in that way, has found it very freeing, rather than as a hurtful judgment. It has given him permission in a way to keep on the "self" destructive path of cheating on and lying to his wife, lying to the many women he has met online and in person, and completely abandoning his young child, while at the same time saying he misses him. This unacceptable behavior not "his fault" because it's a characterological issue and he can't help himself. For the depression, there's a lot of meds, but for the characterological issues, that just takes time and may never change. He's now come to accept and seem pretty comfortable with the lifestyle he's chosen which excludes the family he created as though we never existed.

[allabout]

Originally Posted by Perna

Yes, I think it's the old name for personality disorder but Europeans still use it sometimes I think. Where did you hear the term?

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/m...01/ai_n9197353

Thank you for the link!

[Brock_Richards]

Hi Alla,

It is the same thing. Old school psychiatrists call "personality disorders" characterological: A pervasive pattern of behavior....

Best,

B.R.

[whoarewe]

allabout,

I have a relative who did the same thing to his partner. He has npd/bpd. You can email me to chat further, if you like.