What is a Cluster B Personality Disorder?

Before reading Healing from Hidden Abuse, I had no idea what a Cluster B personality disorder was. In fact, I stumbled upon the book by pure chance. I did not think I was experiencing “hidden” abuse (mine seemed pretty obvious) nor did I think my ex-partner was a “narcissist” (a term I only vaguely understood at the time). But, I was desperate for information and answers. As soon as I opened the book, it immediately resonated with me.

In layman’s terms, a Cluster B personality disorder is a group of mental health disorders that are “marked by inappropriate, volatile emotionality and often unpredictable behavior. They can have severe impacts on a person’s life, interpersonal relationships, and overall ability to function according to social norms.

Cluster B disorders include four distinct disorders (these are paraphrased from the Mayo Clinic).

Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD): characterized by an excessive perception of one’s self-importance and superiority, a need for praise, and a lack of concern for others
Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD): characterized by mood swings, impulsivity, and difficulty controlling one’s behaviors
Histrionic Personality Disorder (HPD): characterized by low self-esteem that is dependent on approval from others and may display dramatic/inappropriate behaviors to get attention
Antisocial Personality Disorder (ASPD): characterized by lack of respect towards norms, lack of respect towards other people, and rules and lack of responsibility for the consequences of their actions

While the ways these disorders manifest can be similar, psychologists believe their underlying drivers are differ. For instance, people with NPD are often described as being motivated by shame, whereas those with BPD are driven by a fear of abandonment. However, this distinction is overly simplified and does not fully account for the influence of past trauma, attachment style, and co-occurring mental health conditions.

There are many overlapping symptoms and characteristics, which makes it challenges to accurately diagnose these disorders. In fact, many individuals meet criteria for more than one disorder (comorbidity), complicating efforts to distinguish between them. Research shown that clinicians may reach different diagnoses when presented with the same case study, and even small changes, such as altering the patient’s gender, can result in a very different diagnosis.

This website is not concerned with the differences between them. Although clinically and epidemiologically there are subtle and important differences (especially in terms of treatment approaches), as abuse survivors who are on the receiving end of these disorders, we need not concern ourselves too much with diagnosing whether our ex-partners. That is not our job.

We have been on the receiving end of these disorders and have suffered similar patterns of abuse regardless. Whether our ex-partners had NPD, BPD, HPD, or ASPD, or some combination of these, we are the ones left with the painful effects of manipulation, physical and verbal abuse, gaslighting, devaluation, ridicule, emotional rollercoasters, cheating, and heartbreak. While every person is unique, the cycles and patterns are strikingly similar. In her work focusing on healing from and managing abusive relationships, Margalis Fjelstad does not distinguish NPD and BPD and refers to people with such disorders as “BP/NP” (Borderline Person/Narcissistic Person). We will do the same here. We are here to heal from this Cluster B abuse and develop a healthier understanding of our natural “caretaking” tendencies, which is likely why the Cluster B person was attracted to us in the first place. This is where we begin our healing journey from.

If you are interested in Cluster B personality disorders, check out these resources:

Books

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Also check out our resources PAGE for a more comprehensive list.

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