Are Personality Disorders Different From Mental Illness? | Kati Morton

"Different people have different coping skills and resiliency. That’s why siblings can go through the same things and come out very differently. We are all unique, and our mental health is not immune from that." YES.

I have Avoidant Personality Disorder. And the scary thing about it is that AvPD doesn't feel like an illness. It's so deeply internalised that you don't assume you're ill. "It's just who I am." After 10 months of rehab I finally have my life back in my own hands and more importantly know how to keep it that way. After 8 years of not being able to live the life I wanted I'm finally on my own track again. I just want to stress how important it is to get help. Especially AvPD is something that's impossible to treat on your own. To avoid the spiral of fear you have to meet with friends face to face regularly. And having a therapist to guide you through hard times and/or relapse is worth so so much.

I got nervous when I saw the title but I’m glad you said that personality disorders are a mental illness. The thing about them being pervasive vs. episodic is so true. I have borderline PD and it really hurts when people say that it’s not a mental illness. I already feel like there is something inherently wrong with me as a person, not just my brain if that makes sense. But I didn’t choose to be this way... I hate how we are blamed for what happens to us because of trauma. Personality disorders (or any mental illness for that matter) are just our brains response to trauma.

I find all your videos clear, concise and well structured. It makes them easy to understand and of course very informative! Thanks Kati, sending light and love x

This has really helped I have been diagnosed with emotionally unstable personality disorder today thanks for this video

Thank you so much for doing this video. I’ve been told so many times that my personality disorder (BPD) isn’t a mental illness and it’s so validating and refreshing for a professional to say it is.

I have anxiety/depression and borderline personality disorder. It make me feel crazy.

Hi Kati, I just wanted to take a moment and say thank you for all that you do. I was at my lowest when I stumbled acrossed you on youtube. I watched 1 of your videos and it lead to 10 and then 20 and so on. You are helping more and more people everyday. You give people hope and when we are barely hanging on sometimes hope is all we need to give us that kick to get motivated to seek help. I was violently raped over and over from age 6 to 16. It only stopped because my abuser was killed in a car accident in 2013. In September of 2017 I slit my wrist and got admitted into the hospital for 2 weeks. I am now 21 and after your support and inspiration from your videos I was finally able to speak up and say 'no, im not okay. Things are shitting and I've been struggling with so much for so long'. I'm so thankful I was able to find the strength I had buried inside to seek the help I so desperately need. Im now in therapy and I love it. So once again Kati, thank you so much!

THANK YOU FOR THIS VIDEO! I have seen in some articles and just around the internet folks claiming personality disorders are not mental illnesses. I could see their point to an extent, but I always thought it was an odd and pointless distinction to make. Thank you for clarifying the topic! I love that you define terms in your videos, it makes it so much easier to follow and understand what is being discussed and for this topic it was absolutely essential. Keep up the good work!

Watching your videos has really helped me recently. I recently found myself with no routine and I'm waiting for a transfer to adult mh services; my care co has been too busy to see me for over a month despite how much I'm struggling. Thank you so, so much for making this content. You have no idea how valuable it is.

I'm hanging in until I can get the help I need for my mental illness. I have an extremely supportive family, circumstances just aren't right right now.

Every time i think of a subject i want to know more about you post about it. Thank you so much. This was so important! I really appreciate! Great video!

I continue to be amazed at how clear and easy to understand everything is when you talk about it! Thank you for enlightening us all on so many different topics - this was so interesting! Xx

I like that you're as objective as possible. Too often people just throw terms around that they don't clearly define or understand and go off anecdotes or personal biases

This was very very interesting. I get so focused on my own anxiety and just mental illness in general that I forget that personality is a whole other thing. It’s so complicated. I especially liked what you said about siblings, it’s so true that they can turn out so differently from each other. Great video!

This video made the subject so clear. I understand the definition of "mental illness" and what that label covers so much better. Thx Kati.

Kati I love this video it helps me understand a little more about my illnesses and disorder. I often wonder how it is that my brothers and sisters are perfectly fine but I didn't come out of this like them and sometimes it makes me want them to feel what I feel but then I dont want anyone to feel what I feel. If that makes any sense. Thank you

Thank you Kati! 🌸

Thanks so much for making a video specifically about personality disorders! Not many people know about them and once you talk about what they really are, it sounds less scary. When I first heard about BPD and was diagnosed with it I was terrified because i didn’t really know what it was, I thought it meant I was a crazy person. But now by researching it I feel confident about managing it!

I have anxiety and depression. Both are awful to have. My moods vary from day to day. I'm glad I could find a good therapist to help me cope with my mental illnesses.