ABSTRACT
Personality disorders are very distinct from one another. They have many different qualities and symptoms, and they all can cause significant distress and impairment in the person's social functioning. Working with a person with a personality disorder may add challenges to the treatment team dynamic that clinicians must be sensitive to. The variable and volatile nature of an emergency department (ED) can exacerbate a patient's personality pathology, which may lead to taking advantage of any variance. Personality disorders require a multimodal approach to treatment, and it is imperative that the ED clinician appreciate this. Patients with personality disorders, such as borderline and antisocial, may have a higher tendency for disruptive behavior in an ED, and the safety of the patient and staff is paramount. It is important for the ED clinician to be mindful of their own emotional reaction to an outburst so that they can control their response and maintain their reliable, professional, empathic state.
