Theodore Millon: Biography And Theoretical Legacy Of This Psychologist
Theodore Millon’s theory of personality disorders has been one of the most influential models in this field of psychology.
In this article We will review the biography and work of Theodore Millon and we will describe the 12 types of personality disorder that exist according to this author, whose influence on diagnostic manuals has been very important.
Theodore Millon is an American psychologist whose work has played an extremely significant role in the development of the psychological conception of personality disorders In particular, Millon was a highly valued member of the American Psychological Association and his theory has been a key influence on the DSM manuals.
Millon was born in 1928 in Manhattan, the most important borough of New York City. His parents were Jewish emigrants who had been born in Lithuania and Poland, respectively. After studying psychology, philosophy and physics at various universities in the United States and Europe, Millon received his doctorate from the University of Connecticut in 1950.
During his life Millon published more than 30 of his own books, in addition to participating in a large number of articles and book chapters and founding the magazine Journal of Personality Disorders. He was also named professor emeritus at Harvard and Miami universities. He died on January 29, 2014 in his sleep due to congestive heart failure.
One of Millon’s main contributions is his Multiaxial Clinical Inventories (MCMI), designed for the evaluation of psychopathological personality. The test model developed by this author has been applied to both normal and clinical populations, with special emphasis on the latter, as well as to groups of people of different ages.
Theory and personality disorders according to Millon
For Theodore Millon, personality disorders They should not be understood as mental illnesses but as styles of behavior, cognition and emotion that imply inflexibility (which limits the acquisition of new behaviors) and difficulties in managing stressful situations, in addition to promoting “vicious circles” of functioning.
Millon’s theory of personality disorders describes 14 maladaptive patterns which are fundamentally differentiated based on the severity of the alterations and the type and source of reinforcement that guides the behavior. Each of the disorders would develop due to specific combinations of biological and environmental factors.
1. Paranoid
Millon considers that Paranoid disorder is one of the most serious, along with borderline and schizotypal disorders This is because it attributes structural deficits to them, that is, it defines the main characteristic of severe personality alterations as the poorly coherent, cohesive, solid and functionally effective organization of personality traits.
Paranoid disorder is characterized by distrust, suspicion and hostility towards others and by the appearance of angry reactions in situations in which contempt or humiliation is perceived. Millon defines three variants: paranoid-narcissistic, paranoid-antisocial and paranoid-compulsive.
2. Schizotypal
Schizotypal personality is defined by social isolation, emotional deficits, self-focused cognitive style, and extravagant behaviors. According to Millon, it is associated with a lack of early stimulation, as well as possible biological dysfunctions in brain structures such as the limbic system and the ascending reticular activating system.
3. Limit
Borderline personality disorder involves a marked conflict between dependency needs and independence needs. They look themselves alterations in the sense of identity, erratic behavior, emotional instability and a marked impulsivity, which favors behaviors such as substance abuse and self-harm.
The passive-aggressive personality is one of the most specific in Millon’s proposal, and is not included in most diagnostic manuals. In this case, oppositional tendencies predominate, frequently interfering in the activities of other people, complaints, pessimism, bad mood and lack of complacency towards others
5. Obsessive-compulsive
Obsessive-compulsive personality, or simply compulsive, is characterized by Rigid and excessive adherence to rules, as well as fear of making mistakes even though they may seem insignificant to other people. This lack of flexibility very often leads to difficulties in making decisions and a lack of efficiency in carrying out tasks.
6. Avoidant
In people with avoidant personality disorder, feelings of loneliness and fear of interpersonal rejection occur together, often related to self-esteem deficits; this causes hypersensitivity to the possibility of being made a fool of and therefore a tendency towards isolation.
7. Schizoid
Like avoidant personality disorder, schizoid would be mainly associated with interpersonal disengagement. However, in this case reluctance to establish relationships is due to emotional coldness to the lack of interest in other people and the predominance of fantasy and solitary activities.
8. Histrionic
In histrionic disorder, dramatic, immature, manipulative, and seductive interpersonal behaviors , which leads to having dysfunctional relationships. A lack of stability in emotions is also common.
9. Dependent
Dependent personalities are characterized by feelings of inferiority and lack of self-confidence, the need to get help and reassurance from other people and the transfer of one’s responsibilities to others. These people often feel helpless and insecure if they are alone.
Narcissistic personality disorder Its fundamental characteristic is the overvaluation of one’s own personal worth Narcissistic people expect people with whom they interact to confirm their expectations of admiration and special treatment, and they are much more interested in themselves than in others.
11. Antisocial
According to Millon, and far from the typical definitions that associate this disorder with criminal behavior as a key aspect, antisocial personalities are characterized by ambition, persistence and the direction of behavior towards specific goals. It is also given distrust in the abilities of others and the need to control the environment
12. Sadistic or aggressive
sadistic personalities obtain reinforcement through the provocation of suffering or discomfort (including manipulation, cruelty, aggression and fear) of other people or oneself. Along with oppositional, masochistic and depressive disorders, it is one of the most representative of Millon’s contributions.
13. Masochist
For Millon, the concept of masochism refers to a pattern of counterproductive behavior that leads to involvement with unpromising people and activities, excessive personal sacrifice, failure at affordable tasks, and rejection of opportunities to obtain reinforcement or to react positively to them.
14. Depressive
In this type of personalities, depressive symptoms such as sadness, low self-esteem, pessimism or the tendency to worry and feelings of guilt. There are conceptual problems regarding this disorder because of its similarity to dysthymia, chronic depression, and avoidant personality disorder.
