Personality Disorders in Older Adults: Insights from a Subject Matter Expert

I’m delighted to share a link to a recent podcast I did on the topic of Personality Disorders on Old Age, a major area of my research.

I appeared at the invitation of Dr. Joe Casciani, who hosts one of the best-rated podcasts addressing older age, the Living to 100 Club.

Topics we covered

We begin the interview with a discussion of how I became interested in geropsychology, as that was not my original academic major. I discovered that I especially loved the stories, the narratives, of the older patients with whom I was working.

Then, we discussed how I came to focus on those older adults who were difficult; who all through life have had a tough time in work and relationships, never getting their needs met, and repeating the same struggles over and over.

I became curious: what were they like, what were their lives like, when called upon to face the challenges of older age?

I discovered that the professional literature was slim, and existing theories didn’t encourage exploration. The diagnoses of character pathology, ultimately personality disorders, were an apparent dead end.

According to the theories of the time, these people were just who they were, with limited capacity for change — all told, an area rife for a newly minted professional to explore.

And so, I launched my academic focus on Personality Disorders in Old Age.

Dr. Casciani and I then covered how personality disorders did not end with the person alone. Rather the “disorder” was experienced quite profoundly by those with whom they were in close relationships: their family, friends, colleagues and caregivers.

He also asked about what works best when we interact with difficult personalities. I shared some insights and suggestions from my clinical experience — for example, with individuals who are chronically suspicious, angry, impulsive, or exceptionally self-important.

Enjoy the podcast

Listen to the full episode to learn more: Personality Disorders in Older Adults: Insights from a Subject Matter Expert.

I hope you enjoy it, and I’m sure you’ll hear my enthusiasm for the topic!

Please contact me if you are interested in booking me as a speaker for your organization or conference.