Updated on October 1, 2026 by John Ingham
High-conflict personality is a descriptive term, not a formal mental health diagnosis. Some high-conflict behavior can occur alongside recognized personality disorders, but the terms should not be used interchangeably.
Recurring conflict can make relationships difficult and leave people feeling frustrated or misunderstood. Montare Behavioral Health provides evidence-based therapies that can help people understand their emotions, improve communication, and develop healthier ways of interacting with others.
What Is a High-Conflict Personality?
“High-conflict personality” is a descriptive framework for recurring patterns of interpersonal conflict. It is not a DSM-5-TR disorder. These patterns can affect romantic relationships, family ties, friendships, and relationships with co-workers, with or without a psychiatric diagnosis.
Yale Medicine reports that approximately 9% of people in the U.S. have some type of personality disorder. Recognized personality disorders often begin to become noticeable when a person is in their late teens or early 20s. Their symptoms surface consistently, rather than just every now and then. Without a formal diagnosis from a mental health counselor, they can go years or decades without realizing they have a treatable mental illness.
People involved in recurring conflict may have difficulty recognizing their own contribution or regulating their emotional reactions. These experiences vary and do not, by themselves, establish a personality disorder diagnosis. A qualified clinician can assess whether a recognized condition is present.
Recognized Personality Disorders Sometimes Discussed Alongside High-Conflict Behavior
The five types of personality disorders below are recognized diagnoses sometimes discussed in relation to high-conflict behavior. They are not a diagnostic category called “high-conflict personality disorders,” and a diagnosis does not mean someone will necessarily be high-conflict. DSM-5-TR recognizes 10 personality disorders in total.
Examples discussed in this framework include:
- Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD): BPD causes a person to have tremendous instability in their relationships with others. They often see the world in terms of black or white, and filter their interactions with family, friends, and co-workers through that limited lens. This causes discord in their relationships for which they are hesitant to take responsibility.
- Antisocial Personality Disorder: Engaging in everyday or special social events proves challenging for someone with this personality disorder. They often act in non-traditional and combative ways that limit people’s desire to be social with them.
- Narcissistic Personality Disorder: A narcissist has an overinflated sense of themselves and is generally regarded as having a big ego by others. They view themselves as better than everyone around them, which results in failing romantic relationships and friendships, and difficulty having healthy interactions with co-workers.
- Histrionic Personality Disorder: This type of disorder causes the individual to have intense emotions that they do not handle in a healthy way. They rely on others to inflate their self-esteem and are disappointed when this does not happen.
- Paranoid Personality Disorder: The paranoia that surfaces with this disorder causes the person to believe others are out to insult or harm them, even without having reality-based reasons for thinking this. They often lash out and create situations rife with conflict.
How Can High-Conflict Behavior Be Addressed?
High-conflict personality is not itself a diagnosis to be treated. A mental health professional can help address distress, relationship difficulties, and any recognized underlying condition. Appropriate care can support improvements in emotional regulation, communication, and behavior.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) provides a person with the ability to gain control over some of their symptoms. It works by helping them identify their negative thoughts and emotions that end up resulting in conflict. They make the connection between them and their actions and learn healthy coping skills to use instead.
Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) teaches people to recognize their behaviors that lead to conflict internally and with others. They can then begin to change them and enjoy a more peaceful co-existence.
Engaging in family therapy can also help educate family members about how their loved one feels and why they act the way they do. A therapist leads the family in calm discussions so they can learn to understand and support their loved one. It also helps the person experiencing recurring conflict view themselves through the lens of those around them.
Contact Montare Behavioral Health for Help With Recurring Conflict
If recurring conflict is affecting your relationships, a mental health assessment can help clarify what is happening. Montare Behavioral Health offers therapeutic approaches to support emotional regulation and healthier interactions. Medication may be considered for an identified co-occurring condition or selected symptoms; there is no medication specifically approved for “high-conflict personality.”
For more information, contact us today and let’s talk about how we can best serve your needs. We can explain our therapies and get you started on feeling better quickly.
Published 11/14/2024