Personality Disorders

So I've recently been learning about and seeing different personality disorders and it's fascinating. In fact, you start seeing bits of them in everyone and yourself: OCD, Borderline, Paranoid, Histrionic, Dependent, Avoidant, Schizoid etc. Our teacher said the difference between normal functional people and those with personality disorders is that we can jump between personalities for different coping needs, and are much more flexible than those paralyzed in thier disease. Isn't it interesting that some people can have personalities that are so jacked up, they are pathologic?

What amazes me is how intrigued society is in general about classifying personalities even on the small scale. We love Myers-Briggs, the "which animal are you" or "Four Season's" , "Personality Plus" type of boxing people. Our medical school spent a whole day during orientation testing and discussing personalitues- to "know thyself" before starting classes freshmen year.

I was thinking how much our personalities are tainted by Sin. So much FEAR, and PRIDE, and INSECURITY change who we are so that we become different people in different settings. I began thinking about this after completing my addictions week on psychiatry. Over 9 months, you literally see a personality change in the patients who finish their 12-step rehab programs. The patients learn new coping mechanisms, take control and or release of thier anger, self-pity, arrogance. Is it truly possible to change personality? Is our insecurity or arrogance part of our personality and who we really are deep down?

When we get to Heaven and all our SIN is done away with, I imagine we will see very different people. We will still have a beautiful spectrum of personalities I am sure. But can you imagine it? Who are you without your pride, fears, baggage? I want to meet that person. God is in the process of bringing us there.