Difficult Personalities: A Practical Guide to Managing the Hurtful Behavior of Others (and Maybe Your Own)

Summary

We all have people in our lives who frustrate, annoy, or hurt us: workplace bullies, those who always claim to be right, or those with anxious or obsessive personalities. And most of us hurt others occasionally, too. Now, authors Dr. Helen McGrath, a clinical psychologist and professor, and Hazel Edwards, a professional writer, offer this extremely practical guide to dealing with the difficult personalities we encounter every day—in others, and in ourselves.

Taking the American Psychiatric Association's widely used Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV-TR) as its starting point, Difficult Personalities helpfully outlines over a dozen different personality traits and types, detailing their common characteristics and underlying motivations. It also equips listeners with numerous strategies for dealing with difficult behavior, including:

&#9679 Anger and conflict management

&#9679 Optimism and assertion training

&#9679 Rational and empathic thinking

&#9679 Reexamining your own personality