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Personality: Self concept · Personality testing · Theories · Mind-body problem
A masochistic personality is a personality type in which people tends to exhibit self-defeating behavior and/or self destructive behavior, beginning by early adulthood and present in a variety of contexts. The person may often avoid or undermine pleasurable experiences, be drawn to situations or relationships in which they will suffer, and prevent others from helping them. Where this pattern of behavior becomes pervasive and causes a clinically significant disruption to their activities of daily living and interpersonal relationships, where a diagnosis of personality disorder would be appropriate, then a diagnosis of self-defeating personality disorder could be considered.