Schizotypal
Personality Disorder
Schizotypal personality disorder occurs in about
3% of the general population, being slightly more
common in males. It is regarded by mental health
professionals as occurring in the middle of a spectrum
of related disorders, with Schizoid personality disorder
at one end and Schizophrenia at the most severe end.
It is more common amongst those people who have first
degree biological relatives with Schizophrenia.
It usually appears in childhood or adolescence and
sufferers are characterized by being loners who prefer
to keep their distance from others and have difficulty
in maintaining relationships. They sometimes exhibit
odd speech or behaviour and have a limited range
of flat emotions. Often these symptoms will cause
the child to appear odd or eccentric and attract
teasing.
Individuals with this personality disorder may also
experience brief psychotic episodes which can develop
into Brief Psychotic Disorder or Schizophrenia. They
are also at an increased risk for major depressive
disorders and other personality disorders such as Schizoid,
Paranoid, Avoidant and Borderline.
Treatment is often sought for the associated symptoms
of anxiety and depression etc, rather than for the
disorder itself. |
Signs & Symptoms:
- A belief that unrelated events are related to
them in a significant way
- Odd beliefs, bizarre fantasies and magical thinking
that influences behaviour and is not consistent
with subcultural norms. (The DSM IV lists, as an
example of these odd beliefs, belief in telepathy,
ESP, clairvoyance or sixth sense. Many of my readers
will disagree with this definition.)
- Unusual perceptual experiences such as voices
murmuring their name, or strange body illusions
- Odd thinking and speech e.g. vague, over elaborate,
metaphorical or stereotyped
- Excessively suspiciousness or paranoid ideas
- Flat affect or emotions e.g. a reduced range
and intensity of emotion
- Behaviour or appearance that is odd, eccentric
or peculiar e.g. unusual mannerisms, avoiding eye
contact
- Lack of close friends or confidants other than
first degree relatives
- Excessive social anxiety that doesn't diminish
with familiarity and is associated with paranoid
fears
Individuals with Schizotypal personality disorder are
reclusive, oversensitive and eccentric and tend to
be egocentric. Symptoms form a pattern of social and
interpersonal defects which lead to a reduced capacity
to form close relationships. Sadly, they never master
the ability to communicate clearly with other people
and tend to drift through adult life aimlessly and
unproductively. Treatment, as previously mentioned,
is usually sought only for associated problems such
as depression, which may be helped by psychotherapy
and/or medication.
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