He schizotypal personality disorder Is characterized by the need for social isolation, anxiety in social situations, strange behaviors and thoughts, and often strange beliefs.
People with this disorder often seem strange to others and have ideas of reference; They think unimportant events are related to them.
They also have magical thinking, they can have illusions, They are usually suspicious and have paranoid thoughts.
This disorder occurs in approximately 3% of the population and is somewhat more common in men.
In a small proportion of cases, the schizotypal personality may be a precursor to schizophrenia, but usually has a steady course.
Causes of schizotypal personality disorder
Researchers do not know at present what specifically causes this disorder.
Although there are several theories, most professionals support biopsychosocial theory: the cause is due to biological, genetic, social and psychological factors.
Therefore, there would not be a single factor that is responsible for the disorder, but a combination of them.
Genetics
It is understood that this disorder is of the schizophrenic spectrum.
The rates of this disorder are higher in people with relatives with schizophrenia than in people with relatives with other disorders.
Environmental and social
There is evidence to suggest that the style of paternal education, early separation, trauma or abuse may lead to the development of equizotypic traits.
Over time, children learn to interpret social cues and respond appropriately but for unknown reasons, this process does not work well for people with this disorder.
One study suggested that attention deficit can serve as a biological marker susceptible to this disorder. The reason is that a person who has difficulty receiving information may find it difficult to do so in social situations where careful communication is essential to the quality of the interaction.
This can cause the person to isolate himself from social interactions, guiding the asociality.
Diagnosis
According to DSM IV
A) General pattern of social deficits and interpretations associated with acute discomfort and a reduced capacity for personal relationships, as well as cognitive or perceptual distortions and behavioral eccentricities, beginning at the beginning of adulthood and occurring in different contexts, such as Indicate one or more of the following:
- Ideas of reference.
- Rare beliefs or magical thinking that influences behavior and is not consistent with subcultural norms.
- Unusual perceptual experiences, including bodily illusions.
- Rare thinking and language.
- Suspicion or paranoid ideation.
- Inappropriate or restricted affectivity.
- Rare, eccentric or peculiar behavior or appearance.
- Lack of close friends or distrust, apart from first-degree relatives.
- Excessive social anxiety.
B) These characteristics do not appear in the course of schizophrenia, a mood disorder with psychotic symptoms or another psychotic disorder or a generalized developmental disorder.
Because personality disorders describe long-lasting and stable patterns of behavior, they are diagnosed more often in adulthood.
It is uncommon to be diagnosed in childhood or adolescence, because a child or adolescent is in full physical and mental development.
Like most personality disorders, the schizotypal will decrease in intensity with age.
According to the ICD-10 (World Health Organization)
The ICD-10 Of the WHO uses the name of schizotypal disorder and is classified with a clinical disorder associated with schizophrenia.
The definition of ICFes:
A disorder characterized by eccentric behavior and behavioral and affective abnormalities that resemble those observed in schizophrenia, although schizophrenia characteristics have not occurred. There is no dominant or typical disturbance although some of the following may be present:
- Inappropriate affection; The person seems cold or distant.
- Behavior or appearance that is eccentric, strange or peculiar.
- Little relationship with others and tendency to social isolation.
- Strange beliefs or magical thinking, influencing behaviors and inconsistent with subcultural norms.
- Suspicion and paranoid ideas.
- Obsessive rumination without internal resistance.
- Unusual perceptual experiences of body or other illusions, depersonalization or derealization.
- Weird ways or behaviors.
Schizotypal Personality and Schizophrenia
This disorder can easily be confused with Schizophrenia , A serious mental illness in which people lose contact with reality (psychosis).
Although people with schizotypal personality may experience brief episodes of delusions or hallucinations, they are not as frequent, prolonged, and intense as schizophrenia.
Another distinction is that people with a schizotypal personality are usually aware of the differences between their ideas and reality. People with schizophrenia often do not distinguish their ideas from reality.
Despite the differences, people with schizotypal personality may benefit from treatments similar to those of schizophrenia.
Subtypes of schizotypal personality
Theodore Millon Proposes two subtypes of schizotypal personality. Any person with a schizotypal personality may display any of the following subtypes.
Millon believes that it is rare that there is a pure variant, but rather a mixture of variants.
- Schizotypal insipid: an exaggeration of the pattern of passive attachment. It includes schizoid, depressive and dependent characteristics.
Personality traits: sense of strangeness, inexpressiveness, indifference.
- Schizotypal timorate: exaggeration of active attachment pattern. Includes features of avoidance and negativity.
Personality traits: apprehension, vigilance, suspicion, isolation.
Treatment
Psychotherapy
According to Theodore Millon, the schizotypal is one of the simplest personality disorders to identify but one of the most difficult to treat with psychotherapy.
People with this disorder consider themselves as simply eccentric, creative or non-conformist.
The Cognitive-behavioral therapy Will focus on identifying the content of thoughts.
Group Therapy
Group therapy is recommended only if the group is well structured and cohesive. In addition, it is recommended that the person does not exhibit severe eccentric behaviors.
It can give people the opportunity to experience feedback from others in a controlled environment.
Drugs
To decide which type of medication to use, Paul Markovitz distinguishes two basic groups of schizotypal patients:
- Patients who appear almost schizophrenic in their beliefs and behaviors. They are usually treated with low doses of antipsychotics such as thiothixene.
- Patients who are more obsessive-compulsive in their behaviors and beliefs: SSRIs like sertraline seem to be more effective.
- For social isolation to be of more help an anticonvulsive like the lamotrigine.
When to visit a professional
Because the likelihood of a change in personality becomes less likely as the person ages, it is recommended to seek treatment by observing the first symptoms.
People with schizotypal personality usually do not seek treatment, rather they come for the urgency of relatives or other people close to them.
This disorder is a chronic condition that normally requires lifelong treatment.
People with this disorder are at risk of developing Depressive disorders Major or other personality disorders.
Risk factor's
Factors that appear to increase the risk of developing schizotypal personality include:
- Having a family member with schizophrenia or with schizotypal personality disorder.
- To experience abuses, traumas or family dysfunctions in childhood.
Can it be prevented?
At present it is not known how to prevent this personality disorder.
However, assessing the risk of developing the disorder, such as having a family history of schizophrenia, may allow early diagnosis and treatment.
References
- Roitman, S.E.L et al. Attentional Functioning in Schizotypal Personality Disorder, 1997
- Image source.