Post by martinlom on Aug 12, 2013 12:03:34 GMT
Hi! I hope no one minds me creating this thread but I had the idea after seeing xxxxxxx thread on Borderline Personality Disorder and I thought it might be worth posting a similar thread about Schizotypal Personality Disorder. I'm unsure how many other members, or if any at all, have Schizotypal Personality Disorder, but I thought it could be worth it for anyone that does and for any that might join in future.
Definition
People with schizotypal personality disorder are often described as odd or eccentric and usually have few, if any, close relationships. They generally don't understand how relationships form or the impact of their behavior on others. They may also misinterpret others' motivations and behaviors and develop significant distrust of others.
These problems may lead to severe anxiety and a tendency to turn inward in social situations, as the person with schizotypal personality disorder responds inappropriately to social cues and holds peculiar beliefs.
Schizotypal personality disorder typically is diagnosed in early adulthood and likely to endure, though symptoms may improve with age. Medications and therapy also may help.
Symptoms of Schizotypal Personality Disorder
People with schizotypal personality disorder have difficulty forming close relationships and have peculiar beliefs and behaviors.
Schizotypal personality disorder signs and symptoms can include:
Being a loner and lacking close friends outside of the immediate family
Incorrect interpretation of events, including feeling that external events have personal meaning
Peculiar, eccentric or unusual thinking, beliefs or behavior
Dressing in peculiar ways
Belief in special powers, such as telepathy
Perceptual alterations, in some cases bodily illusions, including phantom pains or other distortions in the sense of touch
Persistent and excessive social anxiety
Peculiar style of speech, such as loose or vague patterns of speaking or rambling oddly and endlessly during conversations
Suspicious or paranoid ideas, hypersensitivity, and constant doubts about the loyalty and fidelity of others
Flat emotions, or limited or inappropriate emotional responses
Signs of schizotypal personality disorder, such as increased interest in solitary activities or a high level of social anxiety, may be seen in the teen years. The child may be an underperformer in school or appear socially out of step with peers, and as a result often becomes the subject of bullying or teasing.
Schizotypal personality vs. Schizophrenia
Schizotypal personality disorder can easily be confused with schizophrenia, a severe mental illness in which people lose contact with reality (psychosis). While people with schizotypal personalities may experience brief psychotic episodes with delusions or hallucinations, they are not as frequent, prolonged or intense as in schizophrenia.
Another key distinction between schizotypal personality disorder and schizophrenia is that people with the personality disorder usually can be made aware of the difference between their distorted ideas and reality. Those with schizophrenia generally can't be swayed away from their delusions.
Despite the differences, schizotypal personality disorder can benefit from similar treatments as schizophrenia and is sometimes considered a variant of schizophrenia.
Causes
Personality is the combination of thoughts, emotions and behaviors that makes you unique. It's the way you view, understand and relate to the outside world, as well as how you see yourself. Personality forms during childhood, shaped through an interaction of inherited tendencies and environmental factors.
In normal development, children learn over time to accurately interpret social cues and respond appropriately. For people with schizotypal personalities, something goes wrong during this process, leading to illogical beliefs, unusual thinking and paranoid feelings. What exactly goes wrong isn't known, but it's likely that one or more factors cause problems with the way the brain functions, and genetics may play a role.
Treatments
Treatment for schizotypal personality disorder often includes a combination of medication and one or more types of psychotherapy.
Medications
There are no specific medications for the treatment of schizotypal personality disorder. However, doctors may prescribe Anti-Psychotics, Anti-Depressant or Anti-Anxiety medications to help relieve certain symptoms, such as psychotic episodes, or related conditions, such as depression or anxiety. For example, prescription medications such as Risperidone (Risperdal) or Olanzapine (Zyprexa) may help reduce distorted thinking.
Psychotherapy
Psychotherapy, also called talk therapy, may help people with schizotypal personality disorder begin to trust others by building a trusting relationship with a therapist. Psychotherapy may include, for example, learning specific social skills and behaviors (behavior therapy) or identifying and changing distorted thought patterns (cognitive therapy).
Treatment can be more effective when family members are involved (family therapy). Seeking professional counseling as a group may help reduce fighting or emotional distance and improve trust in the home.
Definition
People with schizotypal personality disorder are often described as odd or eccentric and usually have few, if any, close relationships. They generally don't understand how relationships form or the impact of their behavior on others. They may also misinterpret others' motivations and behaviors and develop significant distrust of others.
These problems may lead to severe anxiety and a tendency to turn inward in social situations, as the person with schizotypal personality disorder responds inappropriately to social cues and holds peculiar beliefs.
Schizotypal personality disorder typically is diagnosed in early adulthood and likely to endure, though symptoms may improve with age. Medications and therapy also may help.
Symptoms of Schizotypal Personality Disorder
People with schizotypal personality disorder have difficulty forming close relationships and have peculiar beliefs and behaviors.
Schizotypal personality disorder signs and symptoms can include:
Being a loner and lacking close friends outside of the immediate family
Incorrect interpretation of events, including feeling that external events have personal meaning
Peculiar, eccentric or unusual thinking, beliefs or behavior
Dressing in peculiar ways
Belief in special powers, such as telepathy
Perceptual alterations, in some cases bodily illusions, including phantom pains or other distortions in the sense of touch
Persistent and excessive social anxiety
Peculiar style of speech, such as loose or vague patterns of speaking or rambling oddly and endlessly during conversations
Suspicious or paranoid ideas, hypersensitivity, and constant doubts about the loyalty and fidelity of others
Flat emotions, or limited or inappropriate emotional responses
Signs of schizotypal personality disorder, such as increased interest in solitary activities or a high level of social anxiety, may be seen in the teen years. The child may be an underperformer in school or appear socially out of step with peers, and as a result often becomes the subject of bullying or teasing.
Schizotypal personality vs. Schizophrenia
Schizotypal personality disorder can easily be confused with schizophrenia, a severe mental illness in which people lose contact with reality (psychosis). While people with schizotypal personalities may experience brief psychotic episodes with delusions or hallucinations, they are not as frequent, prolonged or intense as in schizophrenia.
Another key distinction between schizotypal personality disorder and schizophrenia is that people with the personality disorder usually can be made aware of the difference between their distorted ideas and reality. Those with schizophrenia generally can't be swayed away from their delusions.
Despite the differences, schizotypal personality disorder can benefit from similar treatments as schizophrenia and is sometimes considered a variant of schizophrenia.
Causes
Personality is the combination of thoughts, emotions and behaviors that makes you unique. It's the way you view, understand and relate to the outside world, as well as how you see yourself. Personality forms during childhood, shaped through an interaction of inherited tendencies and environmental factors.
In normal development, children learn over time to accurately interpret social cues and respond appropriately. For people with schizotypal personalities, something goes wrong during this process, leading to illogical beliefs, unusual thinking and paranoid feelings. What exactly goes wrong isn't known, but it's likely that one or more factors cause problems with the way the brain functions, and genetics may play a role.
Treatments
Treatment for schizotypal personality disorder often includes a combination of medication and one or more types of psychotherapy.
Medications
There are no specific medications for the treatment of schizotypal personality disorder. However, doctors may prescribe Anti-Psychotics, Anti-Depressant or Anti-Anxiety medications to help relieve certain symptoms, such as psychotic episodes, or related conditions, such as depression or anxiety. For example, prescription medications such as Risperidone (Risperdal) or Olanzapine (Zyprexa) may help reduce distorted thinking.
Psychotherapy
Psychotherapy, also called talk therapy, may help people with schizotypal personality disorder begin to trust others by building a trusting relationship with a therapist. Psychotherapy may include, for example, learning specific social skills and behaviors (behavior therapy) or identifying and changing distorted thought patterns (cognitive therapy).
Treatment can be more effective when family members are involved (family therapy). Seeking professional counseling as a group may help reduce fighting or emotional distance and improve trust in the home.
