Schizotypal Personality Disorder - Causes, Symptoms and Treatment

Schizotypal personality disorder is a serious condition in which a person usually has few to no intimate relationships. Schizotypal personality disorder is primarily characterized by peculiarities of thinking, odd beliefs, and eccentricities of appearance, behavior, interpersonal style, and thought. Schizotypals are convinced that, behind their back, they are a constant topic of derision, mockery, criticism, or gossip. They suffer from ideas of reference. This is part of a larger pattern of bizarre beliefs, "theories", convictions, "scenarios", superstitions, and conspiracies that they adopt. Although generally not prone to delusions, the schizotypal is steeped in the occult and the esoteric to the exclusion of rational thinking and to the detriment of proper daily functioning. Personality development is affected by genetic tendencies as well as environmental factors, such as stressful childhood experiences. People with schizotypal personality disorder often have trouble engaging with others and appear emotionally distant. Such people tend to turn inward rather than interact with other people, and experience extreme anxiety in social situations. They find their social isolation painful, and eventually develop distorted perceptions about how interpersonal relationships form. They may also exhibit odd behaviors, respond inappropriately to social cues and hold peculiar beliefs. People with schizotypal personality disorder often find themselves drifting from one activity to the next, failing to connect with people as they meander through life.

Schizotypal personality disorder is a high rate of comorbidity with other personality disorders. Schizotypal personality disorder is a chronic condition. People with schizotypal personalities often have odd patterns of speech and ramble endlessly on subjects tangent to a topic of conversation. They may dress in peculiar ways and have very strange ways of viewing the world around them Symptoms of schizotypal personality disorder include is perceptual alterations, in some cases bodily illusions, including "phantom pains" or other distortions in the sense of touch ,flat emotions or inappropriate emotional responses , lack of close friends outside of the immediate family and persistent and excessive social anxiety that doesn't abate with time. Schizotypal personality disorder can easily be confused with schizophrenia, which is characterized by intense psychosis, a severe mental state characterized by a loss of contact with reality. While schizotypal personalities may experience brief psychotic episodes with delusions or hallucinations, they are not as pronounced, frequent or intense as in schizophrenia. In normal development, children progress through several stages of social awareness and learn to accurately interpret the cues and intentions of others. For schizotypal personalities this social cognition is impaired, leading to development of illogical beliefs, magical thinking and paranoid thoughts, such as a nagging suspicion that one is being harassed, persecuted or treated unfairly.

Causes of Schizotypal Personality Disorder

Common Causes and Risk factors of Schizotypal Personality Disorder

• Genetic tendencies
• Environmental factors.
• Stress.
• Family history ,such as having a parent who has schizophrenia or schizotypal personality.

Signs and Symptoms of Schizotypal Personality Disorder

Sign and Symptoms of Schizotypal Personality Disorder

• Flat emotions or inappropriate emotional responses
• Lack of close friends outside of the immediate family
• Persistent and excessive social anxiety that doesn't abate with time
• Belief in special powers, such as telepathy.
• Perceptual alterations.
• Idiosyncratic speech.
• Suspicious or paranoid ideas.

Treatment of Schizotypal Personality Disorder

Common Treatment of Schizotypal Personality Disorder

• Medications. Antipsychotic medications to help alleviate associative conditions such as anxiety, depression or other mood disorders. For example, treatment for distorted thinking may be with the prescription medications risperidone (Risperdal) and olanzapine (Zyprexa).
• Psychotherapy. Building a trusting rapport in therapy may help people with schizotypal personality disorder contradict the mistrust or discomfort they have with developing interpersonal relationships.
• Behavioral therapy. People with schizotypal personalities often need to learn specific interpersonal skills and new behaviors, as they often have difficulty responding appropriately to social cues.
• Cognitive therapy. People with schizotypal personality disorder may respond to exercises that focus on interrupting distortions in thought.
• Family therapy. Treatment can be more effective when family members are involved. Seeking professional counseling as a group may help diminish angry confrontations or emotional distancing in the home. Family therapy may also offer the affected person reassurances of a support structure and a boost in morale.