Schizoid Personality Disorder: causes, symptoms and treatment
The schizoid disorder It belongs to the so-called "Group A" (rare or eccentric) of personality disorders, and is a rare condition in which people avoid social activities and interaction with other individuals.
People with this pathology often seem strange or peculiar, and tend to be distant and indifferent to social relations . They are characterized by preferring solitary activities and rarely express strong emotions. Although schizoid personality disorder sounds like schizophrenia, we have two very different disorders.
What are personality disorders?
Individuals with personality disorders show long-lasting patterns of thinking and behavior that differ from what society considers normal. The inflexibility of his personality can cause anguish, and can also interfere in different areas of the person's life, including social and work functioning. People with personality disorders often have poor coping skills and difficulties in forming healthy relationships .
Unlike people who suffer from anxiety disorders, who know they have a problem but are unable to control it, people with personality disorders are generally not aware of the problem they are experiencing and tend to think they have no problem. Since they do not know they have a disorder, they do not usually go for help to treat it.
Symptoms of Schizoid Personality Disorder
The symptomatology of Schizoid personality Disorder it is usually characterized by social isolation and the avoidance of social activities and interpersonal relationships. These people usually organize their lives to avoid contact with other people. Many never marry or can continue living with their parents as adults.
Others common features of people with this disorder are the following:
- They do not want or enjoy close relationships, even with family members
- Choose solitary jobs and activities
- Not interested in having sexual experiences with other people
- They do not usually have close friends or trusted people
- They are indifferent to praise or criticism from others
- They show emotional coldness
Causes of Schizoid Personality Disorder
Little is known about the causes of Schizoid Personality Disorder, but It seems that both genetic and environmental factors play an important role this disorder .
Environment and genetics
On the one hand, many mental health professionals speculate that the absence of affection and affection on the part of parents during childhood contributes to the development of the pathology, but the high presence of the disorder in families with a member suffering from schizophrenia suggests that have a remarkable hereditary factor.
Treatment of Schizoid Personality Disorder
As mentioned, people who suffer from this disorder rarely seek help from a professional . In addition, the treatment poses a challenge for the psychotherapist due to the difficulty in establishing relationships on the part of the patient. This is usually solved when the therapist shows some distance from the therapist.
Psychotherapy and pharmacological support
This treatment combines psychotherapy with the administration of drugs, usually antipsychotics such as Risperidone or Olanzapine. In cases in which the disorder presents comorbidity with disorders such as depression or anxiety, antidepressants or anxiolytics are also usually administered.
Learning social skills
Since these individuals have a hard time learning social patterns quickly, it is necessary that they learn concrete social skills , for example, explaining some behaviors that could be seen as rude or rude. The psychotherapist can influence so that the patient learns how to distort their thoughts or perceptions, in addition to reeducate him so that he acquires more adaptive ways of responding and relating.
If the disorder is mild or moderate, it could improve quickly. However, in the most delicate and serious cases, the patient may have a greater difficulty to work and live independently. The treatment focuses on the improvement of coping skills, as well as the improvement of social interaction, communication, and self-esteem.
