Per Mark Zimmerman, MD, Rhode Island Hospital Last complete revision/change May 2021 QUICK FACTS Personality Disorder is characterized by an odd behavior in general towards individuals and with an odd personality, by distorted thinking and behavior towards strange individuals (strangers and strangers). People with Schizotypal Personality Disorder prefer not to interact with others because they believe they are different and not part of the group. The doctor or odd personality disorder based on symptoms, strong kinship, distorted thinking and diagnosis, and odd behavior. Treatment includes antipsychotic medications, antidepressants, and cognitive behavioral therapy. Personality disorders are persistent and pervasive patterns in the way of thinking, perceiving, reacting and relating that cause significant distress and/or impair functional capacity. The person with zotypic personality disorder is less frightening to reality and their thinking and speech more disorganized than in the case of other personality disorders. The ideas and behavior are not as unusual or unrealistic as those that occur in schizophrenia. Schizotypal personality disorder occurs in nearly 4% of the general population of the United States. It may occur a little more often in men. Schizotypal personality disorder is less likely to disappear or improve with age than most personality disorders. Often, other disorders concomitantly. More than half with schizotypal personality disorder have had at least one episode of depressive disorder and 50% of those with schizotypal personality disorder have schizotypal personality disorder when they are major. These people often also have a substance use disorder. Causes: Genetic factors are believed to play an important role in the development of schizotypal personality disorder. It is most common among first-degree relatives (parents, siblings, and children) of a person who has schizophrenia or another mental disorder.
Symptoms: Effect on relationships; A person with schizotypal personality disorder has no friends or confidants other than first-degree relatives. She feels very uncomfortable relating to people. She interacts with others if she has to, but prefers not to, because she believes she is different and not part of the group. However, she may say that lack of relationships makes her unhappy. She gets very anxious in social situations, especially unfamiliar ones. Spending more time in a situation does not relieve anxiety. It is possible for a person with this disorder to ignore common social conventions (eg, not making eye contact) and, because they do not understand the usual social interaction cues, they may interact with others inappropriately or rigidly. Strange thinking and behavior: People with schizotypal personality disorder have strange ways of thinking, perceiving, and communicating. Following are some examples: Reference Ideas: People with these ideas believe that common occurrences have special meaning just for them. Magical Thinking: Person thinks they have magical control over other people. For example, she may feel that she can get other people to do ordinary things (eg, feed the dog) or that she can perform magical rituals to prevent harm (eg, washing her hands three times can prevent illness). Paranoia: The person feels distrust and suspicion and incorrectly thinks that other people are trying to harm or harm them. Paranormal Powers: The person is believed to have paranormal powers that allow him to detect events before they happen or to read other people's minds. Speech can be awkward. It may be overly abstract or concrete or contain strange phrases or use phrases or words in weird ways. The person often dresses strangely or carelessly (eg, wears poorly fitting or dirty clothes) and has strange mannerisms. Reality perception: Perceptions (what a person sees, hears, or feels) in a person with schizotypal disorder can be distorted. For example, she might hear a voice whispering her name.
Diagnosis: A doctor's assessment based on specific criteria Doctors typically diagnose personality disorders based on criteria in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5), published by the American Psychiatric Association. For a doctor to diagnose a person with schizotypal personality disorder, they must be extremely uncomfortable with the idea of having intimate relationships, and in fact they have a very limited number of them, as well as having a strange way of thinking and behaving. . In addition, she must present at least five of the following items: Reference ideas Strange beliefs or magical thinking distorted perceptions Strange thinking and speech Suspicions or paranoid thoughts Inappropriate or limited expression of emotion Odd, eccentric, or peculiar appearance and/or behavior Lack of close friends or confidants other than first-degree relatives Excessive social anxiety that does not decrease with familiarity and is primarily related to paranoid fears In addition, the onset of symptoms must have occurred in early adulthood. Doctors need to differentiate schizotypal personality disorder from schizophrenia, which causes similar but more severe symptoms.Treatment of Schizotypal Personality Disorder Antipsychotic and antidepressant medications Cognitive behavioral therapy The general treatment of schizotypal personality disorder is the same as for all personality disorders. The main treatment for schizotypal personality disorder is medication. Antipsychotic medications (used to treat schizophrenia) relieve anxiety and other symptoms. Newer (second-generation) antidepressants may also help ease anxiety in people with schizotypal personality disorder. Cognitive-behavioral therapy that focuses on acquiring social skills and managing anxiety can help. Such therapy can also make the person more aware of how their own behavior might be perceived. The doctor tries to establish an emotional, encouraging, and supportive relationship with the person who has this personality disorder and thereby help him or her learn to relate to others more appropriately.
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