| Schizoid Personality Disorder |  |
|
 |
|
» Conditions » Personality Disorders » Schizoid Personality Disorder
What Is Schizoid Personality Disorder?
Schizoid personality disorder is characterized by a pervasive pattern of detachment from social relationships and an extremely restricted range of expression of emotions in interpersonal settings.
Symptoms
The symptoms usually emerge by early adulthood and are present in a variety of contexts, including four or more of the following:
- No desire to form close relationships. They may form stable relationships with family members or other people but they lack the ability to form close relationships.
- Almost always chooses solitary activities. Some people with schizoid personality disorder are very creative, especially with art in the form of painting, sculpting, drawing, etc. Art may take the place of relationships. They typically remain in low-level jobs that require little interpersonal contact.
- Has little, if any, interest in having sexual experiences with another person. Men are more likely to remain single than women probably because they lack the social skills to initiate courtships. Women may passively date and marry, but will remain emotionally aloof.
- Takes little or no joy in activities or in life.
- Limited range of emotions in social settings. This is often described as coldness, detachment, or flatness. People with this disorder appear to be indifferent to compliments and criticisms.
- Appears indifferent to the praise or criticism of others.
Causes
Psychosocial Explanation:
The term "psychosocial" implies that personality disorders are a result of experiences the person has had, particularly during childhood and adolescence. This idea does not necessarily follow any particular theory of psychology or development. The recently developed object-relations theory emphasizes the influence of the parent-child relationship. For example, a child who has a parent incapable of feeling empathy is vulnerable to developing antisocial personality disorder. An unstable parental relationship may lead to a child developing borderline personality disorder.
Treatment
Individual psychotherapy is the preferred treatment method by most people with schizoid personality disorder. By encouraging the individual to share their art and develop the relationship from that base, a therapist may be able to establish rapport. Therapists often encourage the person to share their personal hobbies, like music or art with others.
Behavior therapy, such gradual exposure to specific tasks, also called systematic desensitization, can help the person form confidence in a social setting. The therapist would probably recommend the person begin with activities involving little socialization and advancing to activities requiring progressively more socialization.
Group therapy may help the person build social relationships in a supportive atmosphere. Family therapy may also be helpful since people with this disorder typically remain in the house for a longer period of time than many.
It's important to remember that, even though the person's schizoid personality disorder may experience marked improvement with therapy, most continue to prefer solitary activities rather than social ones.
|
 |
 |
|
