Eccentric personality disorder
Schizotypal personality disorder - Symptoms and causes
Overview
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 avoid social situations, as the person with schizotypal personality disorder tends to hold peculiar beliefs and may have difficulty with responding appropriately to social cues.
Schizotypal personality disorder typically is diagnosed in early adulthood and is likely to endure across the lifespan, though treatment, such as medications and therapy, can improve symptoms.
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Symptoms
Schizotypal personality disorder typically includes five or more of these signs and symptoms:
- Being a loner and lacking close friends outside of the immediate family
- Flat emotions or limited or inappropriate emotional responses
- Persistent and excessive social anxiety
- Incorrect interpretation of events, such as a feeling that something that is actually harmless or inoffensive has a direct personal meaning
- Peculiar, eccentric or unusual thinking, beliefs or mannerisms
- Suspicious or paranoid thoughts and constant doubts about the loyalty of others
- Belief in special powers, such as mental telepathy or superstitions
- Unusual perceptions, such as sensing an absent person's presence or having illusions
- Dressing in peculiar ways, such as appearing unkempt or wearing oddly matched clothes
- Peculiar style of speech, such as vague or unusual patterns of speaking, or rambling oddly during conversations
Signs and symptoms 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, which may result in teasing or bullying.
Schizotypal personality disorder 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 personality disorder may experience brief psychotic episodes with delusions or hallucinations, the episodes are not as frequent, prolonged or intense as in schizophrenia.
Another key distinction is that people with schizotypal 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, people with schizotypal personality disorder can benefit from treatments similar to those used for schizophrenia. Schizotypal personality disorder is sometimes considered to be on a spectrum with schizophrenia, with schizotypal personality disorder viewed as less severe.
When to see a doctor
People with schizotypal personality disorder are likely to seek help only at the urging of friends or family members. Or people with schizotypal personality disorder may seek help for another problem such as depression. If you suspect that a friend or family member may have the disorder, you might gently suggest that the person seek medical attention, starting with a primary care doctor or mental health professional.
If you need immediate help
If you're concerned that you might harm yourself or someone else, go to an emergency room or call 911 or your local emergency number immediately. Or call a suicide hotline number. In the U.S., call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (1-800-273-8255) or use its webchat at suicidepreventionlifeline.org/chat.
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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 appropriately interact with others, to interpret social cues, and to respond to social situations appropriately and with flexibility. What exactly goes wrong for a person with schizotypal personality disorder isn't known for certain, but it's likely that changes in the way the brain functions, genetics, environmental influences and learned behaviors may play a role.
Risk factors
Your risk of schizotypal personality disorder may be greater if you have a relative who has schizophrenia or another psychotic disorder.
Complications
People with schizotypal personality disorder are at an increased risk of:
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Other personality disorders
- Schizophrenia
- Temporary psychotic episodes, usually in response to stress
- Problems with alcohol or drugs
- Suicide attempts
- Work, school, relationship and social problems
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Personality disorders - Symptoms and causes
Overview
A personality disorder is a type of mental disorder in which you have a rigid and unhealthy pattern of thinking, functioning and behaving.
A person with a personality disorder has trouble perceiving and relating to situations and people. This causes significant problems and limitations in relationships, social activities, work and school.
In some cases, you may not realize that you have a personality disorder because your way of thinking and behaving seems natural to you. And you may blame others for the challenges you face.
Personality disorders usually begin in the teenage years or early adulthood. There are many types of personality disorders. Some types may become less obvious throughout middle age.
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Symptoms
Types of personality disorders are grouped into three clusters, based on similar characteristics and symptoms. Many people with one personality disorder also have signs and symptoms of at least one additional personality disorder.
It's not necessary to exhibit all the signs and symptoms listed for a disorder to be diagnosed.
Cluster A personality disorders
Cluster A personality disorders are characterized by odd, eccentric thinking or behavior. They include paranoid personality disorder, schizoid personality disorder and schizotypal personality disorder.
Paranoid personality disorder
- Pervasive distrust and suspicion of others and their motives
- Unjustified belief that others are trying to harm or deceive you
- Unjustified suspicion of the loyalty or trustworthiness of others
- Hesitancy to confide in others due to unreasonable fear that others will use the information against you
- Perception of innocent remarks or nonthreatening situations as personal insults or attacks
- Angry or hostile reaction to perceived slights or insults
- Tendency to hold grudges
- Unjustified, recurrent suspicion that spouse or sexual partner is unfaithful
Schizoid personality disorder
- Lack of interest in social or personal relationships, preferring to be alone
- Limited range of emotional expression
- Inability to take pleasure in most activities
- Inability to pick up normal social cues
- Appearance of being cold or indifferent to others
- Little or no interest in having sex with another person
Schizotypal personality disorder
- Peculiar dress, thinking, beliefs, speech or behavior
- Odd perceptual experiences, such as hearing a voice whisper your name
- Flat emotions or inappropriate emotional responses
- Social anxiety and a lack of or discomfort with close relationships
- Indifferent, inappropriate or suspicious response to others
- "Magical thinking" — believing you can influence people and events with your thoughts
- Belief that certain casual incidents or events have hidden messages meant only for you
Cluster B personality disorders
Cluster B personality disorders are characterized by dramatic, overly emotional or unpredictable thinking or behavior.
They include antisocial personality disorder, borderline personality disorder, histrionic personality disorder and narcissistic personality disorder.
Antisocial personality disorder
- Disregard for others' needs or feelings
- Persistent lying, stealing, using aliases, conning others
- Recurring problems with the law
- Repeated violation of the rights of others
- Aggressive, often violent behavior
- Disregard for the safety of self or others
- Impulsive behavior
- Consistently irresponsible
- Lack of remorse for behavior
Borderline personality disorder
- Impulsive and risky behavior, such as having unsafe sex, gambling or binge eating
- Unstable or fragile self-image
- Unstable and intense relationships
- Up and down moods, often as a reaction to interpersonal stress
- Suicidal behavior or threats of self-injury
- Intense fear of being alone or abandoned
- Ongoing feelings of emptiness
- Frequent, intense displays of anger
- Stress-related paranoia that comes and goes
Histrionic personality disorder
- Constantly seeking attention
- Excessively emotional, dramatic or sexually provocative to gain attention
- Speaks dramatically with strong opinions, but few facts or details to back them up
- Easily influenced by others
- Shallow, rapidly changing emotions
- Excessive concern with physical appearance
- Thinks relationships with others are closer than they really are
Narcissistic personality disorder
- Belief that you're special and more important than others
- Fantasies about power, success and attractiveness
- Failure to recognize others' needs and feelings
- Exaggeration of achievements or talents
- Expectation of constant praise and admiration
- Arrogance
- Unreasonable expectations of favors and advantages, often taking advantage of others
- Envy of others or belief that others envy you
Cluster C personality disorders
Cluster C personality disorders are characterized by anxious, fearful thinking or behavior.
They include avoidant personality disorder, dependent personality disorder and obsessive-compulsive personality disorder.
Avoidant personality disorder
- Too sensitive to criticism or rejection
- Feeling inadequate, inferior or unattractive
- Avoidance of work activities that require interpersonal contact
- Socially inhibited, timid and isolated, avoiding new activities or meeting strangers
- Extreme shyness in social situations and personal relationships
- Fear of disapproval, embarrassment or ridicule
Dependent personality disorder
- Excessive dependence on others and feeling the need to be taken care of
- Submissive or clingy behavior toward others
- Fear of having to provide self-care or fend for yourself if left alone
- Lack of self-confidence, requiring excessive advice and reassurance from others to make even small decisions
- Difficulty starting or doing projects on your own due to lack of self-confidence
- Difficulty disagreeing with others, fearing disapproval
- Tolerance of poor or abusive treatment, even when other options are available
- Urgent need to start a new relationship when a close one has ended
Obsessive-compulsive personality disorder
- Preoccupation with details, orderliness and rules
- Extreme perfectionism, resulting in dysfunction and distress when perfection is not achieved, such as feeling unable to finish a project because you don't meet your own strict standards
- Desire to be in control of people, tasks and situations, and inability to delegate tasks
- Neglect of friends and enjoyable activities because of excessive commitment to work or a project
- Inability to discard broken or worthless objects
- Rigid and stubborn
- Inflexible about morality, ethics or values
- Tight, miserly control over budgeting and spending money
Obsessive-compulsive personality disorder is not the same as obsessive-compulsive disorder, a type of anxiety disorder.
When to see a doctor
If you have any signs or symptoms of a personality disorder, see your doctor or other primary care professional or a mental health professional. Untreated, personality disorders can cause significant problems in your life that may get worse without treatment.
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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:
- Your genes. Certain personality traits may be passed on to you by your parents through inherited genes. These traits are sometimes called your temperament.
- Your environment. This involves the surroundings you grew up in, events that occurred, and relationships with family members and others.
Personality disorders are thought to be caused by a combination of these genetic and environmental influences. Your genes may make you vulnerable to developing a personality disorder, and a life situation may trigger the actual development.
Risk factors
Although the precise cause of personality disorders is not known, certain factors seem to increase the risk of developing or triggering personality disorders, including:
- Family history of personality disorders or other mental illness
- Abusive, unstable or chaotic family life during childhood
- Being diagnosed with childhood conduct disorder
- Variations in brain chemistry and structure
Complications
Personality disorders can significantly disrupt the lives of both the affected person and those who care about that person. Personality disorders may cause problems with relationships, work or school, and can lead to social isolation or alcohol or drug abuse.
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What is eccentricity and when does it turn into a mental disorder
April 14 Likbez Health
Perhaps a disease is hidden behind the defiant behavior.
What is eccentricity
According to the "Big Dictionary of the Russian Language", eccentricity is a strange, defiantly unusual behavior. It can be expressed in deliberately bright clothes that do not correspond to the moment. Or in non-standard habits regarding communication with other people. For example, an eccentric person speaks too loudly or manneredly, does it in verse, openly classifies interlocutors according to the types invented by him (“You are a gentle cat, and he is a watchdog!”).
In the mass understanding, an eccentric person is an extraordinary, outstanding personality. It is no coincidence that such behavior is often associated with talented and even brilliant people. For example, there are legends about the eccentricity of Salvador Dali. Or Albert Einstein. Or, say, Winston Churchill.
In general, being eccentric, “not like everyone else”, is even fashionable. But there is a line beyond which bizarre behavior turns from a way of self-expression into an unhealthy phenomenon.
When eccentricity becomes a mental disorder
Eccentric personality disorder is included in the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10). It's just that it's not described in enough detail.
However, there is a whole class of much more studied eccentric disorders - the so-called cluster A. It includes three types of disorders that are characterized by pronounced oddities in behavior:
- Paranoid.
- Schizoid.
- Schizotypal.
The first disease usually manifests anxiety, suspicion, vindictiveness, and the second - isolation, emotional coldness. Demonstrative bizarre behavior or appearance is unique to schizotypal disorder.
Experts from the American research organization Mayo Clinic list 10 signs of this disorder. To suspect a personality disorder, five of them are enough:
- Defiant behavior that goes beyond the usual limits.
- Unusual appearance. Clothing may be dirty, and its elements may fundamentally not be combined with each other.
- A peculiar manner of speaking, which is hard not to notice during a conversation. For example, the voice may be too high or the person may sing the words.
- Belief in personal supernatural powers. For example, the patient sincerely believes that he can read the thoughts of others. Or communicate with the spirits of the dead. Or predict the future based on the sound of the wind and the movement of the stars.
- Experienced unusual sensations. A person may report feeling the presence of someone who is actually very far away. Or supposedly physically feels the approach of danger.
- Inability to adequately assess what is happening. Even minor events can be given great importance.
- Suspicion, constant doubts about the good intentions of others.
- Excessive and persistent social anxiety. The patient does not accept assessments from other people, because he believes that they cannot understand him.
- Inability to establish a long and trusting relationship with anyone.
Friends are usually only among the closest relatives. - Inappropriate reactions, coldness in communication. A person may not express emotions at all or react to what is happening inadequately. For example, laugh when you usually cry.
What are the causes of eccentric personality disorder
Most often, the disorder appears during adolescence or early adulthood. Where it comes from, doctors do not know for sure. It is assumed that genetics, the individual characteristics of the brain, the environment, and habits learned in childhood play a role.
What to do if you suspect eccentric personality disorder
This mental disorder can be corrected with psychotherapy or medications such as antidepressants.
The difficulty lies in the fact that “eccentrics”, as a rule, do not consider their behavior to require correction and are often not ready to turn to a psychotherapist. In this case, relatives or caring acquaintances are especially important.
Their task is still to convince to consult a specialist.
The easiest way looks like this. A person with eccentric personality disorder regularly experiences disappointment in people, bouts of anxiety and even depression. It is at such moments that it is worth taking him by the hand and leading him to talk to a psychotherapist. The specialist will be able to establish the disorder based on the conversation and the symptoms that will be described. And then he will recommend to the person options for therapy that will help improve the condition.
By the way, one of the elements of psychocorrection is family and friendly support. It is easier for a person with eccentric disorder to live when he feels that he is loved and appreciated, supported during failures and rejoice at successes.
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Specific personality disorders
Personality disorders are personality traits.
They do not fit into the concepts of "disease", "disease" - it is impossible to say exactly when it all started, it is impossible to single out clear periods of exacerbations and recovery.
Personality disorder is a "hard character". You can smooth out its manifestations with the help of individual psychotherapy.
Symptoms of personality and behavioral disorders begin to appear in childhood and adolescence and may persist throughout life. It is difficult for such people to contact with others, they often behave inappropriately or generally prefer loneliness. Treatment by a psychotherapist can significantly improve the condition of people with a personality disorder and their loved ones, teaches them to interact with the world around them while maintaining a sense of comfort.
In the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10), mental and behavioral disorders correspond to class V (F), codes F60-69.
There are the following types of personality disorders:
- paranoid;
- schizoid;
- dissocial;
- emotionally unstable;
- border
- hysterical;
- anancaste;
- anxious (avoidant, evading);
- dependent personality type disorder.
More rare variants of personality and behavior disorders are eccentric, disinhibited, infantile, passive-aggressive, narcissistic. Mixed forms are possible.
Identification of personality and behavior disorders in adulthood
Personality and behavioral disorders are not diseases, but they seriously complicate the life of a person and his loved ones. Such people seek help because of a sense of emptiness and a sense of inferiority in life.
Important
Inadequate human behavior can be a manifestation of serious mental illness - depression, some forms of neurosis, or even schizophrenia. Differential diagnosis is carried out by a psychotherapist.
A psychotherapist is engaged in the diagnosis and treatment of personality disorders. A personality disorder is diagnosed if the following criteria are met:
- signs of the disorder appeared in childhood or adolescence and persist throughout life;
- it is difficult to distinguish clear periods of recovery and exacerbation;
- the disorder adversely affects several areas of life - difficulties in work, communication, personal life;
- stubbornness, often selfishness, desire for pleasure, inability to empathize (sympathy for others), lack of flexibility in communication;
- pronounced internal distress of the personality - a feeling of tension and discomfort.
The listed signs should not be symptoms of another mental illness or a consequence of head injuries, operations, tumor or infectious lesions of the brain. Only when other causes are ruled out can one speak of personality disorders.
Personality disorder treatment
A personality disorder causes serious difficulties in communication, it is difficult to establish social connections and work, a feeling of internal imbalance and emptiness is characteristic. A “severe character” that interferes with life is also a mental disorder. Personality, character is very difficult to change, because they are formed in early childhood. But an experienced psychotherapist can handle this.
The specialist does not set the task of changing the patient's personality and redrawing his character, making him "correct". During the course of individual psychotherapy, he, together with the patient, identifies the difficulties that a person has when interacting with the outside world and their causes.
