Differences between schizoid disorder and schizotypal disorder
We explain the similarities and differences of these psychological disorders.
In society there are all kinds of people and, therefore, personality is something that is very variable, personality is something that occurs in a very variable way.There are all types of traits with greater or lesser intensity in the population.
However, there are some people whose personality stands out above what is considered normal and even causes them some kind of harm, bordering or entering fully into psychopathology.
There are several personality disorders, which are divided into three clusters: A, B and C. In this article we are going to differentiate two of those in cluster A, which are schizoid disorder and schizotypal personality disorder.
Because of their name, it is easy to confuse them, as well as to assume that they are related to schizophrenia.
Although in both disorders, those who suffer from it are characterized by not being very socially adapted, in addition to attracting attention above the rest, the truth is that they have several fundamental differences. Let's see what they are.
Schizoid disorder and schizotypal disorder, what are they?
Schizoid disorder and schizotypal disorder are two disorders included in the group of personality disorders. These two disorders are included in cluster A of personality disorders, together with paranoid disorder, characterized by a bizarre and eccentric pattern of thought and behavior.
Schizoid and schizotypal disorders are characterized by a progressive social detachment, as well as problems with social interaction.and problems in establishing and maintaining relationships with other people. They also share the fact of presenting an enormous lack of interaction with others, although it should be noted that both disorders manifest them in the form of differentiated symptomatology.
In both disorders the person presents an appearance that stands out above others, especially in the case of schizotypal persons, who tend to dress in a more striking way.
Differences between these two personality disorders
Let us now know how schizoid disorder and schizotypal disorder differ from each other.
Sociability
In schizoid personality disorder, the person has little interest in establishing social and sexual relationships with other individuals.
This type of person prefers solitude rather than the company of others.. Because of this, they do not usually have many friends, being the only people with whom they interact the closest relatives.
This can also be observed by the fact that schizoid people usually work in jobs that do not require much human interaction, such as computer scientists, programmers, mathematicians, among others.
On the other hand, people who suffer from schizotypal personality disorder, the reason why they do not have a proper social relationship is not because they do not want to have friends, but because they are afraid of interacting with others.
They are people who are very susceptible to the possible criticisms that others may make, causing them to enter into a spiral of suspicion that others do not like them, which generates fear and a high level of anxiety.
2. Paranoia
Related to the previous point, schizoid people are indifferent to the opinion of others and to their criticisms, even if they are positive..
Because of this, they are not prone to paranoia, since they don't care what others say or do, they simply see it as nothing to do with them, nor should they be concerned about it.
Schizotypal people, on the other hand, may think that others are talking about them.
Paranoia and suspicions that others are constantly criticizing them, or that the world thinks bad things about them, make them suffer, as we have already mentioned in the previous point, high levels of social anxiety.
3. Seeking help
Having seen the first two differences, it is easy to understand why schizotypal people choose to seek therapy voluntarily more often than those with schizotypal personality disorder..
The desire to have healthy social relationships but not being able to establish or maintain them over time makes people with schizotypal personality disorder feel terribly bad, and they may develop depressive symptoms.
Social anxiety is experienced in a way that can even be paralyzing, with its very noticeable effect on the patient's daily life.
These two points make that, sooner or later, the person realizes that he/she needs help, or at least that his/her closest environment is aware that a visit to a professional's office is necessary.
On the other hand, schizoid people, not wishing to have more social relationships than those they have already established or those that are strictly necessary, do not see their personality type as something that poses any kind of problem.
They do not take the first steps to improve the quality of their relationships with other people, being the family environment who usually decides to make this decision, forcing them to go to a psychologist or psychiatrist.
4. Fantasy and magical thinking
In both disorders there is a tendency to take refuge in a world in their mind.. Both schizoids and schizotypicals use imagination as a mechanism to escape from reality, and go to a place that they control and that is safe for them.
The difference lies in the extent to which the patient knows that this world is not real. Schizoid people, although they use fantasy to evade reality, are aware that the world in their mind is not real.
This, however, need not be so clear to a schizotypal person. They may even hear voices and be convinced that they are real.
They also tend to have magical beliefs, such as that they may have psychic powers and believe in superstitions.
5. Relationship to schizophrenia
Although schizophrenia and schizoid and schizotypal disorders are etymologically related, starting with the Greek particle 'skhizo' ('to split into, divide'), arguably that is how little they share.
The three disorders involve different symptomatology.Schizophrenia being a severe mental health disorder, while schizoid and schizotypal personality disorders involve distinct behavioral and thought patterns.
However, these two personality disorders differ in terms of their relationship to schizophrenia. Specifically, schizotypal personality disorder has certain symptoms that are related to severe mental disorder, especially in relation to its psychotic symptoms, such as hallucinations, delusions and paranoia.
Although in schizotypal disorder the fantastic ideas, magical thinking and paranoia are considered milder than in schizophrenia, they are related.
In fact, there is a real risk that a person with schizotypal personality disorder will eventually worsen and go on to develop full-blown schizophrenia.
Some experts have even advocated the idea that schizotypal personality disorder could be considered a milder type of schizophrenia.
Bibliographical references:
- Akhtar, S. (1987): Schizoid Personality Disorder: A Synthesis of Developmental, Dynamic, and Descriptive Features. American Journal of Psychotherapy, 151:499-518.
- American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed., text rev.).
- Pulay, A. J.; Stinson, F. S.; Dawson, D. A.; Goldstein, R. B.; Chou, S. P.; et al. (2009). "Prevalence, Correlates, Disability, and Comorbidity of DSM-IV Schizotypal Personality Disorder: Results From the Wave 2 National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions". Primary Care Companion to the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry. 11 (2): 53–67.
- Raine, A. (2006). "Schizotypal personality: Neurodevelopmental and psychosocial trajectories". Annual Review of Psychology. 2: 291–326.
(Updated at Apr 14 / 2024)