Differences between schizoid disorder and schizotypal disorder

In society there are all kinds of people and, therefore, personality is something that occurs in a very variable way, presenting all kinds 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, brushing against or entering fully into the psychopathology.

The personality disorders There are several, being divided into three clusters: A, B and C. In this article we are going to differentiate two of those found in cluster A, which are schizoid disorder and schizotypal personality disorder.

Due to their name, it is easy to confuse them, in addition to assuming that they have some relationship with the schizophrenia.

Although in the two disorders those who suffer from it are characterized by not being very socially adapted, in addition to drawing 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?

He schizoid disorder and the schizotypal disorder These are two disorders included in the group of personality disorders. These two disorders are included in cluster A of personality disorders, along with paranoid disorder, characterized by presenting a strange and eccentric pattern of thought and behavior.

Schizoid and schizotypal disorders are characterized by progressive social detachment, in addition to presenting problems when 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 symptoms.

In both disorders the person presents an appearance that stands out above others, This is especially the case with schizotypal people, who tend to dress in a different way. more striking.

Differences between these two personality disorders

Let's learn below how schizoid disorder and schizotypal disorder differ.

1. Sociability

In schizoid personality disorder, the person has little interest in establishing social and sexual relationships with other individuals.

These types of people prefer solitude over the company of others.. Because of this, they don't usually have many friends, being the only people with whom they interact with their closest relatives.

This can also be seen from the fact that schizoid people tend to work in jobs in which not much human interaction is required, such as computer scientists, programmers, mathematicians, among others. others.

On the other hand, people who suffer from schizotypal personality disorder, the reason for which they do not have a correct social relationship is not that they do not want to have friends, but that they are afraid of interacting with others. the rest.

They are people who are very susceptible to possible criticism that others may make of them, making them 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 their criticism, even if it is positive.

Because of this, they are not prone to paranoia, since they don't care what others say or do, they just see it as not their thing and shouldn't bother them.

Instead, schizotypal people may come to think that others are talking about them.

Paranoia and suspicions that others do not stop criticizing her, or that the world thinks bad things about it, make them suffer, as we have already commented in the previous point, high levels of anxiety social.

3. help search

Having seen the first two differences, it is easy to understand why people with schizotypals voluntarily choose to come to therapy more often than people with schizotypal personality disorder.

Desiring 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, being able to develop depressive symptoms.

Social anxiety is experienced in a way that can even be paralyzing, with its very noticeable impact on the patient's daily life.

These two points make, sooner or later, the person realize that they need help, or at least that your closest environment is aware that it is necessary to visit a consultation of a professional.

On the other hand, schizoid people, not wanting to have more social relationships than those they have already established or of those that are strictly necessary, they do not see their personality type as something that implies some kind of problem.

They do not take the first steps to improve the quality of their relationships with other people, the family environment who normally decides to make this decision, forcing her 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 your mind. Both schizoids and schizotypals 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 fact to what extent the patient knows that this world is not real. Schizoid people, despite using fantasy to escape from reality, are aware that the world in their minds is not real.

This, however, does not have to 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 can have psychic powers and believe in superstitions.

5. Relationship with schizophrenia

Although schizophrenia and schizoid and schizotypal disorders are etymologically related, starting with the Greek particle ‘skhizo’ (‘to break into, divide’), it could be said that this is the little that share.

The three disorders involve different symptomatology, being schizophrenia a serious mental health disorder, while mental disorders Schizoid and schizotypal personality involve differentiated thought and behavior patterns among them.

However, these two personality disorders differ in their relationship to schizophrenia. Specifically, schizotypal personality disorder presents certain symptoms that are related to the severe mental disorder, especially in relation to its psychotic symptoms, such as hallucinations, delusions and paranoia.

Although in schizotypal disorder the fantastic ideas, the 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 end up worsening and going on to develop full-blown schizophrenia.

Some experts have come to support the idea that schizotypal personality disorder could be considered a milder type of schizophrenia.

Bibliographic 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. TO.; Goldstein, R. B.; Chou, S. Q.; 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.