Schizoid Personality Disorder
Causes: The cause of schizoid personality disorder is unknown. Biologic theorists believe that chromosomal or nervous system disorders are causes. Social theorists believe learned behavior responses cause the disorder. Psychodynamic theorists use deficiencies in ego development to explain causes.
Symptoms:
Takes pleasure in few, if any, activities
Does not desire or enjoy close relationships, including family
Almost always choose solitary activities
Little or no interest in sexual experiences with another person
Lacks close relationships other than with immediate relatives
Indifferent to praise or criticism
Shows emotional coldness, detachment or flattened affect
Exhibits little observable change in mood
Men also may be more likely to have this disorder than women.
Treatments: Treatment is generally difficult to give to people with this disorder because they have trouble with trusting people.
Medications are not generally recommended, but are sometimes used for short term treatment of extreme anxiety states associated with the disorder.
The best treatment is psychotherapy, but is the most difficult to attain. Mainly due to the lack of trust and no desire for close relationships. However, once the therapist-client relationship develops, the patient can start to reveal imaginary friendships and terrors of dependency. Group therapy is also good, but the patients may initially withdraw from the therapy group.
Causes: The cause of schizoid personality disorder is unknown. Biologic theorists believe that chromosomal or nervous system disorders are causes. Social theorists believe learned behavior responses cause the disorder. Psychodynamic theorists use deficiencies in ego development to explain causes.
Symptoms:
- Takes pleasure in few, if any, activities
- Does not desire or enjoy close relationships, including family
- Almost always choose solitary activities
- Little or no interest in sexual experiences with another person
- Lacks close relationships other than with immediate relatives
- Indifferent to praise or criticism
- Shows emotional coldness, detachment or flattened affect
- Exhibits little observable change in mood
Men also may be more likely to have this disorder than women.Treatments: Treatment is generally difficult to give to people with this disorder because they have trouble with trusting people.
Medications are not generally recommended, but are sometimes used for short term treatment of extreme anxiety states associated with the disorder.
The best treatment is psychotherapy, but is the most difficult to attain. Mainly due to the lack of trust and no desire for close relationships. However, once the therapist-client relationship develops, the patient can start to reveal imaginary friendships and terrors of dependency. Group therapy is also good, but the patients may initially withdraw from the therapy group.