Personality disorder vs Psychosis
Theresa was wondering about difference between schizoid personality disorder and an illness like schizophrenia. I started by writing this out in comments, but then thought is was too much to cover-so here's the differences and it is a good question:
It could be seen as a matter of degrees. When something is a a lifelong pattern-ie person has always been a bit odd-like since early childhood/early adolescence-it is more likely personality disorder. When it is onset later in life-person has been OK, then develops symptoms either slowly or all of the sudden, then is more likely mental illness. Though people who have schizoid personality are more likely to develop schizophrenia. Depends to the degree-schizophrenia at one end, personality disorder in the middle, other end 'normal'. Also people with schizophrenia have more obvious 'detachment' from reality-delusions and hallucinations. That being said those with personality disorders (or even those without-but sleep deprived, on drugs, physical illness)can have brief periods of thought disorder-being hallucinations and delusions, but not as fixed and for short periods of time.
These are all continuums really. I have had weird feelings-like I think, 'Oh is that person talking about me? [paranoia]Did I see something out of the corner of my eye? [visual hallucination]' They could almost be classified as 'breaks' from reality, but they only happen when sleep deprived, under lots of stress, and they are something we all experience. True psychosis-like in the case of schizophrenia/psychotic mania/delusional disorder-is prolonged, and accompanied by other symptoms-difficulty in processing information, feeling like the TV is talking to you etc etc.
We all have symptoms of personality disorders at various times in our life-that is normal-There is Cluster A-which is basically eccentric, Cluster B-which includes anti-social, borderline Cluster C-which is sort of neurotic/OCD/dependent. Not feeling like being around people-taken to an extreme along with other symptoms could mean you have schizoid or schizotypal personality. Sometimes not feeling like being around people, but forcing yourself to do it and enjoying it most of the time probably just means you're an introvert.
Shall I go on?
I could endlessly you know....
It could be seen as a matter of degrees. When something is a a lifelong pattern-ie person has always been a bit odd-like since early childhood/early adolescence-it is more likely personality disorder. When it is onset later in life-person has been OK, then develops symptoms either slowly or all of the sudden, then is more likely mental illness. Though people who have schizoid personality are more likely to develop schizophrenia. Depends to the degree-schizophrenia at one end, personality disorder in the middle, other end 'normal'. Also people with schizophrenia have more obvious 'detachment' from reality-delusions and hallucinations. That being said those with personality disorders (or even those without-but sleep deprived, on drugs, physical illness)can have brief periods of thought disorder-being hallucinations and delusions, but not as fixed and for short periods of time.
These are all continuums really. I have had weird feelings-like I think, 'Oh is that person talking about me? [paranoia]Did I see something out of the corner of my eye? [visual hallucination]' They could almost be classified as 'breaks' from reality, but they only happen when sleep deprived, under lots of stress, and they are something we all experience. True psychosis-like in the case of schizophrenia/psychotic mania/delusional disorder-is prolonged, and accompanied by other symptoms-difficulty in processing information, feeling like the TV is talking to you etc etc.
We all have symptoms of personality disorders at various times in our life-that is normal-There is Cluster A-which is basically eccentric, Cluster B-which includes anti-social, borderline Cluster C-which is sort of neurotic/OCD/dependent. Not feeling like being around people-taken to an extreme along with other symptoms could mean you have schizoid or schizotypal personality. Sometimes not feeling like being around people, but forcing yourself to do it and enjoying it most of the time probably just means you're an introvert.
Shall I go on?
I could endlessly you know....
posted by lisaandrichard at 6:17 PM
1 Comments:
Very interesting. Do go on.
But what I meant was, what is the difference between a schizoid personalitiy disorder and just being different from a lot of other people? Surely you are not mentally ill just because you are different.
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