Personality consists of what a person thinks and feels and how they behave. A person with Schizotypal Personality Disorder thinks, feels and behaves in ways which can cause problems for others and themself. Their thoughts and communication appear ‘odd’, their behaviour ‘eccentric’. Schizotypal Personality Disorder is more prevalent in young adults than in older adults. A person with Schizotypal Personality Disorder may show symptoms of Avoidant Personality Disorder or Paranoid Personality Disorder.

 

Symptoms of Schizotypal Personality Disorder

Schizotypal Personality Disorder involves peculiar ideas, perceptual experiences, speech, appearance and behaviour. A person with Schizotypal Personality Disorder has unusual beliefs or ‘magical’ thinking which influences their behaviour, excessive and persistent social anxiety, and a lack of close friends. Schizotypal Personality Disorder, like all Personality Disorders (PD), is considered either a definable and treatable mental health problem or a label for socially unacceptable behaviour.

Causes of Schizotypal Personality Disorder

The causes of Schizotypal Personality Disorder can be related to alcoholic parents, childhood abuse, childhood autism, childhood behavioural problems, neglect, parenting styles, physical abuse, parents or biological relatives with schizophrenia, separation, sexual abuse, and violent parents. Triggers for Schizotypal Personality Disorder include alcohol abuse, anxiety, debt, depression, drug abuse, family problems, mental health problems and personal relationships.

 

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