Which signs would a client with schizotypal personality disorder exhibit during a social situation?
This section tells you what personality disorders are and their symptoms, and how you can get treatment. This information is for people affected by personality disorders in England who are 18 or over. It’s also for their carers, friends and relatives and anyone interested in this subject. Show
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Overview
Need more advice?If you need more advice or information you can contact our Advice and Information Service. AboutWhat are personality disorders?Everyone has different ways of thinking, feeling, and behaving. It’s these thoughts, feelings, and behaviours that make up our personality. These are often called our traits. They shape the way we view the world, the way we relate to others and how we behave. By the time we’re adults they will make us part of who we are. You can think of your traits as sitting along a scale. For example, everyone may feel emotional, get jealous, or want to be liked at times. But if these traits cause significant problems for you and others, you may be diagnosed as having a personality disorder. A personality disorder can affect your emotions, how you cope with life, and manage relationships. You may find that your beliefs and ways of dealing with day-to-day life are different from others. You might find it difficult to change them. You may find your emotions confusing, tiring, and hard to control. This can be distressing for you and others. Because it’s distressing, you may find that you develop other mental health problems like depression or anxiety. You may also do other things like use alcohol or drugs, or self-harm, to cope with distressing emotions. Research has suggested that around 1 in 20 people live with a personality disorder. For more information see our webpages on the following:
Types & CausesWhat are the different types of personality disorders and how are they diagnosed?How are personality disorders diagnosed?Doctors use guidelines for diagnosing mental health problems. The main guidelines used are the:
When making a diagnosis your doctor will:
A doctor will ask you questions about your life and what feelings, emotions, and behaviours you have. This is called an ‘assessment’. The doctor should be a psychiatrist, a specialist mental health doctor. It might take a while for a psychiatrist to reach a firm diagnosis. They might need to speak to you and assess you more than once. Problems with diagnosis are explored in more detail in the section below. What are the different types of personality disorders?Personality disorders diagnoses are grouped into 3 groups, A, B, and C. Group A personality disordersPeople who live with group A personality disorders can find it hard to relate to other people. Their behaviour might seem odd or eccentric. They may have issues in social situations. Paranoid personality disorder Schizoid personality disorder Schizotypal personality disorder
Group B personality disordersPeople with group B personality disorders can find it hard to control their emotions. Antisocial personality disorder (ASPD)
You may get easily frustrated, aggressive and be prone to violence. You may lie to get what you want. Others may see this as acting selfishly and without guilt. You may blame others for problems you are having in your life. Borderline personality disorder (BPD) You might have problems with how you see yourself and your identity. You may self-harm or use drugs and alcohol to cope with these feelings. This can affect the relationships you have with other people. BPD is also known as emotionally unstable personality disorder (EUPD) and emotional intensity disorder (EID). See our webpage on Borderline personality disorder for more information. Histrionic personality disorder You may become bored with normal routines, worry a lot about your appearance and want to be noticed. You might be easily influenced by others. This can sometimes lead to experiencing depression. Narcissistic personality disorder You may feel you’re more entitled to things than other people are. You might act selfishly to gain success and be unwilling or unable to acknowledge the feelings or needs of others. You may also find that you’re very sensitive to criticism or comments that others make about you. Group C personality disordersPeople with group C personality disorders have strong feelings of fear or anxiety. Dependent
personality disorder Avoidant personality disorder
It can also be known as Anxious personality disorder. Obsessive-compulsive personality disorder If you live with this condition, you may feel anxious about things that seem unorganised or ‘messy’. Everything you do must be just right, and nothing can be left to chance. You may be very cautious about things and think a lot about small details. You might have problems completing tasks due to your own high standards. Others may see you as being controlling. Obsessive-compulsive personality disorder is different to obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). If you have obsessive-compulsive personality disorder, you may believe your actions are justified. People with OCD tend to realise that their behaviour isn’t rational. See our webpage on Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) for more information. What causes personality disorders?It isn’t clear what causes personality disorders to develop. It is thought that a mix of factors can mean some people develop personality disorders. These can include:
Many people diagnosed with personality disorders have experience of trauma. This might include difficulties growing up, including childhood neglect or physical, emotional, or sexual abuse. When you are growing up, you learn to cope with emotional changes and make relationships with other people. Children who are abused or neglected often don’t learn these things. So, they may find it more difficult to manage how they feel when they are adults. You might develop ways of coping that might lead to further difficulties. This doesn’t mean that all people who experience trauma will develop personality disorders. But they are more likely to. TreatmentHow are personality disorders treated?Personality disorders are usually treated with psychological treatments or talking therapies. Below we explain more about the different types of therapies. Treatment can help you to be able to have a meaningful life or cope better with your condition. The options for treating personality disorders are continuously developing. You and your doctor or healthcare team should agree on a treatment plan that works best for you. If your GP feels you have a complex personality disorder, they may refer you to a:
You can search on the internet to see if there’s a specialist NHS personality disorder service locally. Use a search term like ‘NHS personality disorder service [area where you live].’ These services are made up of professionals such as psychologists, psychiatrists, and therapists. They will have experience in helping people with personality disorders. Sometimes you can contact these services yourself to get help. It’s always worth asking why a certain treatment is being offered. And if there are other things that could help you to get better. When thinking about what treatment to offer you professionals should consult guidelines NICE guidelines, if relevant. NICE stands for The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. The NICE guidelines recommend treatment for conditions. For personality disorders NICE only have guidelines for:
You can find these online, at the links below:
Therapy for personality disorders is usually long term and often involves some group therapy. You might have to complete the full course of therapy to get the most out of it, to aid your recovery. If you are struggling with your therapy for any reason, you can tell your therapist this. In some areas, services use pre-therapy preparation to help people understand the link between emotions and decisions. The aim is to help you recognise your emotions before starting therapy, and hopefully finish your sessions. The following treatments can help if you have a personality disorder. What is dialectical behaviour therapy (DBT)?DBT can help you learn to spot and control your emotions and behaviour. It helps you recognise then change unhelpful behaviour by learning new skills. Unhelpful behaviour might include thinking about suicide, self-harming, drinking alcohol or using drugs to cope with your emotions. DBT usually involves weekly individual and group sessions. You should be given an out-of-hours contact number to call if your symptoms get worse. DBT is based on teamwork. You'll be expected to work with your therapist and the other people in your group sessions. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) says DBT can be helpful if you have borderline personality disorder. A course of DBT usually takes place over 18 months. You can read more about DBT here: www.nhs.uk/mental-health/conditions/borderline-personality-disorder/treatment What is cognitive analytical therapy (CAT)?CAT helps you recognise relationship patterns that can cause you problems and you find difficult to change. You may have learnt these patterns while growing up to cope with difficult emotions. You and your therapist will work together to recognise these patterns and then to try and change them. It looks at your current situation and the problems you are having. This type of therapy can usually last between 4 – 24 weeks. But on average lasts 16 weeks. You and your therapist will agree the end goal at the start of the therapy. What is mentalisation based therapy (MBT)?Mentalising is about making sense of what you and other people think, need, or want. It is about being aware of what’s going on in your own mind and in the minds of others. Sometimes when you feel distressed, it can be harder to mentalise. You would attend group and one-to-one therapy. This may help you better understand yourself and others and learn how to mentalise. Treatment programmes can last for 12 to 18 months. What is psychodynamic or psychoanalytic therapy?This type of long-term therapy helps patients understand and resolve their problems. It does this by increasing awareness of their inner world and its influence over relationships both past and present. It differs from most other therapies as it aims for deep seated change in personality and emotional development. It helps people to understand and change complex, deep-seated emotional and relationship problems. What are therapeutic communities?A therapeutic community is a place you would get long-term group therapy. You would visit, or sometimes stay, for weeks or months. Sometimes you may visit for just a few days a week. You learn from spending time with other people in the treatment group. It offers a safe place if there are any disagreements or upsets. People in a therapeutic community often have a lot of say over how the community is run. There are only a
few therapeutic communities in the UK. You can check with your local Patient Advice Liaison Service (PALS) to see if your NHS trust has one. You can search for your local PALS office
here: Can medication be used to treat personality disorders?There is no recommended medication for the treatment of personality disorders. But your doctor may offer you medication to help with symptoms of anxiety, low mood, or psychosis. These might include antidepressants or antipsychotics. For more information see our webpages on the following:
If you are offered any medication, your doctor should tell you:
What other support is there?Having a personality disorder may mean you have a lot of needs and need a high level of care. You might get support from an NHS mental health team. Your GP might need to refer you to your local team if your personality disorder is having a significant effect on you and your life. This might be your local NHS personality disorder service if there is one. If not, it might be your local NHS community mental health team. Health professionals such as psychiatrists, therapists, community psychiatric nurses (CPNs), social workers and support workers work in the NHS mental health teams. The team will look at the support you need to manage complex needs and your mental health. See our webpage on NHS mental health teams for more information. What if I’m not happy with my treatment or care?How can I deal with the issue to begin with? If you’re unhappy about any aspect of your treatment or care, you can:
You can explain:
If you still can’t get the issue sorted out, you can then think about making a formal complaint. How do I complain?You can also complain if you’re unhappy about any aspect of your treatment or care. See our webpage on Complaining about the NHS or social services for more information. What is advocacy?You might find an advocate helpful if you want to complain. You can get help from an NHS complaints advocate. An advocate is independent from mental health services. They can help to make your voice heard when you are trying to sort out problems. They might help you write letters or support you in appointments and meetings. See our webpage on Advocacy for more information. Linked ProblemsWhat problems can be linked to personality disorders?DiagnosisDoctors sometimes find it difficult to diagnose personality disorders. This can be because of the following.
You may feel you have been given a diagnosis of personality disorder because a professional is unsure of your diagnosis. You may find it an unhelpful label or that it is stigmatising. But some people find that a diagnosis can help them to understand certain things they do and help with finding the right treatment and support. Jenny's StoryWhat can I do if I disagree with my diagnosis? If you’re still not happy after you have spoken to your psychiatrist, you can ask for a second opinion. You don’t have a legal right to a second opinion. But your psychiatrist should listen to your reasons for wanting a second opinion. If you’re denied a second opinion and you’re unhappy about that, you can complain. For more information see our webpages on the following:
Services and recoveryThe Department of Health says that people with personality disorders should be able to get the right care and services. Some people aren’t always able to get the right treatment. This is because there aren’t specialist NHS personality disorder services in every area. If this is the case:
For more information see our webpages on the following:
Self-harmSelf-harm is harming yourself on purpose. Such as by scratching, cutting, overdosing on medication, biting or burning. Self-harm is common if you live with borderline personality disorder (BPD). You may self-harm because you find it difficult to cope with your moods or how you feel. Everyone has their own reasons for self-harming. See our webpage on Self-harm for more information. Use of alcohol and drugsPeople with personality disorders sometimes use drugs or drink alcohol to cope with difficult emotions and feelings. Drinking alcohol or using drugs can lead to:
Antisocial personality disorder and borderline personality disorder have the strongest links with alcohol and drugs. Some specialist personality disorder services may have some conditions if you use drugs or drink alcohol. They may say you need to cut down or stop before you can use the service. See our webpage on Drugs alcohol and mental health for more information. More InformationWhat if I’m a loved one of someone who lives with a personality disorder?As a loved one of someone living with a personality disorder, you might find that you also need support. Caring for someone with a personality disorder can be challenging. Carers4PD is a voluntary service that provides information, support and advocacy for carers of people diagnosed with a personality disorder. You can find their contact details in the Useful contacts section at the bottom of this page. You might find the following organisations useful: Carers UK Telephone: 020 7378 4999 Carers Trust Telephone: 0300 772
9600 You might find the following website useful: GOV.UK - Carers Website: www.gov.uk/browse/disabilities/carers Your local council might be able to give you information on local carers groups and services in your area. You can ask your local authority for a carer’s assessment if you feel you need more support to care for your loved one. There are rules regarding confidentiality and carers. Unless the person you care for agrees, confidential information about them can’t be passed on to you. Professionals should ask their permission and ask what they are happy for others to know. This would also include any care plans they have. For more information see our webpages on the following:
Useful ContactsBPD World Website: www.bpdworld.org Tara (Treatment and Research Advancements) for BPD Website: www.tara4bpd.org Out of the Fog Website: www.outofthefog.net/index.html Carers4PD Website: www.carers4pd.co.uk Borderline Arts Address: 119 Osmaston Road Derby DE1 2GD Personality Disorders UK Website: www.personalitydisorder.org.uk/ Need more advice?If you need more advice or information you can contact our Advice and Information Service. What are the signs of schizotypal personality disorder?Schizotypal Personality Disorder Symptoms. Lack of close friends outside of immediate family.. Eccentric or unusual beliefs or mannerisms.. Belief in superpowers (i.e. telepathy) or superstitions.. Excessive social anxiety associated with paranoid fears.. Paranoid thoughts or doubts about others' loyalty.. What is an example of schizotypal personality disorder?Tend to misinterpret reality or to have distorted perceptions (for example, mistaking noises for voices) Have odd beliefs or magical thinking (for example, being overly superstitious or thinking of themselves as psychic) Be preoccupied with fantasy and daydreaming.
Do people with schizotypal personality talk to themselves?Peculiar speech mannerisms and socially unexpected modes of dress are also characteristic. Schizotypal people may react oddly in conversations, not respond, or talk to themselves. They frequently interpret situations as being strange or having unusual meaning for them; paranormal and superstitious beliefs are common.
How do you interact with schizotypal personality disorder?Treatment. Cognitive-behavioral therapy — Identifying and challenging negative thought patterns, learning specific social skills, and modifying problem behaviors.. Supportive therapy — Offering encouragement and fostering adaptive skills.. |