schizoids.info
Personality and disorder
Being schizoid is primarily a personality type with an inherent, and
distinctive behaviour pattern.
This personality
displays certain traits which are described in ICD-10 and DSM-IV.
Some experts feel that the word “disorder” is
incorrect, and that it should only be applied to those with a high level of
schizoidism.
1 - Grades
Not all Schizoid
personalities display all schizoid personality traits.
And some traits may
be more pronounced in one person,
than they are in another. Each personality has
his/her own particular level or grade. For example:
anhedonia may be
moderate, to severe.
A person who
displays most of the diagnostic criteria may be termed a high level schizoid,
whereas those
who display fewer traits may be termed medium
to low level schizoids.
Those personalities
who display a high level of schizoid traits border on schizophrenia, while
those
who display a low
level will fall within the limits of a ‘normal’ personality..
2 - Stress
Disorders
Stress occurs in individuals because they feel
that ‘they have to do something, but can’t’.
This situation has a negativel effect on the
individual and his/her mental, and
physical health.
Because schizoids do not have the emotional
resources to respond to work and
relationships in a way
that society expects them to, schizoids
are doomed to experience stress.
Stress has the following effects in everyone:
1-Anxiety
2-Somatic disorders 3-Dysthymia
and depression 4-Brief psychotic episodes 5- Crisis of depersonalization and
derealization.
The most
frequent somatic disorders are
digestive disorders.
Dysthymia is a mild form of depression, but which is constantly present.
The most characteristic features of psychosis
are delusions and hallucinations.
A psychotic episode is a short hallucination or delusion which may affect anyone under stress.
Schizoids frequently suffer from stress, which
may lead to stress disorders.
However, these are stress disorders , and not personality
disorders.
3 - A Psychoanalytic Explanation
Psychoanalysis argues that the absence of
affection and parental connection is the root of the schizoid conflict .
Michael Balint, a psychoanalyst explains
schizoid behaviour in his book, ‘The Basic Fault’ .
The defect lies in the baby’s psyche, for which
the mother was responsible.
The problem has its origin in empathy – the
mother felt no empathy for the child, and this disturbed his/her ego.
Thus, during his or her childhood, the schizoid
was never shown empathy.
This lack of empathy experienced with the
mother, is reflected in the schizoid’s relationships with other people.
Thus, the schizoid perpetuates this kind of
relationship – one in which there is no empathy – in his relationships with
others.
4 - Heritage and Environment
Recent biological studies indicate that schizoid
behaviour may be genetic.
However, the schizoid gene remains dormant in
many individuals,
and is only expressed in those individuals where
the environment is conducive
to the
development of schizoid behaviour.,
Thus, it is the environment which ultimately
triggers schizoid behaviour.
In addition, the study of Epigenetics has found
that certain genes may be inhibited
by
certain substances in the mother’s womb. In these cases,
the
initial genetic heredity may not be fully expressed.
Frequently, schizoid genes are obtained from
both parents,
and it is also the parents who provide the
environment which triggers the manifestation of schizoid behaviour.
5- Between normality and
schizophrenia.
The gap between introversion, normality, and schizophrenia
is occupied by three groups :
* The schizotypal
* The avoidant
* The schizoid (This web page is dedicated only to the
schizoid)
A continuum can be traced between
introversion and schizophrenia, with introversion being least affected,
and schizophrenia being most affected.
The schizoid (and the other
groups mentioned) falls in the intermediate space.
The high-grade schizoids appear near schizophrenia, and they may share passive
schizophrenic symptoms :
*
anhedonia * flattened affect * apathy
The
low-grade schizoids fall close to normality
on the continuum, although they do experience some problems
in integrating into society.
6- COMPENSATIONS OR REBALANCES
The
schizoid displays some re-balances which
he establishes in his life
spontaneously.
It’s
as though he compensates to establish some kind of balance in his life..
A.
INACTIVITY-ACTIVITY The schizoid is
characterized by a non-active personality,
sometimes passive,
and
sometimes apathetic. To compensate,
he develops a rich inner life - productive and sometimes creative.
The
schizoid restricts outside activity and, instead, lives his life internally.
B. FAILURE-POWER The schizoid is incapable of adapting to
the outside world.
In
compensation for this failure, he has strong fantasies of power
Where
he can bask in the sensation of power in an effort to compensate for his
failure.
C.
HUMILIATION-REVENGE The schizoid – who
at heart is an extremely sensitive person –
appears
indifferent when he is humiliated in real
life .
And
he will compensate for these personal attacks in his fantasies by having
fantasies of revenge.
D.
INSENSITIVITY-SENSITIVITY In real
life he appears to be cold and insensitive.
But, in private, may be sensitive and
charming.
E.
DETACHMENT-MEMBERSHIP He goes through
life as an uprooted person,
detached
and disconnected from everything and everyone..
Yet
he has a permanent yearning to belong – to something or someone.
Their
detachment leaves a void which they attempt to fill with some form of
‘belonging’.
F. EMPTY-CREATIVE WORK Since their
lives lack friendship, communication, and meaningful relationships,
they live in an existential void.
where the sterile loneliness may become unbearable.
However, it is possible to fill
this great void with creative work,
and
if this lonesome work produces
pleasure, they may lead successful lives.
Revised on
February 2012 ©Copyright