Paranoid personality disorder is part of the Cluster A group of personality disorders. This group is characterized by eccentric or odd behavior and thinking. People with this disorder harbor suspicion or mistrust of others with little or no valid reason. They fear others intend to harm them and that there are malicious and harmful motives behind the actions of others. They may feel alienated, isolated, and emotionally detached from others.
Personality Disorders
Personality disorders involve patterns of thought, behaviors, and perceptions about the world that can make everyday life difficult. If you have a personality disorder, your relationships are volatile, holding a job is difficult. Everyone else is wrongand you're right; you are rigid and inflexible in your thinking. There are many types of personality disordersand they are believed to develop from early childhood events. Counseling and medications can help.
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Sigma Nursing answeredParanoid personality disorder is part of the Cluster A group of personality disorders. This group is characterized by eccentric or odd behavior and thinking. People with this disorder harbor suspicion or mistrust of others with little or no valid reason. They fear others intend to harm them and that there are malicious and harmful motives behind the actions of others. They may feel alienated, isolated, and emotionally detached from others. -
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Dr. Douglas E. Severance, MD , Family Medicine, answeredSchizoid personality disorder is characterized by several symptoms, including social isolation and reduced emotional expression. People with this personality disorder often find it hard to talk to others and make friends. They appear to lack a strong desire to form intimate relationships, or have sexual contact with others. They often live alone, work alone, and avoid close contact with other people. Some with schizoid personality disorder may have one or two confidants, but have trouble getting close to more than a few people at a time. Other symptoms of schizoid personality disorder include:
• Lack of enjoyment of daily life
• Frequently appearing quiet or shy
• Low motivation for success
The Mayo Clinic states that experts question whether people with schizoid personality disorder are just highly sensitive and actually do desire closeness with others. Even if they do desire intimacy, people with this disorder usually lack the social skills to make it happen. -
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Dr. Mark W. Moronell, MD , Cardiology (Cardiovascular Disease), answeredSchizoid personality disorder is probably caused by several different factors, including genetic and environmental issues. If your parent or another close relative has schizophrenia or a similar mental illness, you may be at a greater risk of developing schizoid personality disorder. There are several possible environmental causes of schizoid personality disorder too, according to the Mayo Clinic. Young children growing up in unsupportive atmospheres may be more likely to develop a condition like schizoid personality disorder. When parents continuously ignore the emotional needs of a sensitive child, they may cause long-term damage to the child's social and emotional development, leading to the development of schizoid personality disorder later in life. -
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Dr. Mark W. Moronell, MD , Cardiology (Cardiovascular Disease), answeredA doctor or mental health professional can diagnose schizoid personality disorder by conducting a thorough physical, behavioral, and emotional assessment. Psychiatrists, psychologists, and psychotherapists are usually the most qualified people to provide this service. The professional may request a physical exam and blood test to rule out medical conditions that may cause symptoms that mimic those of schizoid personality disorder. If no medical cause is found, the person will be screened to see if they display any of the following symptoms:
• Person appears numb, or lacks a normal range of emotions
• Does not respond to compliments or critiques
• Has a low sex drive or low desire for intimacy
• Has few friends, or none at all
• Does not experience pleasure in daily life experiences
• Prefers to be alone almost all of the time
• Does not desire friendships or close familial relationships
When a person clearly shows four or more of the above traits, he or she is likely to be diagnosed with schizoid personality disorder. -
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Dr. Mark W. Moronell, MD , Cardiology (Cardiovascular Disease), answeredMedication and therapy can sometimes help reduce symptoms of schizoid personality disorder. However, people with this disorder rarely seek help, and when they do, it can be very hard for them to change their thoughts and behaviors. Some doctors prescribe psychiatric medications to reduce the emotional symptoms accompanying schizoid personality disorder, like numbness, anxiety, or depression. Different forms of psychotherapy can also be helpful. Cognitive behavioral therapy encourages people to change unhealthy thoughts and unproductive behaviors. This therapy can help people with schizoid personality disorder improve their social skills and reduce social anxiety. However, participation in therapy may be a struggle for those with schizoid personality disorder, since they often have trouble communicating with others. Group therapy can be effective, especially for sufferers with similar problems. In a group setting, people learn healthy ways to communicate, and may feel less isolated.
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Dr. Michael Roizen, MD , Internal Medicine, answeredSee All 2 AnswersLook around your home, office, or neighborhood. We bet you can quickly rattle off five people whom you've thought were just a little bit off. Auntie Hilda has 4,000 apple decorations around her house. Bob from the next-door cubicle folds his papers into fourths before he puts them into the trash. Old man Johnson washes his car four days a week and twice on Saturdays. The question really becomes: Are these people suffering from a disorder, or are their actions simply part of who they are? Good question, and sometimes hard to answer.
Doctors do know that various types of emotionally based disorders are estimated to occur in about 18 percent of the population, and that these people fail to see themselves as others see them. And that means that their behavior - whether it's lining up paper clips just so, being afraid to be in rooms with more than three people, or keeping the Weather Channel on for approximately 17 hours a day - is labeled as sick, not to mention very unattractive to possible partners.
How and when does a quirk become a form of disorder? The standard is whether that personality trait causes adversity in your relationships: Does it hinder your ability to do a job or form intimate bonds with other people?
One other thing worth mentioning about personality disorders: In the right dose, these disorders can be incredibly important. Think back especially to our ancestors. Someone who was bold and assertive would be able to fight off predators. Someone who was obsessive-compulsive could build a weather-proof hut. Someone who was paranoid likely saved the family from threats that would be undetected by others. You just have to figure out whether these traits cross the line. Washing your hands after you go to the bathroom is a good thing. Doing it 10 times in a row so that the skin sloughs off and you look like a horror-flick monster? Not so good.
Sometimes it's not so easy to tell when the line is being crossed. For example, you say your brother-in-law has a problem; he says there's nothing wrong with brushing every tooth individually 24 times a day. How do you know the difference? These criteria will help you judge whether someone has a personality disorder. They likely do if their behavior ...
- Is inflexible, no matter what situation the person is in.
- leads to problems in their work or social life.
- Is not part of some other mental disorder.
- Is not a direct effect of a medical condition, drug, or medication.