Schizoid Personality Disorder

Schizoid personality disorder is one of a group of conditions called "Cluster 'A' " or eccentric personality disorders. People with these disorders often appear odd or peculiar. People with schizoid personality disorder also tend to be distant, detached, and indifferent to social relationships. They generally are loners who prefer solitary activities and rarely express strong emotion. Although their names sound alike and they might have some similar symptoms, schizoid personality disorder is not the same thing as schizophrenia. Many people with schizoid personality disorder are able to function fairly well, although they tend to choose jobs that allow them to work alone, such as night security officers, library, or lab workers.

Typical symptoms
However, if it is diagnosed in a child or teen, the features must have been present for at least 1 year. Schizoid personality disorder is more prevalent in males than females. Its prevalence in the general population is between 3.1 and 4.9 percent. Like most personality disorders, schizoid personality disorder typically will decrease in intensity with age, with many people experiencing few of the most extreme symptoms by the time they are in the 40s or 50s.

Therapeutic aspects
When treatment is sought, psychotherapy  a form of counseling is the form of treatment most often used.Drugs might, however, be prescribed if the person also suffers from an associated psychological problem, such as depression. Treatment of schizoid personality disorder typically involves long-term psychotherapy with a therapist that has experience in treating this kind of personality disorder. Medications may also be prescribed to help with specific troubling and debilitating symptoms.People with this personality disorder rarely seek treatment, because their thoughts and behavior generally do not cause them distress.