Schizoid Personality Disorder: Symptoms, Causes, & Treatments

What Is Schizoid Personality Disorder?

Schizoid personality disorder results in dysregulated emotional affect and a lack of interest in interpersonal relationships. Those diagnosed may come off as loners and prefer solitary activities. They often present as avoidant or reclusive to others and indifferent to praise, criticism, or general emotional expression.

Schizoid Personality Disorder Vs. Schizophrenia

Schizophrenia and schizoid personality disorder share some similarities, such as difficulty with emotional affect and social interactions. However, schizophrenia is a psychotic disorder that often presents with hallucinations and delusions, whereas schizoid is a personality disorder without the presence of psychosis.

Schizophrenia also tends to affect day-to-day functioning in several domains. Individuals with schizoid personality disorder typically only experience social challenges, and the majority can maintain responsibilities, hold a job, and provide for themselves.

Schizoid Vs. Schizotypal Personality Disorder

Both schizoid and schizotypal personality disorders belong to the Cluster A category of personality disorders, which are marked by social isolation or withdrawal. However, schizotypal personality disorder involves eccentric paranoia, behavior, and thought patterns. These individuals often desire close relationships with others, whereas those with schizoid often lack the motivation to initiate such connections.

Schizoid Personality Disorder Symptoms

Schizoid personality disorder symptoms often emerge during childhood and adolescence.¹ Those with the disorder may prefer solitary activities, exhibit unusual interests, and experience developmental delays, most commonly language-specific. Schizoid traits and tendencies often include rigid thinking and behavior, sometimes resulting in avoidance of or poor adaptation to change.

Symptoms of schizoid personality disorder include:¹

• No enjoyment in close relationships or lack of desire for relationships
• Preference almost exclusively for solitary activities
• Little to no interest in sexual activities
• Little to no pleasure in activities
• Has very few if any friends or confidants other than first-degree relatives
• Indifferent to praise and criticism
• Flat affect, monotone voice, emotionally distant
• Indifference to social norms

What Causes Schizoid Personality Disorder?

Research has not established a singular cause of schizoid personality disorder. However, an interaction of genetic predispositions and environmental factors often shapes personality. Some studies show a heritability aspect to schizoid personality disorder, and being raised by neglectful or unresponsive parents may also play a role in development.^{1, 2}

Causes of schizoid personality disorder may include:

• Family history of the disorder: Having an immediate family member diagnosed with schizophrenia or a related disorder increases the likelihood of schizoid personality disorder.
• Uninvolved or neglectful parents: Early environmental impacts, such as parental neglect, largely influence the onset of personality disorders. Children learn about healthy relationships from their parents, so poor parental involvement may present later as difficulties in social domains.
• Childhood trauma: Early experiences of childhood trauma can negatively impact the brain and perceptions of safety in relationships. Traumas may negatively affect the desire to form close relationships, similar to the dysregulation seen in those with schizoid personality disorder.
• Co-occurring autism: Some researchers believe that schizoid personality disorder and autism coexist on the same spectrum.

Complications of Schizoid Personality Disorder

Untreated schizoid personality disorder may affect several domains of functioning for an individual. Relationships with others, daily functioning, employment, and co-occurring conditions are some complications that may arise with unmanaged symptoms. 

• Major depression: Some individuals may also exhibit depressive symptoms. Individuals may present with detachment from others and the world, perhaps exacerbating a lack of interest in life.
• Other personality disorders: Avoidant, schizotypal, or paranoid personality disorders may co-occur with schizoid personality disorder. These conditions also include issues with affect regulation and social relationships.
• Anxiety disorders: Lack of communication and troubled relationships with others can stem from anxiety symptoms, particularly social anxiety.
• Schizophrenia: Research supports that those with diagnosed schizoid personality disorder are at a higher risk of schizophrenia.
• Relationship problems: A lack of interest in forming and maintaining relationships with others can make social connections difficult for those with schizoid personality disorder.
• Financial or work instability: Due to poor social skills and affect, individuals with schizoid personality disorder may find difficulty securing employment. They tend to succeed in solitary jobs, such as night security, janitorial work, lab work, or remote work.

How Is Schizoid Personality Disorder Diagnosed?

A mental health or medical provider generally observes symptoms across the lifespan to determine if an individual meets schizoid personality disorder DSM 5 criteria. Professionals have not established specific schizoid personality disorder tests but may review medical history and perform semi-structured interviews.

Treatment of Schizoid Personality Disorder

Treatment options, like therapy and medications, are available for those diagnosed with schizoid personality disorder. Some individuals may find relief through additional methods, such as social skills training or group therapy.

Therapy Options

The right therapy for schizoid personality disorder depends on individual needs. Sometimes, treatment may require several approaches to produce symptom improvements. Therapists can help individuals uncover the root causes behind their challenges, address these problems, and work on increasing their social skills. Finding the right therapist is essential, and an online therapist directory allows individuals to start their search.

Therapy options for schizoid personality disorder may include:

• Family therapy: Sometimes, family therapy can help members develop an understanding of schizoid personality disorder and find new, adaptive ways to communicate.
• Group therapy: Group therapy can help individuals with schizoid personality disorder practice social skills and appropriate emotional affect in a controlled environment.
• Cognitive behavior therapy (CBT): Cognitive behavioral therapy teaches clients how their thoughts and emotions affect behavior. Therapy will help them challenge distorted thinking patterns, especially regarding relationships with others.
• Dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT): DBT can help those with schizoid personality disorder improve their relationships through mindfulness, distress tolerance, interpersonal effectiveness, and emotion regulation skills.

Medication

There are no FDA-approved medications for treating schizoid personality disorder. However, providers may recommend medications for depression or anxiety to improve functioning. In some cases, atypical antipsychotics may improve inflexible thinking and overly rigid behaviors.^3,4,5

Coping With Schizoid Personality Disorder

Learning adaptive coping strategies can positively impact well-being when living with schizoid personality disorder. Improving the quality of your daily life can help you manage symptoms that may otherwise disrupt you in personal, social, or occupational domains.

Below are healthy ways to cope with schizoid personality disorder:

• Seek social support: Social support can help individuals stabilize schizoid personality disorder symptoms. Loved ones can provide essential guidance, insight, and care as individuals seek treatment and make positive changes.
• Explore hobbies: Developing and maintaining hobbies can help relieve ruminative cycles or worsening symptoms. Hobbies also offer creative outlets and productive distractions from painful symptoms.
• Join a group: Groups offer opportunities to build new social skills and practice finding purpose in your community.
• Be patient with yourself: Developing and maintaining new skills takes time. Be compassionate with yourself as you practice and explore what coping skills are right for you.
• Maintain treatment: Your care team will help you develop a treatment plan suited to you and your symptoms. Following your treatment plan is the best way to give yourself a chance at stabilizing symptoms and leading a more fulfilling life.
• Prioritize self-care: Self-care is an essential piece of maintaining a healthy body and mind.
• Expect setbacks: Setbacks are common when you start making important changes. Expecting such obstacles can help you plan to get back on course when they occur.
• Set realistic goals: Your treatment team can help you develop small and attainable goals for stabilizing your symptoms. With each new change, you can gain confidence.

Final Thoughts

You are not alone in dealing with schizoid personality disorder. Resources are available for finding support groups and links to various clinical resources. Seeking and maintaining treatment can help you cope with any challenges you encounter.