How to recognize a schizoid. Causes, signs and treatment of schizoid personality disorder. Schizoid character type is not always a prerequisite for illness

The schizoid personality is one of the rare psychological subtypes, which is based on the desire, on the one hand, for complete independence from others, but also, on the other hand, for complete control over the environment and the situation as a whole. These are the same people who say: I won’t interfere with you, and you, please, don’t interfere with me. But if you have already climbed in, be kind enough to live by the rules that I established. After all, it was you who came to me!

General characteristics of the psychotype (according to Shishkov)

Ideological, symbolic content inner world. There are a lot of experiences and feelings (they are overwhelming), but most of them do not come out, are not released out as emotions. Experiences are transformed into bizarre ideological and symbolic structures and only then are they advertised. A comprehensive, all-encompassing desire (captivating the mind) for the realization of one’s ideas-desires (extra-valuable ideas). These ideas often diverge from the real needs of the body. Idealization of what is desired. The rigidity of territorial and personal boundaries, their upholding. Self-removal from society bordering on its rejection (disgust) and arrogance. The position “I am a king”, “I am the master of my life”, “I am a god-manager”, “I am free”, “no one orders me”.

A person of the schizoid type is always taken out of the context of social relationships. This person experiences great difficulty in expressing any of his emotions, or does so in a very limited range. This is especially evident when communicating with other people. Some people with this mental disorder also experience cognitive impairment (their thinking is fragmented, that is, jumping from one topic to another), distortions of perception, as well as pronounced originality of behavior in Everyday life(the so-called schizoid-hysteroid personality type).

A person with schizoid disorder does not desire intimacy with other people. He tends to avoid any close relationships and is usually unable to experience love. A schizoid personality prefers to spend time alone with their thoughts rather than communicate with others or be in a group of people. IN normal conditions a person with a schizoid personality type is perceived as a typical “loner.”

In addition, the schizoid personality has particular difficulty expressing his anger, even in response to direct provocation. This gives others the erroneous opinion that such people are cold and insensitive. Often their life seems to outsiders to be a purposeless existence. Typically, a schizoid personality pursues specific life goals that are incomprehensible to other people. Such people often react passively to unfavorable situations; it is difficult for them to give an adequate assessment and determine the significance of the most important events in their lives.

Poor social skills and a lack of desire for sexual experiences mean that people with this disorder have very few friends and rarely get married. It is very difficult for them to work for hire or engage in intensive work, especially if they work activity involves constant interpersonal interaction. But the schizoid personality manifests itself magnificently in conditions of social isolation and where remarkable intelligence is required. The examples of many famous scientists, such as Albert Einstein or Isaac Newton, clearly convince us of this.

The schizoid psychotype is formed on the basis of an eccentric pattern of internal experience and behavior that runs counter to the cultural norms of humanity. As a rule, signs of eccentric behavior are observed in such people in two or more of the following areas: cognition, managing people, interpersonal interaction, managing one’s emotions. Their picture of the world is not flexible enough, and schizoid character traits manifest themselves in a wide range of personal and social situations.

The schizoid personality is stable in its manifestations throughout life, and the first signs of schizoid personality disorder usually appear in adolescence or youth. Schizoid type character is more common among men than among women. Its prevalence in the general population is extremely low, ranging from 3.1 to 4.9 percent.

Causes of schizoid disorder

Researchers still don't know for sure what causes schizoid personality disorder. Different theories name different reasons for the development of a schizoid personality.

A person's personality is a combination of thoughts, emotions and behavior that makes each person unique. These features are manifested in our attitude towards to the outside world, and also in how we see ourselves. Any personality is formed in childhood due to the interaction of heredity and environmental factors.

Under normal conditions personal development Children learn over time to accurately interpret social demands and respond appropriately. What goes wrong in children of the schizoid type is not known exactly, but it is quite possible that some factors cause certain problems in personality development. Brain function and genetics also play an important role.

Most experts adhere to the biopsychosocial model of causation. In their opinion, the reasons due to which a person develops a schizoid personality is a combination of such factors: biological, genetic, social (for example, the child’s interaction with family and other children) and psychological (character and temperament, skills to cope with stressful situations). This suggests that no single factor can be considered leading - the formation of one or another personality type is a very complex process, which is influenced by all of the above factors. However, studies have shown that there is an increased risk of passing this disease from parents to children.

Who is at risk? The schizoid personality type is often observed among members of the same family. You may be at risk if you have had or have a family member with schizophrenia, schizotypal disorder, or any other personality disorder.

Childhood experiences also play a significant role in the development of this disease. Such factors include:

• emotional and physical abuse;
• neglect;
• psychological trauma or constant stress;
• emotional coldness of parents.

Symptoms

Schizoid personality disorder is characterized by distancing in social relations and a limited range of expression of emotions in interpersonal contacts. Such personality traits appear starting from early youth and are present in various variations. Typically, a schizoid personality type includes four (or more) of the following characteristics:

Because this personality disorder relies on persistent patterns of behavior, it is most often diagnosed in mature age. It is quite difficult to diagnose in childhood or adolescence because the child or adolescent is constantly developing. If this happens, the above symptoms should be observed in the child for at least one year.

However, such early symptoms schizoid personality disorder, as increased interest in individual activities or high level social anxiety are already clearly noticeable in adolescence. The child may be a school outcast or behind in his own way. social development from his peers, which is why he is often the subject of bullying or ridicule.

As with most other personality disorders, the manifestations of the schizoid personality type become more intense with age, so the symptoms of this mental disorder are most pronounced at the age of 40-50 years.

Harmonious traits of a schizoid personality

1. Stable preferences (I chose to eat, do, etc.).
2. Respect for other people's boundaries.
3. Intelligence (respect for yourself and your interlocutor).
4. Aristocratic (selected circle, high rules).
5. Good owners of a large house, farm, managers.
6. Ambitious (to be the best, to stand out), vain.
7. Clannishness (my clan, my family, my home).
8. Smart, well-read, inquisitive.
9. A rich inner world of ideas and fantasies.
10. Development of thinking (meticulousness, analysis-synthesis, induction-deduction).
11. Respect for the complex complex tasks, structures, ideas, etc.).

Disharmonious traits of a schizoid personality

1. Protecting one’s own territory and borders even when it is not required (“don’t put pressure on me - I myself know what and how to do”, “this is my home - free the territory”, etc.)
2. “Everything will be my way” (in my home, territory, family) - with a thirst for personal freedom, denying it to your loved ones.
3. Fencing oneself off from society (“I really don’t need anyone”), being isolated in one’s own world of ideas and desires.
4. Another, often incomprehensible to others, logic with an unwillingness to be more understandable to others.
5. Arrogance towards other people (“I’m the smartest”), snobbery.
6. They don’t like, they refuse to help people just like that, from the heart (only from an idea, benefit).
7. Over-idealization of one’s ideas-desires – difficulties in implementation (“this is not my prince, but some chubby fool”).
8. “Cynicism, nihilism, sarcasm, orgasm” are the values ​​of a schizoid.

Fear/discomfort in a schizoid personality causes

1. Lack of freedom (actions, thinking, ideas).
2. Imposition of other people's ideas, advice (I myself know what and how), coercion (as a form of lack of freedom).
3. Violation of personal territory (home, family, personality, overvalued idea-desire).
4. Failure to realize the main extremely valuable idea-desire.
5. Stupidity, loss of mind, madness.
6. Losing your self, your integrity, your boundaries.
7. Necessity in society (they do not like work related to communication).
8. Other people's influence on their destiny (they hate being pawns).

Professions most suitable for a schizoid personality

1. Analysts.
2. Intelligence officers, counterintelligence agents.
3. Running your own personal business.
4. Philosophers.
5. Science fiction writers.
6. Programmers.
7. Physicists, mathematicians.
8. Bank employees, economists, chief accountants, taxation (implementation of complex tasks).
9. Theoretical scientists (new vision, complex ideas, incomprehensible).
10. Directors, artists, inventors (extraordinary).

Treatment

In general, there is nothing to treat here. This is a personality subtype, not psychopathy. Accept yourself as you are. In the end, what would have happened if Einstein and Newton had self-medicated instead of science? Right. Nothing good would have come of it. Yes, a schizoid personality is very susceptible to depression, but here you need to learn to get out of depression. That's all. To finally understand that you do not need treatment, watch the video:

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The schizoid personality type, as a rule, is expressed by introversion, which manifests itself in an enhanced mode. The individual creates an imaginary “dome of comfort”, being in which gives calm and measured perception of the realities of life. Interpersonal relationships are usually poor or non-existent. There is a contrast of perception in relation to other people and animals, that is, close attachment to representatives of the animal world and alienation in human relationships. Any area of ​​life is associated with loneliness and reluctance to change, compete, or ambitiously achieve anything. Even the sexual aspect of life is expressed either in the complete absence of real sexual contact, or in the presence of a short-term relationship, but exclusively in adulthood. This personality type is not susceptible fashion trends. In work, their choice falls on backbreaking, difficult-to-perform activities, from which a common person I would refuse.

Examples of “schizoids” among prominent figures

If we consider statistical data on individuals with a schizoid personality type, who are found among the entire population in 7.5% of cases, we can conclude that there is a significant proportion of mentally unstable people. There is no particular gender difference when identifying the frequency of manifestation of schizoid personalities, but, according to some data, the ratio tends to be 2:1, where the preponderance will be on the side of men.

It is amazingly common among famous figures to find those who have a schizoid personality type. Examples? A lot of them. These are outstanding scientists - Albert Einstein, Dmitry Ivanovich Mendeleev, Isaac Newton, and famous philosophers - Immanuel Kant, Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel, Arthur Schopenhauer, and brilliant composers - Johann Sebastian Bach, Ludwig van Beethoven, and the famous artist Salvador Dali, and many other.

Schizoid character type is not always a prerequisite for illness

Every person has traits that define a schizoid character type. Thanks to them, an individual can prove himself to be an innovator, a thinker or a person with creative potential. The schizoid character type as a predominant trait of a person can result in the fact that he will devote more to theory than to emotional aspects real life. Average people do not always understand the hobbies of schizoid individuals; sometimes these hobbies even seem bizarre to them.

The main nuance of this behavior is the ineffectiveness of theoretical ideas. Emotional satisfaction is achieved in the process of solving a problem, and not in its practical implementation. On the contrary, there is a conscious move away from transferring the idea to the commercial sphere. Interesting feature carries a schizoid personality type. She expresses her unwavering attitude towards her popularity among the masses or the influence of money.

What is a schizoid like in childhood?

Every parent worries about their child from the moment he is born and, as they say, until gray hair. The schizoid personality type is susceptible to certain disorders. Treatment is more effective if deviations appear in early age, starting from 3-4 years. The child unconsciously withdraws from parental affection and prefers to engage in solitary activities alone. There is an interest in everything philosophical - these can be eternal questions about life and death, and about the origin of all things, etc.

How does a schizoid position himself in adolescence?

At a later age, in people with a schizoid personality type, one can observe a tendency to complex mathematical calculations, but at the same time a complete inability to solve basic problems in everyday life. The schizoid personality type, which manifests itself at an early age, usually leads to a progressive form of autism.

As for the medicinal method of treating the disorder, one can note an ineffective result. According to statistics, schizoid individuals do not seek treatment for this disease, but undergo treatment for other diseases, in particular alcoholism. If, nevertheless, a schizoid personality type has been diagnosed, a specialist in the field of psychiatry will advise what to do in this case.

Psychotherapy as the main treatment for schizoids

An effective method of treating a patient with a schizoid personality type is psychotherapy, during which the doctor offers a list of standard emotions that the patient should become familiar with and try to experience. May also be offered role-playing games within social life, the essence of which is to instill generally accepted social behavior that is acceptable in certain situations.

Preconditions causing disorder in schizoids

Severe personality disorder of the schizoid type manifests itself in the first years of an individual's life. Period of development of the disorder of this type very long lasting.

There is no genetic predisposition to schizoid disorder. Even, for example, at work a patient can achieve significant success, but only in an isolated area. At the same time, those around him may not even know about his illness.

Symptoms of schizoid disorder include:

1. Emotional indifference or weakly expressed emotion in relation to events happening around.
2. A constant state of isolation, thoughtfulness, seriousness and aloofness.
3. Almost complete absence of need for interpersonal relationships.
4. No need to defend your opinion.
5. Recognition of the truth of information only if it comes from verified sources, for example, stated in the words of distinguished scientists.
6. Non-standard thought processes, especially in the analytical field.
7. Helplessness in everyday life.

The most important factor on the path to relative stability of schizoid personalities throughout life is the correct choice of profession and periodic diagnosis by a psychotherapist.

The result of crossing two radical types

Along with the four dominant personality types, there are also smoothly flowing ones, namely:

I. Schizoid-hysteroid personality type.

II. Hysterical-schizoid personality type.

Despite the fact that these psychotypes come from the main categories, they are fundamentally different from them. These are independently existing personality types.

The reason for the appearance of such a combination may be crossbreeding different types the personalities of one and the second parent in their child, but only under the condition of clearly defined initial types that have equal strength and do not drown out each other. Most often, in this combination, the schizoid type occupies the primary position, and not the hysterical one, because it is more stable.

Summarizing the above information, we can talk about identifying the main and secondary types, but without completely suppressing the second. In particular, the individual’s need for introversion, which is understood both as isolation, from the point of view of a schizoid, and as the presence of deep contact from the point of view of necessity for society, is already a trait of a hysterical personality type.

If you are schizoid, the test will definitely show it

R. Cattell’s personality questionnaire, which is capable of both a quick diagnosis of a personality type and an in-depth study of it, has received widespread demand among psychologists. It will allow you to recognize, if present,
schizoid personality type. The test characterizes personality with 16 factors that make it possible to predict behavioral actions in projection onto real world. This technique can be carried out either in individually, and in a group, capturing various areas applications: personnel, professionally oriented, consulting, etc.

What is the final result of diagnostics using R. Cattell’s method?

The technique is presented 105 professional issues. The questionnaire allows you to accurately diagnose the individual traits of a particular person, called “constitutional factors,” according to the method of R. Cattell. Required condition When diagnosing a patient, time is limited. The technique allows us to identify the emotional, intellectual, and communicative properties, including the ability to self-regulate, of the diagnosed individual.

Thus, the psychologist receives the final result in the form of a psychographic profile of the individual.

This professional program is used in the work of various specialists: psychologists, teachers, doctors, personnel specialists, psychotherapists.

Practical significance of diagnostic results using the MMPI2 questionnaire

The second modern psychodiagnostic method, which is no less important and popular than R. Cattell’s questionnaire, is the MMPI2 questionnaire.

Its use greatly simplifies the procedure for selecting applicants based on the required personal characteristics. Further use The methodology will help to track and identify employees engaged in professional activities that do not correspond to their psychographic personality profile, which will subsequently lead to increased productivity and minimization of risks. Programs allow you to install personal characteristics, level of intellectual and vocational training, main motivational impulses for activity, competencies, development potential, etc.

Areas of application may include various types psychological consultation, career guidance, professional selection, harmonization of relationships in teams and much more.

The name “schizoid” spread thanks to E. Kretschmer (1921). Other names for this type of character: “strange and eccentric” (Kraepelin E., 1915), “pathologically withdrawn,” “autistic psychopaths” (Asperger H., 1944), etc. - are used much less frequently.

The most significant features of this type are considered isolation, isolation from the environment, inability or unwillingness to establish contacts, and a decreased need for communication. A combination of contradictory traits in personality and behavior - coldness and refined sensitivity, stubbornness and pliability, wariness and gullibility, apathetic inactivity and assertive determination, unsociability and unexpected importunity, shyness and tactlessness, excessive attachments and unmotivated antipathies, rational reasoning and illogical actions, the wealth of inner the world and its colorlessness external manifestations- all this made us talk about the lack of “internal unity”. H. Asperger (1944) drew attention to the lack of intuition as the main feature of this type of character. Here, intuition should be understood primarily as the use of unconscious past experience.

Schizoid traits are identified at an earlier age than the character traits of all other types. It is no coincidence that the schizoid character type is described in detail in works and manuals on child psychiatry.

From the first years of childhood, one is struck by a child who likes to play alone, is not drawn to peers, avoids noisy fun, prefers to stay among adults, sometimes silently listening to their conversations for a long time. To this may be added some kind of unchildish restraint in expressing feelings, which is perceived as coldness.

Adolescence is the most difficult period for schizoid psychopathy. It seems to us that the judgment about the well-being of adolescence in schizoids, based on anamnesis collected from adults and even elderly people suffering from schizoid psychopathy, is erroneous (Mazaeva N. A., 1974). We must keep in mind the low accuracy of anamnesis as a method for retrospectively assessing one’s own behavior, and the involuntary desire to embellish one’s early years in older people. Dynamic observations show that with the onset of puberty, schizoid features intensify (Natalevich E. S., Maltseva M. M., 1979).

With the onset of puberty, all character traits appear with particular brightness. The isolation and isolation from peers is striking. Sometimes spiritual loneliness does not even bother a schizoid teenager who lives in his own world, with his interests and hobbies that are unusual for others, treating with condescending disdain or obvious hostility towards everything that fills the lives of other teenagers. But more often than not, schizoid teenagers themselves suffer from their loneliness, inability to communicate, and inability to find a friend they like.

Unsuccessful attempts to establish friendly relationships, mimosa-like sensitivity at the moments of their search, rapid exhaustion in contact (“I don’t know what to talk about”) often encourages such adolescents to withdraw even more into themselves.

Lack of intuition is manifested by the lack of a “direct sense of reality” (Gannushkin P.B., 1933), the inability to penetrate into other people’s experiences, guess the desires of others, feel a hostile attitude towards oneself or, conversely, sympathy and disposition, to grasp the moment when there is no need to impose your presence and when, on the contrary, you need to listen, sympathize, and not leave the interlocutor to himself. One of the schizoid teenagers said about this: “I never know whether they love me or hate me unless they tell me directly!”

To the lack of intuition, one should add the closely related inability to empathy - the inability to share the joy and sadness of another, to understand resentment, to feel someone else's excitement and anxiety. Sometimes this feature is referred to as a weakness of emotional resonance.

The lack of intuition and the inability to empathize probably determine what is called the coldness of schizoids. Their actions may seem cruel, but they are associated with the inability to “feel” for the suffering of others, and not with the desire to receive sadistic pleasure, as with epileptoids.

To all these shortcomings you can add the inability to convince others with your words.

The inner world of a schizoid is almost always closed from prying eyes. Only sometimes, and in front of a select few, the curtain suddenly rises, but never completely, and just as suddenly it can fall again. The schizoid is more likely to reveal himself to people he doesn’t know well, even randomly, but who somehow appeal to his whimsical choice. But he may forever remain a hidden, incomprehensible thing within himself for those close to him or those who have known him for many years. The wealth of the inner world is not characteristic of all schizoid adolescents and, of course, is associated with a certain intelligence or talent. Therefore, not every schizoid can serve as an illustration of the words of E. Kretschmer (1921) about their similarity to “Roman villas devoid of decoration, the shutters of which are closed from bright sun, but in the twilight of which luxurious feasts are celebrated.” However, in all cases, the inner world of schizoids is filled with hobbies and fantasies.

Schizoid teenagers fantasize about themselves and for themselves. They do not at all like to talk about their dreams and daydreams in front of others. They are also not inclined to mix everyday life with the beauties of their inventions. Schizoid fantasies either serve to console their pride or are of an erotic nature. They can clearly play the role of psychological protection - in difficult situations for a schizoid, his tendency to fantasize intensifies.

The inaccessibility of the inner world and restraint in the manifestation of feelings make many of the actions of schizoid adolescents incomprehensible and unexpected for others, because everything that preceded them - the entire course of experiences and motives - remained hidden. Some antics really bear the stamp of eccentricity, but, unlike hysterics, they do not at all represent a performance staged in order to attract everyone's attention. The reaction of emancipation often manifests itself in a very peculiar way. A schizoid teenager can endure petty supervision in everyday life for a long time, obey the established routine of life, but react with violent protest to the slightest attempt to invade the world of his interests, fantasies, and hobbies without permission. At the same time, the reaction of emancipation can easily turn into social nonconformity - indignation at existing rules and orders, ridicule of common ideals, interests, and rancor about the “lack of freedom.” Judgments of this kind can be nurtured for a long time and secretly and, unexpectedly for others, be realized in public speeches or decisive actions. Often one is struck by straightforward criticism of others without taking into account its consequences for oneself. When examined with the help of PDO, both low conformity and a strong reaction of emancipation are often manifested.

The grouping reaction is outwardly expressed rather weakly. As a rule, schizoid teenagers stand apart from their peers. Their isolation makes it difficult to join the group, and their intractability to the general influence, the general atmosphere, their non-conformity does not allow them to either merge with the group or submit to it. Having found themselves in a teenage group, often by accident, they always remain in a special position in it. Sometimes they are ridiculed and even brutally persecuted by other teenagers, but sometimes, thanks to their independence, cold restraint, and unexpected ability to stand up for themselves, they inspire respect and force them to keep their distance. But success in a peer group may be one of the deepest desires of a schizoid teenager. In his fantasies, he creates similar groups, where he occupies the position of leader and favorite, where he feels free and easy and receives those emotional contacts that he lacks in real life.

Hobbies in schizoid adolescents are usually more pronounced than all other behavioral reactions of this age. Hobbies are often distinguished by strength, stability and unusualness. Most often we come across intellectual and aesthetic hobbies. Most schizoid teenagers love reading, devour books voraciously, and prefer reading to other forms of entertainment. The choice for reading can be strictly selective - only a certain genre of literature, only a certain era from history, a certain movement in philosophy, etc. Yu. A. Skrotsky (1980) noted a passion for the study of biographies. In general, in intellectual and aesthetic hobbies, one is struck by the whimsical nature of the choice of subject. Among modern teenagers we have come across a passion for Sanskrit, Chinese characters, sketching the portals of cathedrals and churches, the genealogy of the royal house of the Romanovs, comparing the constitutions of different states and different times, etc. All this is never done for show, but only for oneself. Hobbies are shared with a few if they meet sincere interest and understanding of the interlocutor. Hobbies are often hidden for fear of misunderstanding and ridicule. With a lower level of intelligence, it may come down to less sophisticated, but no less strange hobbies. The collections of schizoid teenagers, sometimes unique, sometimes striking in their worthlessness, also serve more the purposes of sophisticated intellectual or aesthetic needs than simply the thirst for accumulation. One teenager, for example, collected doublets of postcards with reproductions of paintings by famous artists and postage stamps depicting the same paintings.

In second place are hobbies of the manual-physical type. Clumsiness, awkwardness, and inharmonious motor skills, often attributed to schizoids, are not always found, and a persistent desire for bodily improvement can smooth out these shortcomings. Systematic gymnastics, swimming, cycling, and yoga exercises are usually combined with a lack of interest in collective sports games. Hobbies can take place in single hours of walking or cycling. Some schizoids are good at fine manual skills: applied arts, playing musical instruments - all this can also form a hobby.

Reactions associated with developing sexual desire, at first glance, may not appear at all. External “asexuality”, demonstrative contempt for issues of sexual life is often combined with persistent masturbation and rich erotic fantasies. These fantasies feed on random information and easily include perverse components. Painfully sensitive in company, incapable of flirting and courtship, and unable to achieve sexual intimacy in a situation where it is possible, schizoid adolescents can, unexpectedly for others, discover sexual activity in the most crude and unnatural forms - standing guard for hours to spy on someone’s naked genitals, exhibition in front of children, masturbate under other people's windows, from where they are looked at, enter into relationships with random people they meet, make phone dates with strangers “for one time.” Schizoid teenagers deeply conceal their sex life and sexual fantasies. Even when their actions are discovered, they try not to reveal their motives and experiences.

Alcoholism among schizoid adolescents is quite rare. Most of them do not like alcoholic drinks. Intoxication does not cause pronounced euphoria in them. They easily resist the persuasion of their comrades and the drinking atmosphere of companies. However, some of them find that small doses of alcohol, without causing euphoria, can facilitate the establishment of contacts, eliminate difficulties and the feeling of unnaturalness in communication. Then a special kind of mental dependence is easily formed - the desire to regularly use small doses of alcoholic beverages, often strong, in order to “overcome shyness” and facilitate contacts. Drinking alcohol as such a “communicative dope” can be done both with friends and alone. For example, a 15-year-old schizoid teenager secretly kept a bottle of cognac in his bed and drank it every morning in order to “feel free at school.”

Other intoxicating substances pose no less of a threat to schizoid adolescents than alcohol. Some of them, especially volatile ones, “give grist to the mill” of schizoid fantasies, making them more sensual and colorful.

Suicidal behavior is not characteristic of schizoids - schizoidism, apparently, does not dispose to such a method of solving life's difficulties. Demonstrative suicide attempts (Ledenev B.A., 1981) occur with a mixed schizoid-hysteroid type. To mental traumas, conflict situations, situations where demands are made on a schizoid personality that are beyond their strength, the reaction is manifested by an even greater withdrawal into oneself, into one’s inner world of deeply hidden fantasies. Another manifestation of a similar reaction of a schizoid teenager may be increased concentration on some hobby, moreover, in an environment that seems completely unsuitable for this to others. For example, a 17-year-old teenager, caring for his mother dying of cancer and literally not leaving her bedside, immediately studied Italian language. The same reaction to difficulties can be revealed by unexpected, pretentious, and sometimes cruel actions. Acute affective reactions in schizoid adolescents are most often of the impunitive type (escape from an affectogenic situation) or extrapunitive type.

Delinquency with the schizoid character type is rare, and schizoid traits are clearly evident in delinquent behavior itself. Examining homeless teenagers of the 20s, N. I. Ozeretsky (1932) noted that schizoids prefer to steal alone, choosing a thieving “profession” that requires skillful skills (for example, stealing money from inside pockets or the ability to get into an apartment through a window ). Schizoid adolescents, not being prone to group delinquency, can commit serious offenses “in the name of the group,” wanting “to be recognized by the group as their own.” Sexual offenses are also committed alone (exhibitionism, indecent acts against minors, sexual aggression). Thefts may be worn special character(in the name of “restoring justice”, theft of unique items to fill what is missing in the collection, etc.). Sometimes delinquent behavior and serious offenses are preceded by taking a small dose of alcohol as a “doping”, but real alcohol intoxication can not be.

According to the observation of our employee A. A. Vdovichenko, schizoid teenagers prone to delinquency came to the attention of the police much later than delinquent teenagers with other types of character accentuation. They acted alone, knew how to hide their actions, did not look for accomplices, and thought through their actions well. They preferred to commit thefts using hand-made master keys, skillful cutting of door locks and similar “techniques.”

The self-esteem of schizoids is distinguished by the recognition of what is associated with isolation, loneliness, difficulty in contacts, and misunderstanding on the part of others. Attitudes towards other problems are rated much worse.

Schizoids often do not notice the contradictions in their behavior or do not attach any importance to it. They like to emphasize their independence and autonomy.

Somatic signs, which since the time of E. Kretschmer (1921) have been considered characteristic of schizoids (asthenic physique, flabby muscles, stooped figure, long legs and high pelvis, poorly developed genitals, angular movements) can not always be seen in modern adolescents. Acceleration of development and associated endocrine changes could distort these features, causing, for example, excessive obesity or early and strong sexual development.

Since the description of schizoid psychopathy, attention has been drawn to its similarity with some forms of schizophrenia, in particular with its sluggish form and with the picture of the defect after a schizophrenic attack. This gave reason to some authors to generally doubt the existence of schizoid psychopathy as a constitutional character anomaly, and to interpret everything that was described under its name as a defect after an attack of schizophrenia that went unnoticed or happened in early childhood, or as “latent” schizophrenia. As a result, in past decades there was a period when schizoid psychopathy almost ceased to be diagnosed and its pronounced cases began to be considered as sluggish schizophrenia, and schizoid accentuations with good social adaptation served as a reason for suspicion of “latent schizophrenia.” Since the second half of the 70s, the situation has changed, and the schizoid character type as a variant of the constitutional anomaly has again gained recognition.

Adolescence creates special difficulties for the differential diagnosis of schizoid psychopathy and low-grade schizophrenia. Puberty sharpening of schizoid psychopathy can be mistaken for the beginning of a process or for a new “coat”, and, conversely, the debut of schizophrenia can be masked by adolescent behavior disorders. This problem is discussed in more detail in Chap. VII.

With psychopathy, all the main signs of schizoidity: isolation, isolation from people, lack of intuition and empathy, withdrawal into the world of fantasies and hobbies - reach extremes. However, with a moderate degree of schizoid psychopathy, the possibility of satisfactory adaptation is often discovered, but within strictly limited limits. Under these conditions, significant success can even be achieved in a narrow area (for example, in the field of some exact sciences, applied arts, playing chess, etc.), but at the same time, surprising inability to adapt can be revealed in everyday life. In severe psychopathy, maladaptation sometimes manifests itself in the desire to completely isolate oneself from people and live only in one’s own fantasy world.

Vladimir B., 14 years old. The only son with a friendly intelligent family. Since childhood, he was withdrawn, did not like noisy games, in kindergarten he always played alone, away from the children, or carefully watched how other children played. I went to school reluctantly; in the first months of school, tics appeared. When I got used to the class and the teacher, the tics went away. I studied satisfactorily. He had one friend, but there was no close friendship. From the first grades of school I lived with hobbies. He collected a large collection of butterflies, then made crossbows, toy boats with motors, and a steam engine. He asked his father, an engineer by profession, about the design of various machines. He loved to think about the possibilities of various inventions.

At the age of 12, his parents sent him to a pioneer camp. A few days later he escaped from there. For three days he walked alone through the forest to the city home (“there was no money for the train”). He ate berries, spent the night alone in the forest, walked around the villages, afraid that they would look for him and bring him back. At the camp, the teachers considered the escape to be unreasonable - there were no quarrels, no punishments, he ran away after being told to go wash in the bathhouse. At the age of 14 he was transferred to another school. I ended up in a class where a group of hooligans ruled. He ran away from home to an empty dacha that belonged to their relatives; he hid there for several days. When he was naive, he did not explain the reasons for his escape to anyone, he remained silent, and closed himself off. He was sent for examination to a teenage psychiatric clinic.

During the conversation, at first he was reserved and taciturn, but then he willingly talked about his hobbies. He discovered good knowledge of technology and confirmed that he dreams of becoming an inventor of new machines. But he assessed his crafts very critically; he himself called them “children’s marmosets.” Then, on his own initiative, he spoke very emotionally about the reason for his escapes. There was always tinder, but meeting new guys, I felt calmer among adults. In the camp I found myself unsettled. Since childhood, I was embarrassed to undress in front of strangers - so I ran away from the bathhouse (I had never been to public bathhouses before, and did not know that they wash naked in the presence of others). They threatened him with punishment and that he would be washed by force. Then I decided to run away. The second escape was caused by the fact that hooligans bullied him at school: they tried to undress him in the toilet, pestered him with sexual demands, and threatened to beat him up. I didn’t tell anyone about this - I was ashamed that I couldn’t stand up for myself. I quit going to classes: they didn’t know about it at home, I spent hours of lessons on the street or at the cinema. When truancy was discovered, the school director threatened to send him to a boarding school. He got scared and ran out of the house to hide in the country. He has a warm attitude towards his parents, and is especially attached to his father. He admitted that he really likes to fantasize “to himself” about the topics of inventions or about things that are “ashamed to talk about.” At the clinic, I became friends with a calm, reserved boy who was also interested in technology.

Neurological examination reveals slight asymmetry of facial innervation and tendon reflexes. EEG shows no significant deviations. Physical development is according to age, but sexual development is with pronounced acceleration (corresponds to the age of 16-17 years).

Survey using PDO. According to the objective assessment scale, a pronounced schizoid type was diagnosed. There are signs that indicate the possibility of emerging psychopathy. Conformity and emancipation reactions are moderate. A pronounced negative attitude towards alcoholism was noted. According to the subjective assessment scale, self-esteem is satisfactory - schizoid and melancholic traits have appeared, “hyperthymic and cycloid traits” are reliably rejected (self-esteem indicates not only schizoidness, but also a possible subdepressive state).

Diagnosis. Moderate schizoid psychopathy.

Follow-up after 1 year. Was transferred to another school. He studies satisfactorily, but only studies physics and algebra with interest and success. He remains withdrawn, has no friends, and has never run away.

The schizoid type of psychopathy in male adolescents is the most common after the epileptoid type - 19% (see Table 3). At the same time, cases of “pure” schizoids were mostly regarded as severe or severe psychopathy. In moderate cases, social maladaptation was partial - a breakdown occurred either at home when the place of study or work was good, or at school or at work when adaptation in the family was satisfactory.

Schizoid accentuations usually do not lead to social maladaptation, severe behavioral disorders, or neurotic disorders. Therefore, these adolescents rarely come under the supervision of a psychiatrist. Thus, in the general population of male adolescents (see Table 3), schizoid accentuation was found in 9%, and among those admitted to a psychiatric hospital with non-psychotic disorders - in 7%.

Hidden schizoid accentuation can be detected if the situation makes demands that are unbearable for this type of character - for example, to quickly establish a wide range of informal and fairly emotional contacts. Schizoids also break down when someone persistently and unceremoniously “gets into their soul.”

Andrey A., 18 years old. In childhood, during his school years, and while studying at a pedagogical school, he did not reveal any noticeable character traits. He was moderately sociable, had friends, did not shy away from company, and participated in social work. After graduating from college, he was sent to work, but not as a teacher, as he expected, but as a senior pioneer leader at a country boarding school. He immediately discovered that this job, which required great sociability and leadership skills, was not for him. I was burdened by her and could not find contact with my students. One of the senior teachers, who aroused his dislike, sought to patronize her and pretended to be a spiritual mentor. He began to avoid him, and then other teachers, closed himself off, withdrew into himself, became unsociable, even avoided meeting with former friends so as not to “talk about himself and his work.” After work, I spent hours wandering around the area alone, dreaming of an interesting life. I would like to be away from people - to go to a desert island or serve as a forester in a secluded place, but at the same time I understood the futility of these desires. He revealed his experiences only once to a random fellow traveler, who somehow liked him. Soon he was offered to replace a sick teacher. In a few days he was transformed, established contacts with both students and teachers, began to willingly take part in public events, and renewed friendship with his former comrades.

Follow-up after 6 years. He continues his teaching work and does it well. He is a student at the correspondence department of the Pedagogical Institute.

Even E. Kretschmer (1921), describing the schizoid type, identified its expansive and sensitive variants. The latter, as indicated, is more correctly considered as a special type, belonging to a wide group of asthenic psychopathies and accentuations, since isolation here is secondary, compensatory. Nevertheless, among schizoids there are both sthenic and asthenic personalities. The variety of schizoid manifestations can be so great that the number of described variants could be double-digit. Therefore, it seems appropriate to state the combination of schizoidism with traits of other types - sensitive, psychasthenic, epileptoid, hysterical, unstable. The main basis of character, its core always remains schizoid.

Schizoid psychopathy appears to be one of the most endogenously determined. Disadvantages of upbringing in the development of schizoid character traits themselves are of auxiliary importance. It is believed that dominant hyperprotection can aggravate schizoid traits, however, it is more often observed that improper upbringing causes the layering of traits of another type on the schizoid core: with conniving hyperprotection - hysterical, with dominance around abusive relationships - epileptoid, with hypoprotection that puts the teenager at the mercy of asocial companies , - unstable.

People with a schizoid type are noticeably different from others. Can be traced general features, which are inherent in this type of personality. For example, gait or manner of clothing. A special feature is also isolation and dispassion. Let's talk about this and other things in more detail.

1. Personality disorder of the schizoid type can be noticed since childhood. Schizoids love to spend their time in silence and solitude. Communication with peers is of little interest to them. They give great importance their inner reality, they can fantasize for a long time and live in the world of their ideas.
2. Indifferent to pleasures, emotionally cold. But at heart they are very sensitive, vulnerable and impressionable. IN professional activity people of the schizoid type are tactful, unobtrusive and responsible. The circle of friends changes very rarely. As a rule, such people maintain contact with certain people throughout their lives.
3. Completely devoid of intuition. They do not feel the interlocutor, other people's mood and do not understand how others treat them. One gets the impression that they are indifferent to everything, but this is not entirely true. It’s just that the schizoid personality type is too fixated on their own experiences and sensations. Schizoids attach great importance to little things, but they do not notice the seemingly obvious facts point-blank.
4. Despite their apparent detachment, schizoids passionately crave intimacy. But because they are not always understood correctly, they close down. They often behave rather tactlessly because they do not accept the opinions of others. Selfishness manifests itself on a constant basis.
5. They consider themselves unique, incomprehensible geniuses and incomprehensible sages. The hobbies of schizoids are very unusual. They are concerned about problems of philosophy, science and art. If a child begins to become interested in complex philosophical problems early, this may serve as a signal of the formation of schizoid psychopathy.
6. They don't know how to speak well. Often the schizoid type has a monotonous and inexpressive voice, pauses and gets confused in words. In society it shows passive role. He doesn’t care at all about other people’s opinions, so it’s very difficult to offend a schizoid. Sometimes he himself may inadvertently offend his interlocutor while defending his point of view.
7. They don't care about their own appearance. They may walk around in dirty and torn clothes, not wash their hair for a long time, not shave, and not take a shower. Such a negligent attitude appears due to attention to other, more important things for a schizoid. They are not very concerned about external reality and everything material.

Unfortunately, drug therapy is powerless here. The drugs show very little results. Being socially isolated, the schizoid-hysteroid personality type begins treatment in connection with an emerging disorder, for example, alcoholism. Often he does not trust doctors, so treatment is ineffective. General therapy includes a program for the emergence of positive symptoms. For example, the patient must remember and describe any positive events happening in his life or simply reflect on a list of pleasant emotions. Many therapists give their patients homework assignments in which they have to play a role in society. Group therapy is helpful, but most schizoids do not like to take part in any social activities.

Almost all schizoids do not consider it necessary to sign up with psychologists; nevertheless, they suffer from their internal thoughts and far-fetched experiences. If a person himself is aware of his own personality disorder, sooner or later he will be able to cope with it and learn to control himself.