Schizotypal Personality Disorder Analysis

Schizotypal is a Cluster A personality disorder. It is characterized by unusual behavior, appearance, thought patterns and lack of social skills (Wood 2001). Schizotypal personality disorder is marked by an inability and acute discomfort for forming close relationships (APA 2000). It also involves having cognitive and perceptual distortions (Fundukian 2008) and displaying eccentricities of behavior (APA 2000). Schizotypal also involves odd, coherent, but unimportant speech (Fundukian 2008).
The symptoms for Schizotypal Personality are listed in the DSM-IV-TR as follows: * Ideas of reference or incorrect interpretations of events- Individuals may have difficulty seeing the correct cause, and effect of situations and how they affect others.
It is characterized by erratic, overly dramatic behavior (Wood 2001). Narcissistic personality disorder is marked by a pervasive pattern of grandiosity, constant need for admiration, and a lack of empathy for others (APA 2000). People with this disorder may be cocky, self-centered, manipulative, arrogant, and demanding. They may concentrate on outcomes that are unlikely, such as fame, and they may also think they deserve special treatment (Psychology Today 2011). According to The Gale Encyclopedia of Mental Disorders psychiatrists have divided narcissism into two subtypes (2008). * Age group subtypes- Is those who suffer from a stable form of narcissism, typically young adults, whose disorder can be corrected by life experiences. This group tries to find out whether it is a character disorder or if it is a matter of learned behavior that can be undone. * Personality subtypes- This subtype was developed because they noted that patients reflected different cluster traits. Psychiatrists then listed them into four subcategories. * Craving narcissists are people who feel emotionally needy and undernourished, and may appear clingy or demanding to those around them. * Paranoid narcissists feel intense contempt for themselves, but project it outward onto others. They frequently drive people away by hypercritical and jealous comments and behaviors. * Manipulative narcissists obtain their feelings of superiority by
A need to be the center of attention, and requires constant attention and positive reinforcement. * They have a sense of entitlement. They expect special favorable treatment or automatic compliance. * They are interpersonally exploitive. They take advantage of others to achieve their goals; assessment of others in terms of usefulness. * They lack empathy. They are unwilling to recognize or identify with the feelings and needs of others. * They are often envious of others or believes others are envious of them. * They show arrogant, haughty behaviors or attitudes. (APA 2000)
The causes of Narcissistic personality disorder are not well understood. Some believe genes play a significant role, while others have three main theories (Fundukian 2008). The first theory is that people develop into narcissists because of self-reflection on largely heritable traits (psychology today 2011). This happens when an emotionally hungry and angry child withdraws into a part of the self that parents value. This part then becomes hyperinflated and grandiose (Fundukian 2008). Another theory is that all infants pass through primary narcissism where they assume they are the center of the universe. The problem is if parents fail to provide appropriate opportunities for idealization and mirroring, such as gaining approval, that child will remain in the developmental stage in which their sense remains grandiose and unrealistic. The third