Schizotypal Personality Disorders: Annie Wilkes

Annie Wilkes displays many symptoms consistent with schizotypal personality disorder. For one, she is highly isolated as she lives on her own in a secluded area away from town. It is apparent that she has no friends or family that she associates with, and she prefers the company of her pig, misery, rather than the company of other people. Her behavior is exaggerated and odd as she only speaks very formally at all times. She hates profanity and is maddened by the mere idea of someone using it. When she is excited she will jump up and down like a child and when she is upset she will use words like “dirty-birdy” in a very overstressed manner that is uncomfortable to watch. She also has many odd beliefs and illusions such as making up her own language or even making random rhymes to express herself. She displays magical thinking in that she believes that god talks to her. She also shows signs of having major depressive episodes which is also a sign of schizotypal personality disorder. During these episodes she displays anhedonia and
In the movie she tells Sheldon that she never got along with other children or had many friends because of her temper. I believe if she had gotten treatment as a child and had been taught how to control/manage her anger, then she would not have grown up to be socially isolated and eccentric. Had she had assistance in developing social skills at a younger age, then maybe she would have real relationships rather than looking to ideas of references for a connection with the outside world. Schizotypal Personality Disorder can often resemble a milder form of schizophrenia and is medically treated the same way, so putting Wilkes on anti-psychotics may have also helped relieve some of her symptoms, including depression. Had she had these resources then she might have been able to lead a somewhat normal