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People with a schizoid character type are always significantly different from those around them, and have special characteristics that manifest themselves in many directions. The manifestation of the schizoid personality type is facilitated by injuries received even before the birth of the child. No matter what kind of injury it is, it in any case means that the child is in danger.
The most common trauma is when the mother does not want to give birth to this child and is going to have an abortion. Other relatives who insist on terminating the pregnancy (father, grandparents, friends, etc.) and do not want the child to be born may also participate in this. From such rejection comes the anger and energy of rejection of the child, and the child, even in the womb, already understands perfectly well what is happening. And in order to protect himself and save his life, it seems to split into small pieces, subsequently lines of blockages appear between all organs, which interrupt the unified connection of all organs.
In this state, the child shows minimal signs of life, which allows those around him to calm down, and they no longer perceive this child as a threat to their well-being. In principle, this is what the child sought. By breaking himself into fragments, he saves his life. But as an adult, this person begins to experience the most innate feelings for the person who did not want his life. This person will experience the same negative feelings towards his mother. Even if the mother did not intend to take the child’s life, but was subject to severe stress, this also contributes to the development of a schizoid personality type.
The next traumas for the development of this type of personality are childbirth, and the moment of separation of the child from the mother. When a child is taken away from his mother immediately after birth, he is left alone with this unfamiliar and huge world, and at this moment he feels abandoned.
I would like to note that the parent does not need to feel guilty about what happened. If you read my article on human personality types, you probably remember that the child also took an active part in the formation of his personality and the experiences that he had to endure.
When a child of the schizoid type grows up, it cannot be said that he experiences any fear. However, in reality this is not the case. This person is constantly haunted by fears and some of them are unaccountable. The biggest fear of a schizoid is that he has no right to exist and horror if he feels that he is in danger of destruction. This person is deprived of a sense of security and it seems to him that he is a stranger everywhere. And all these emotions taken together cause a strong feeling of anger in him.
Each personality type has its own means of defense. A schizoid has three of them. The first type of defense is care. You may have often seen this when, when talking with a person, you felt that he was not here, even though he pretended to be listening, but this was not the case; at that moment he seemed far away from you. If you yourself belong to this type of personality, then you have probably noticed that when you become bored and uninterested, you experience slight tension, then a fog appears in your head and you find yourself in an unknown place, and at this moment you do not hear the voice of your interlocutor and his image as would blur.
The second type of defense of a schizoid is “Beyond oneself.” Other people think this person is strange. He is not from this world. And the third defense is “Needles.” If you believe the words of clairvoyants, then this person’s aura looks like the bristles of a hedgehog. It is difficult to talk with this person, since these needles really prick at the energetic level, causing discomfort and it becomes clear to the other person that they do not want to communicate with him.
It is important to understand here that there are no bad or good defenses, they simply exist. And if you are a schizoid type, then as long as you think that the world is dangerous, you will defend yourself. The only thing you can do is realize that you have them, it is important to see them. And when you begin to understand that the world is not so bad, your defensive reactions will disappear by themselves.
A schizoid person has a narrow, elongated body, although there are also overweight schizoids. Looking at this man, it seems that he is not foldable and clumsy, it seems that every part of him lives on its own. But that’s the way it is, he once split himself in order to survive. This person has weak joints, red and tense, because there are blocks in his joints that look like holes in the aura. A schizoid does not accept physical reality and any actions are unacceptable to him, therefore, when it is time to do something, he opens these holes and releases energy. He becomes powerless and unwilling to do anything; he looks for any excuse, on a subconscious level, not to do what he doesn’t like.
The left and right sides of a schizoid are unbalanced, as there is no balance. His head tilts slightly to the side. And all because at the base of the skull there is the most important energy block, from which energy flows very strongly. That is why a schizoid often experiences headaches.
The schizoid personality type cannot establish eye contact because it avoids looking into the eyes of another. A schizoid usually has a long, thin and tight neck, small shoulders that lack strength. It even happens that one shoulder is larger, the other is smaller, and all because there is more energy in one half than in the other. The schizoid has too long arms and legs that he cannot control. In addition, these people often have cold hands and feet.
The schizoid personality type has a tightly compressed chest. This can lead to various girdling pains. And women of this type cannot have large breasts. Tension also arises around the abdomen, and therefore, no matter how hard a schizoid tries to strengthen the abdominal muscles, it will be difficult for him to achieve any result. No matter what this person does, his stomach will still be flabby, loose and weak. And if you want to get your tummy in order, then cleanse the third chakra and your schizoid character.
A schizoid may have a curved spine and that’s it, because he is often absent from his own body. To smooth out many of the negative aspects of a schizoid personality, this person needs to frequently practice meditation - this is the only remedy that can help you. 
In the presence of a schizoid personality type, a person is drawn to talk about high spiritual topics, even if the schizoid person remains silent. He likes to talk about space, love and spirituality, but if you ask something specific, he cannot answer you. If you agree with a schizoid about a business meeting, then do not be surprised if he does not come. It’s just that during a conversation he may move away and not hear you.
If danger arises in his life, then he seems to disappear, he simply does not exist. That is, physically he is here, but he himself is not here. It is also difficult to catch him if he thinks that he simply does not need to be in a certain place. You can look for him as much as you like, but on a subconscious level he will do everything possible to avoid this meeting. You can call him, or come to visit, and at this time he can go about his business. But it's not his fault. This is how his protective powers operate, which protect him from danger, and also so that he does not relive his fears again and again.
Each person is endowed with certain character traits, which in combination make it possible to classify him as one or another psychological type. The most difficult type of personality to diagnose and treat is the schizoid personality type, characterized by isolation and reticence. Such individuals stand out from other people because they have interests that are atypical for society.
general characteristics
A schizoid is a person who has a psychological disorder expressed in an increased need for security. He needs the most secure existence possible, and therefore seeks protection in any place and situation.
People with schizoid mental disorder are extremely rare. They are distinguished by non-standard behavior, which often frightens society. For example, they value personal space too much and are unable to let strangers into it. As a rule, these individuals are aware of their characteristics, but do not like others to mention them.
To ensure their own safety, schizoids use the method of detachment from society. They are comfortable being alone and giving in to dreams and fantasies. Despite this, such people are not alien to human experiences; they simply try with all their might to avoid negative emotions.
An individual with this personality type is rarely accepted by society; he is able to see what others do not see. This feature forces the schizoid to engage in solitary activities, for example, meditation or some kind of creativity. The detachment and isolation of the individual usually hides the desire to be significant for loved ones. But since a person does not know how to build long-term relationships and quickly gets tired of communication, intimacy does not arise. This leads to the fact that the schizoid feels more comfortable in the company of animals or small children.
Schizoid disorder is sometimes confused with autism. They are united by a dislike for increased attention. But, unlike autistic people, schizoid people are able to express feelings and can understand the emotions of other people. They are very smart and talented, but have no desire to make close and long-term contacts.
Schizoid disorder can be identified in early childhood. A child with this disorder overreacts to external stimuli, such as loud noises or bright lights. Any change in the environment can cause him discomfort, expressed in detachment and screaming. Such children do not like close contacts and try in every possible way to escape from the hands of their parents; they can even give up breastfeeding early in order to ensure their integrity and inviolability. Sometimes young mothers associate this with the baby’s sensitive skin or pain when sucking at the breast.
It is possible to identify schizoid accentuation, that is, the hypertrophied development of certain qualities against the background of others, as early as 2-3 years. To do this, you need to pay attention to the child’s behavior and identify the main features.
Symptoms:
- emotional detachment;
- often being alone;
- difficult adaptation to new conditions;
- violation of general norms and rules;
- ignoring the environment;
- isolation;
- wild fantasy;
- inability to express warm feelings.
Men
In adulthood, schizoid syndrome acquires increasingly clear features. Thus, men with this disorder in communication express impartiality and detachment, which many women seem to be some kind of peculiarity of nature. Such individuals may behave aggressively and strangely, but only for personal protection.
When communicating with the opposite sex, such men behave distantly, which can be interpreted as disinterest. It is easier for them to take their companion to a secluded place and spend time in silence than to waste energy on beautiful courtship and going to restaurants. From the outside, such individuals seem boring and stingy, and therefore continuation of communication usually does not occur.
Women
When communicating with a woman of the schizoid type, you can also feel coldness and detachment. She would rather choose a secluded place than have fun with friends. Large crowds of people tire her.
You can identify such a person by appearance. As a rule, she looks extraordinary. For example, this person can calmly come to a business meeting in a light summer dress and a lacy hat, completely unaware that she looks out of place. For a schizoid woman, self-expression is much more important than norms imposed by society.
A girl with schizoid syndrome is not particularly worried about appearance. This quality is also inherent in men with this disorder. Appearance plays an insignificant role for them, and such people would rather hide a stain than try to wash it off. There is also chaos in their everyday life, in which schizoids themselves are quite comfortable.
Women of this personality type do not tolerate invasion of personal space, and therefore cannot have a love relationship. They change their mood dramatically, turning from a friendly lady into a reserved and unapproachable person. Fear of physical intimacy often makes girls leave relationships with men. If people with a schizoid type nevertheless agree to intimate relationships, they do it without any emotions. They can start families, have children, but will remain a mystery to their spouses.
Classification
In psychology, there are several classifications of accentuations, which makes it possible to classify a person with schizoid disorder as a specific subtype.
According to Leonard
Thus, the German psychologist K. Leonhard identified types of accentuations according to temperament, character and personality type as a whole. He identified demonstrative, pedantic, stuck, excitable, hyperthymic, dysthymic, cyclothymic, exalted, anxious and emotive personalities.
- Thus, a demonstrative personality is determined by unconscious psychological defense, expressed in the removal from memory of moments that can harm the psyche. Such a person is prone to lies, which, in his opinion, are the pure truth. This type is distinguished by an increased feeling of self-pity.
- But a pedantic personality is characterized by excessive concern. In everything and everywhere such an individual looks for shortcomings, which causes internal tension.
- A stuck person is not able to quickly switch from one experience to another, which forces them to return to the experienced sensations from time to time.
- With the excitable type, intolerance is often observed, manifested by outbursts of anger and physical violence. The lower the intellectual abilities of such an individual, the more clearly the incontinence manifests itself.
- The hyperthymic psychotype has an optimistic outlook on life and looks at serious things too frivolously. Whereas the dysthymic type is characterized by increased seriousness and pessimism, which often manifests itself in a tendency to depression.
- A cyclothymic person is able to change his behavior depending on the situation. But an exalted individual perceives the world around him too closely, and therefore is prone to frequent mood swings.
- The anxious type is constrained and lacks self-confidence. Such a person can be rude or rude, but only if he experiences anxiety and uncertainty.
- An emotive person spends too much time on personal experiences. He is distinguished by his kindness and sincerity, which is easy to detect thanks to his pronounced facial expressions.
According to psychologists, there is no holistic personality type. As a rule, one psychotype is closely related to another. For example, a schizoid can combine the qualities of both a demonstrative and an excitable personality.
By Lichko
Another psychologist, A.E. Lichko, believed that accentuation determines character traits, and not the personality as a whole. In his opinion, some qualities can change under external pressure.
- A psychasthenic schizoid does not know how to work in a team and is not able to bear responsibility for others. He has enormous knowledge, but cannot voice his thoughts due to indecision and anxious suspiciousness. Such a person is defined by a weak nervous system and a tendency toward apathy.
- A sensitive schizoid is characterized by increased sensitivity and fragile internal organization. He does not know how to survive troubles and holds grudges for a very long time. The inability to forgive the offender leads to the fact that such a person constantly replays what happened in his head, which leads himself to neurasthenia. Otherwise, an individual with this disorder is modest and conscientious.
- A hysterical schizoid has a need for deep solitude and has absolutely no need for social connections. He makes contact only when absolutely necessary. Sometimes this type creates a small group of people around himself with whom he occasionally wants to spend time.
Schizoid disorder can manifest itself in two states.
- Adynamic– defined by autistic traits. In this case, patients are distinguished by excessive sensitivity and poorly expressed self-sufficiency. They overreact to negative events and cannot stand disputes and scandals.
- Stenichny– is expressed in increased performance in a limited type of activity. These individuals always act carefully and prudently, and are also distinguished by their despotism and lust for power. A sthenic schizoid is not able to form friendships and does not know how to work in a team.
Sometimes schizoid disorder is equated with schizotypal disorder, since they have similar symptoms. Thus, a schizoid can be identified from an early age, but a schizotype often develops in adulthood. Schizotypal disorder has severe symptoms that include obsessive fears, aggression, angry outbursts, and hallucinations.
The main difference between these two diseases is that, unlike schizoid disorder, schizothymia cannot be treated.
Causes
To date, there is not a single proven reason that could provoke the development of a schizoid psychotype. All theories are based only on assumptions.
- Some psychologists believe that the development of this psychopathy occurs due to an unmet need for communication. They assume that such children are born into dysfunctional families where there is no love and mutual understanding. These individuals have felt parental hostility since childhood, and therefore withdraw into themselves and distance themselves from other people.
- Other scientists suggest that this mental illness occurs against the background of the inability to create a comfortable environment around oneself. Schizoids cannot accept their own shortcomings and are unable to survive failures, and therefore lead a reclusive lifestyle.
- There is a version associated with the cognitive directions of mental activity. They are determined by the blurriness of thoughts and the complexity of perception. Such patients cannot grasp the emotional state of people, and therefore are simply not able to respond to other people's feelings. This concept assumes the slow development of speech and motor skills in children, regardless of intellectual abilities.
Most psychologists agree that the schizoid type develops in the presence of several factors. It may be a combination of biological, genetic, social and psychological circumstances that influence the formation of personality.
Methods of therapy
Psychotherapy is usually used to treat schizoid personality accentuation. But if the patient has concomitant mental illnesses, drug therapy should be used.
The psychoanalytic approach helps best in the fight against this disease. It involves long work by a psychologist who must act as carefully as possible, constantly maintaining his distance. The doctor should not focus on the patient’s characteristics and emphasize his originality. Achieving favor and trust can only be achieved by demonstrating acceptance of the schizoid's non-standard thinking.
You need to understand that few people with such a deviation will independently accept the problem and seek help. As a rule, such people come to see a specialist under pressure from their close circle. In this case, therapy is unlikely to give the desired effect.
Patients can be helped to cope with their condition through group therapy, in which individuals can accept themselves through the study of similar people. A comfortable environment is created for treatment, aimed at feeling complete safety. Of course, not all individuals are able to relax in an unfamiliar place and trust strangers, but with constant contact it is possible to achieve participation in such therapy.
In cognitive therapy, the therapist uses methods based on the feeling of positive emotions. The patient is encouraged to explore the full range of feelings and be given the opportunity to understand each of them. In the future, the schizoid must learn to express positive emotions in pleasant life situations.
Personality types and human character types
Everyone has their own individual pattern character and personal characteristics. Attempts to describe personality types created many classifications, starting from reliance on appearance and constitution, then based on temperament, ending with socionics and populist types for women (lover, mistress, etc.).
We suggest considering personality types, consisting of a configuration of innate data: the type of higher nervous activity (temperament), deep-seated drives, character traits and acquired traumas, thanks to which the unique personal style of each is finally formed.
Human character types have specific names, they correspond to the names of known mental illnesses. At the same time, this does not mean that the presented personality types are diseases, no. It's just a name that reflects a certain personality structure and certain human character types normal, not pathological.
It is interesting that the very concept of the boundaries of the norm is extremely conditional. There is most likely no such person who would embody the absolute norm, from whom we could base our descriptions of madness. Each person lives with his own “cockroaches”, quirks and characteristics that make him unique.
The most original, in my opinion, explanation of the boundaries of normality and pathology caught my eye on a social network:
“There are variants of pathology that, in a socially adapted form, correspond to mental types. Each of us, under certain conditions, will manifest the pathology to which we are prone. Can you imagine the layout of the Moscow metro? So, as long as we are within the ring, that is, we are socially adapted, we are conditionally normal, and then everyone goes along their own branch. The branches have become much longer since then, that’s what I’ll say, and soon there will be a second ring...”
There are several such “branches” or personality types: schizoid, narcissistic, paranoid, manic-depressive, hysterical, obsessive-compulsive, psychopathic, masochistic (according to N. McWilliams).
These personality types do not mean a diagnosis or a derogatory mood, they are simply designations of differences, a classification, like subway lines. In cases of acute or chronic stress, each person will regress along his own branch, according to the typology.
Human character types are almost never pure, just as there is no such thing as a pure norm. However, there may be a schizoid or narcissistic person living within us. depressive, hysterical, etc. a part of the personality that may be a greater or lesser part of our psychology.
Alice: I'm crazy, right?
Father: Yes. I'm nuts. I'm crazy. And I just went crazy. But I’ll tell you a secret: madmen are wiser than everyone else.
Alice in Wonderland
There are many books, studies, monographs and descriptions about schizophrenia as a clinical disease. At the same time, interest in her does not subside. This article will talk about the schizoid personality type, which is within the boundaries of the norm, and how a schizoid person can adapt to life while remaining in accordance with his nature.
With a schizoid personality type, at one end of the “branch” there are brilliant, highly effective, socially adapted people with a schizoid personality organization, and at the other end there are mental patients suffering from schizophrenia, incapable of independent social life.
Schizoid children are often described as particularly sensitive, receptive to both physical stimuli - light, touch, sounds, and emotional, displays of strong emotions makes them shrink, tense.
Adults schizoid people They also remain amazingly empathetic, sensitive, gifted with the ability to understand, perceive the world and other people with amazing accuracy and authenticity. People having schizoid personality type They acutely sense lies and falsity in others, like a radar, detecting any insincerity.
One of my colleagues, talented schizoid, interpreted what was happening with the client during training sessions so accurately that one could navigate using it like a tuning fork, tuning one’s professional “inner instrument” for sensitive perception of another person.
Such sensitivity makes the schizoid very vulnerable to external influences, stress, from which they escape into their inner world.
The tendency to withdraw into oneself can also be caused by growing up in the arms of a suffocating, overprotective mother. When teenage schizophrenia is suspected, a mother who violates personal boundaries is often found next to a teenage boy, dragging her obedient son to church, to constellations, or to healers.
If in a family where a sensitive child is growing up - schizoid, emotional insincerity, double messages are practiced, for example, praise and love in public on the one hand, indifference and criticism at home on the other, then sooner or later the child may begin to rely on withdrawal, isolation from others, in order to protect himself from lies, falsehood , causing deep confusion, anger and hopelessness.
At school, I asked awkward questions about the Soviet system, for which I was subjected to hidden aggression from teachers. I left these questions deep inside myself.
From a therapeutic conversation
The need to rely on one’s inner world can also arise as a result of the early isolation of a child who, from infancy, was left alone at home or in a crib, and was not approached at night when he cried, in order to foster “independence.”
As a result, the schizoid child tries to find a way to adapt to forced isolation and chooses “not to need” intimacy, looking more for support in himself and his inner world.
Something pushed me from bus to bus, where I could sit with schizophrenic apathy on my face, immersed in my inner world, and outwardly not stand out among the rest of the passengers busy with their own problems, who indifferently watch the landscapes flashing through the windows.
Barbara O'Brien. An extraordinary journey into madness and back: operators and things.
In general, adults invading the fine boundaries of an initially quite sensitive child, early isolation, loneliness and unempathetic parental care contribute to the emergence of an internal conflict between the desire for intimacy and avoidance of it, the desire to distance itself, which leads to the formation of a schizoid personality type.
A valuable adaptive ability of people with a schizoid personality organization is their creativity. It is only important to find a form for expressing a rich inner world. Most artists, sculptors, and musicians have a schizoid personality.
A healthy person of the schizoid type is able to direct his talents into art, philosophy, science, spiritual research, and some actions in the real world. A more deeply traumatized schizoid experiences enormous suffering from the inability to realize his abilities due to fear, alienation from society, and loneliness.
I found myself diving into the depths of sea life through diving classes. This is an action that I perform in the real world, and which symbolically reflects my habitual dives into the depths of myself.
From a personal conversation
Alienation and loneliness are frequent companions of a person with a schizoid personality type. Because the schizoid people ignore public expectations, are indifferent to the opinion of the majority, then more often suffer from boycott or aggression from this majority.
Therefore, such people often look outwardly dispassionate, contemptuous and ironic in relation to the surrounding mass of people. However, internally they acutely experience their own otherness, difference from others, incomprehensibility for others, and therefore some kind of deep internal irregularity.
For such a person it is vitally important to be understood and heard, but at the same time it may be unbearably scary for him to be too close to another. The schizoid is afraid that if a close loved one fully recognizes him, he will seem like a freak or an eccentric.
As a result, schizoid people often choose isolation and loneliness, avoiding communication with other people. If this happens, then it’s worth overcoming fear, return yourself to communication. Perhaps first in therapy, then in your personal life.
“Come closer, I’m lonely, but don’t come closer, I’m afraid of invasion,” A. Robbins gives an example of the unspoken message of a person of the schizoid type. The conflict between proximity and distance is central to the schizoid personality type.
The fear of invasion and absorption turns out to be stronger than the desire for intimacy. Often in families, when problems arise in relationships, a non-schizoid woman tries to get closer to her schizoid partner, “have a heart-to-heart talk,” and he responds, fearing absorption, by moving away.
In order to take this feature into account and ensure a comfortable existence, a schizoid needs his own safe space. There are people of a different type, other types of human character, who can be guided by the principle “a person really doesn’t need much - a roof over his head, and bread and butter.”
A person with a schizoid personality cannot survive like this, or rather, it is possible to survive, but he will have to constantly experience suffering, spiritual And physical pain. He needs space, distance, air.
Literally with my body I feel this urban closed space of the Khrushchev, the pain from the noise, burning, smells. Here I can’t pull myself together, I’m falling apart...
From a personal conversation
In order to stay in touch with his nature, it is important for a schizoid to find or organize his own place, home, space where he can feel calm and safe. Sometimes you have to work hard to secure such a place, but it's worth it.
At the same time, it is also important to have close relationships and not go into internal or external recluse.
According to my observations, for healthy schizoids, a distance of half a world when using modern technologies will not be an obstacle to a feeling of closeness. Highly functional person with schizoid personality type, can organize his work remotely in order to successfully resolve the internal conflict of distance-proximity.
Work at home in a safe, cozy and personal space, but with the help of modern technologies, keeping your finger on the pulse of the company in which he works. In this case, the person does not feel a great distance at all, since thanks to the sensitivity of the schizoid, it does not interfere with intimacy and maintaining contacts.
In addition, schizoid people experience obvious anxiety about basic safety. Since the world around them seems to be filled with threatening, cramped, noisy, destructive forces that are dangerous to individuality. Sometimes such anxiety may seem exaggerated to other people.
— In Russia you can survive, but truly live... no.
— I’ve lived in Russia all my life – until they killed me...Overheard dialogue
This anxiety is difficult to deal with; you want to take care of safety, but it still won’t be completely safe. First you need to achieve a feeling of security and comfort in the space of your home and in your relationships with loved ones.
You can then gradually extend this feeling of stability and security to the outside world. There is no need to rush here; the acquisition of the inner promised land will smoothly and timely spread to the outside world.
— Was it good in Cambodia?
- Yes…
“Now find your inner Cambodia.”From a therapeutic conversation
When there is no internal security, an external search for such a place on earth helps. If there is such a space, then it remains inside you. However, if the external search does not accompany the internal one, then it threatens with endless wanderings like downshifters who are looking for something through the external world, traveling, but as if they do not find the inner world. And vice versa, if there is an “inner Cambodia”, an internal point of balance and peace, then the external situation ceases to be threatening, alarming, destructive.
So, we have identified the following characteristics of a person with a schizoid personality type, and suggested ways to integrate them into life:
- A rich inner world, which it is important to learn to creatively express outside, overcoming the tendency to withdraw into oneself.
- Inner sensitivity, sensitivity, sensitivity, which requires psychological hygiene - creating a safe space, the ability to take care of oneself.
- A conflict between distance and intimacy, the resolution of which requires one’s own safe space, respect for personal boundaries in relationships with loved ones, and the experience of acceptance by another person.
- Neglect of conventions and social norms, which can provoke an attack by the majority on a schizoid, increasing his fear of absorption. As a result, a person chooses isolation and loneliness, avoiding communication with other people. In this case, it is worth overcoming fear and returning yourself to communication. Even if there are not many contacts, one or three people, this may be enough for a comfortable life.
- Anxiety about basic security, to extinguish which an internally safe space is created, which gradually spreads to the outside world.
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