Understanding Schizotypal Personality Disorder
By: Christine Hammond, LMHC Pop quiz: what word is similar to “schizotypal”? If you said “schizophrenia,” then you are right. Schizotypal is derived from the two words schizophrenia and genotype. Schizophrenias see, hear and believe things that aren’t really there. Genotype is the genetic makeup of an individual, think DNA. So putting the two together a Schizotypal Personality Disorder (SPD) is someone who has may seem schizophrenic but is not a full-blown schizophrenic. Confused yet? Good because that is precisely what it feels like to speak to a SPD. So what is SPD? Here is the technical DSM-V definition: · Identity: Confused boundaries between self and others · Self-direction: Incoherent goals, no clear set of standards · Empathy: Difficulty understanding impact of behavior on others ·...