Life at a distance: how to understand a schizoid? What should a schizoid do? How to live with a man of the schizoid type.
Famous schizoid personalities:
Such people:
- they exist in parallel, as it were, in two realities - internal and external. The schizoid spends most of his time in his inner world, at the first opportunity, escaping there from harsh reality. He is of little interest in the external side of life - he lives in the world of his ideas, does only what interests him, not noticing anyone or anything around him. While in his refuge, he indulges in thoughts and fantasies: he invents bicycles, fights windmills, constructs abstract theories, creates time machines, travels through parallel worlds. Often he does not set great goals for himself and does not achieve success - the thinking process itself, scientific research - is much more important to him than the result. And, nevertheless, all the main discoveries and inventions created by humanity belong precisely to these brilliant “cranks” and “scientific crackers”... More than others, they turn out to be “outsiders”, observers, researchers of human existence.
- isolation is a basic personality trait. The core characteristic of this type of character is withdrawal into oneself, the inability to establish meaningful, emotionally interpersonal relationships.
- schizoid is uncommunicative , he doesn’t let many people into his soul, often limiting himself to only formal contacts. He rarely makes a sensitive listener and a good comforter - the global problems of humanity occupy him much more than the suffering of individual people. It is extremely difficult for him to understand the grief or joy of his neighbor.
- intuition is his weakest point: The schizoid does not “feel” the interlocutor, does not pick up on someone else’s mood, does not understand who treats him and how. He may turn out to be superfluous in the company, irritate those present, cause ridicule, but he does not always understand this. In turn, a schizoid can also easily hurt someone’s feelings in a conversation, but will not notice it at all.
- main protection - retreat into the inner world, into the world of imagination . Inner world schizoid, filled with bizarre fantasies, is closed to outsiders. He is a thing in himself. It is not for nothing that the famous German psychiatrist Kretschmer likened schizoids to “Roman houses devoid of decoration, villas whose shutters are closed from bright light, but in the twilight of their inner chambers luxurious feasts are celebrated...”
- passionately crave intimacy, although they feel the constant threat of being absorbed by others. They establish distance to maintain their safety, but at the same time suffer from distance and loneliness. The alienation from which schizoid people suffer so much stems in part from the experience that their emotional, intuitive and sensual capabilities have not been sufficiently appreciated - others simply do not see what they are doing.
- concerned with the need to avoid the danger of being absorbed, sucked, chewed, attached, eaten. The world feels like a space full of consuming, perverting, destructive forces that threaten security and individuality.
- they are perplexed: how can everyone else deceive themselves so successfully if the harsh truth of life is so obvious.
- dispassionate, ironic and slightly contemptuous attitude towards others
- can be very caring towards other people, although they continue to need to maintain a protective personal space.
- They cannot be called completely unemotional - coldness and inaccessibility in communication with people can be combined with a strong attachment to animals. They may be distinguished by a passionate passion for some non-humanitarian science, for example, mathematics or astronomy, where they are able to give the world creative ideas high value. The statements may convey unexpected warmth towards people whom they know little or have not seen for a very long time. They are characterized by fascination with inanimate objects and metaphysical structures that have attracted their interest.
- often drawn to those who have opposing, enviable aspirations, schizoids are often attracted to warm, expressive, sociable people, for example, hysterical personalities.
- suffer from significant Anxiety about basal safety (feeling of one’s own insecurity, weakness, helplessness, insignificance in this treacherous, attacking, humiliating, evil, full of envy and abuse world). Feeling depressed, they hide - either by literally going into reclusion or by immersing themselves in their fantasies.
- sexually some schizoid people turn out to be amazing indifferent , often despite the ability to function and have an orgasm. The closer the Other, the stronger the fear that sex means a trap. Partners of schizoid individuals sometimes complain that their way of loving is mechanical or dispassionate.
- The most adaptive and exciting ability of schizoid personalities is their creativity. The more disturbed individuals in this category reside in their own personal hell, where their potential abilities are consumed by fear and detachment. Sublimation of autistic care in creative activity amounts to main goal therapy with schizoid patients.
- the self-esteem of people with schizoid dynamics is often maintained individual creative activity. At the same time, it is the aspects of personal integrity and self-expression that turn out to be more important for them, and not the aspect of self-esteem. The schizoid strives for confirmation of its exceptional originality and uniqueness. Validation should be internal rather than external and, thanks to high standards In creativity, schizoids are often sharply self-critical.
- accumulated perceptions of the patient as exceptional, unique, misunderstood genius or unattainable sage
- not particularly concerned with whether they are right or wrong from a generally accepted point of view.
- characterized by frequent enthusiasm for various philosophies, ideas for improving the world, and construction schemes healthy image life (due to unusual diets, sports activities), especially if this does not involve directly dealing with other people.
- There may be a high risk of addiction to drugs and alcohol for pleasure.
- schizoid does not know how to present himself in a favorable light, not distinguished by eloquence . Awkward, unnatural, with poor facial expressions, he often speaks in a monotonous, expressionless voice, making giant pauses between words. All this, of course, does not facilitate mutual understanding between him and the people around him. It is very difficult to understand a schizoid: there is “porridge” in his mouth, there is confusion in his words, he uses clever terms and does not try to be understandable. Typical example: schizoid Hegel, who lectured to the only student who signed up for him - Ludwig Feierbach.
- Self-absorbed schizoid cares little about what he looks like. A jacket with torn buttons and frayed elbows, trousers “bubbling” at the knees, mismatched socks, battered, half-decayed shoes are quite in his style. Hair that has not been washed for a long time, sloppily trimmed nails, and ridiculous, out-of-fashion clothes, often worn inside out, complete his portrait. A typical schizoid is a sort of absent-minded Man from Basseynaya Street, who, instead of a hat, in a hurry, pulled a frying pan on his head, and “instead of felt boots, he pulled gloves onto his heels.”
- By physique they are most often ectomorphs
Archimedes was so absorbed in science that he sometimes forgot to eat, drink and sleep. Wherever he was and whatever he did, the great inventor did not interrupt his scientific thoughts. While washing in the bathhouse, he thoughtfully drew geometric shapes on his oiled body, sitting in front of the fireplace, he drew circles and triangles on the ash with a twig. When one day, while swimming, he accidentally discovered the law of fluid displacement, he became uncontrollably delighted. With a cry of “Eureka!” he jumped out of the bathroom and ran, in his mother's clothes, through the streets of Syracuse.
Archimedes hurried home to quickly try out his famous theory, which was later so remarkably confirmed. And what the respectable townspeople would think about him running around the city naked was of little concern to the famous scientist.
The schizoid is the same: he lives in the world of his ideas, doing only what interests him, not noticing anyone or anything around him.
There is a legend that in his youth, Einstein, being poor and unknown to anyone, always wore the same stretched out old sweater. “Does it matter? Nobody knows me here,” the scientist who had just arrived in America responded to the critical remarks of others. When, having become rich and famous, he never parted with his holey cast-offs, he motivated it differently: “What's the difference? Everyone already knows me”...
Once upon a time there lived a very shy British lord, Henry Cavendish. He avoided women, communicated with servants using notes, and in order to avoid interfering with maids, he always went down the attached external staircase. But Cavendish rarely went out into the world: he kept writing something in his hole, conducting experiments and taking notes, putting them on the table. And then he died. Cavendish was buried according to his will: he was tightly walled up in the crypt and no inscription was left indicating who was buried here. Not a single portrait remained after the lord, but an archive was found: 20 thick notebooks. Having sorted them out, scientists realized that Cavendish was a great physicist and chemist, all of his works were published and now every physics student knows the name of this schizoid.
To diagnose schizoid disorders personalities
the condition must correspond to at least four of the following qualities or behavioral patterns:
1) only a few activities bring joy;
2) emotional coldness, distance
3) reduced ability to express warm, tender feelings or anger towards others;
4) external indifference to the praise and criticism of others;
5) decreased interest in sexual experiences with other people (taking into account age);
6) almost constant preference for solitary activities;
7) excessive depth in fantasy and introspection;
8) lack of close friends (in best case scenario no more than one) or trusting relationships and unwillingness to have them;
9) clearly insufficient consideration of social norms and requirements, frequent unintentional deviations from them.
"Directory practical psychologist" I.G. Malkina-Pykh. // The newest directory of a psychologist // Moscow, Eksmo 2010
IN Lately Applied psychology has become very popular. People try to explain their habits, actions and character by their type of temperament, personality type and even hair and eye color. Many of these methods do not stand up to any logic, although even with scientific point Psychology is a very relative discipline. In addition, this branch of medicine is poorly developed in Belarus. Many mental disorders are difficult to notice and even more difficult to diagnose, but all of them, without exception, cause enormous harm to health. Some of them are completely attributed to a “complex” character and are ignored - both by those around them and by the person himself.
Take, for example, depression - perhaps the most popular of the list of psychological disorders. What they don’t invent about her! They mistake it for a random outburst of sadness and present it as something romantic. Many people throw this word around without thinking about what is really behind it. Meanwhile, depression is a dangerous mental disorder that can lead to problems with both health and social life. People committing suicide due to depression is not bookish stupidity, but a completely cruel reality. There can be many examples: anorexia, schizophrenia, split personality and other disorders have become very frequent guests in literature and social networks.
However, I want to talk about one of the most invisible and little-known mental disorders. Schizoid personality disorder is often confused with schizophrenia and is sometimes considered the same thing. However, immediately separate these two diseases - they are in no way connected with each other, and a schizoid and a schizophrenic are completely different people.
So what is this disease? Schizoid disorder is a personality disorder characterized by a tendency to avoid emotionally intense relationships by withdrawing into oneself and engaging in fantasy. Simply put, a schizoid is a person who avoids communication, for whom the very process of interacting with society is almost painful, and he takes refuge in his own thoughts. However, introversion is not a mental disorder, so do not rush to call all introverts schizoid, although they have common traits.
How to distinguish an introvert from a schizoid and how to communicate with people who deliberately avoid communication? Being the “owner” of such an unpleasant disorder, I have long learned to live and cope with it. Therefore, it would be very cool if people understood us and our characteristics.
Like any mental disorder, schizoid also has its own diagnostic criteria. The most important of them: emotional coldness, inability to enjoy any type of activity (or enjoyment of only one), a tendency to fantasies and loneliness, as well as insensitivity to social norms and stand firm.
Describing a schizoid as a person, we can say that he shows almost no emotions, is indifferent, prefers solitude and often has only one or two friends, or even none at all. Also, these people very often oppose social attitudes, but they do it quietly, imperceptibly and stubbornly. We are not supported social norms, if we consider them unnecessary, unfair, meaningless, etc. We are people “outside the flow”, loners against our will.
Of course, this does not mean that schizoids do not experience feelings at all or do not want to communicate with anyone at all. Now, in the era of the Internet, living at a distance has become much easier. You can even work without leaving home and without communicating with strangers. And correspondence is a much simpler form of communication for us than oral conversation.
Let's look at the main differences first. On the Internet I saw a comic about introverts, where their personal space was compared to walking ball for hamsters. Following this example, the personal space of a schizoid is a well-fortified bunker. Weak expression of feelings and the habit of not paying attention to many things makes us practically impenetrable. That is, if you can get into the “hamster ball”, then you can’t get into the “bunker”. 
A schizoid prefers to be at a distance from everyone and everything, and will rarely share his real thoughts with you. Intimacy is associated primarily with the violation of personal boundaries and absorption into society - that is, penetration into the “bunker”. This obsessive feeling forces us to keep our distance for our own safety. Closedness is a defense mechanism, because the consciousness tells the schizoid: proximity = danger. This is where insensitivity to social norms comes from. In our understanding, similarity to others is another way of “absorption”, penetration into personal space. Therefore, many schizoids try not to fit into any framework of society.
Therefore, the first rule of communicating with a schizoid is not to violate boundaries. We will only say what we consider necessary. We are not trying to offend you, win you over, or hypnotize you. We don’t consider it necessary to go into someone else’s garden and find out your secrets and mysteries - our own “bunker” is enough for us. However, you will have to do the same. If a schizoid feels a threat to his “boundaries,” he will distance himself even more, or even stop communicating completely.
One of the most important features of schizoidism is unemotionality. This does not mean that we do not experience feelings at all, they are just very weak compared to the emotions of others. Even our movements and facial expressions may seem angular from the outside. A “stony face” and a cool, level-headed tone during a conversation is normal.
There is no need to be offended if the schizoid did not react to your joke or story. In general, there is little that can make us laugh or upset, and these feelings, for the most part, fade away very quickly. A schizoid cannot overcome his forced coldness, so we should not blame us for this. But you can always understand what really hooked us.
Also, schizoids have poorly developed intuition and we are not able to guess the experiences of others, we do not feel the moment when we need to sympathize, listen or, conversely, not impose our presence. We also do not know how to express our emotions and share them with others. This can often cause a conflict that the schizoid cannot fully understand. Some things are simply not offensive or shameful to us.
Closely related to isolation is another diagnostic criterion for schizoidism—the tendency to fantasize. A schizoid is doomed to loneliness, whether he wants it or not. The proximity=danger mechanism simply prevents us from communicating with someone truly sincerely, we simply cannot do it. We, like everyone else, have a need for communication, but among schizoids it is very small. Our fantasies are sometimes the only thing we have. Fantasies save us if we do not want to interact with society at a given moment; they can also be one of the pillars of our hobbies (for example, art, writing). 
One of the most unusual traits of a schizoid is defensive fantasizing. Feeling the pressure of negative emotions, the schizoid simply “withdraws into himself”, plunges into his fantasy world, where he can hide from everyone and put his mental state in order. This may look strange to those looking from the outside. For example, in order to withdraw into myself I need to listen to music, and during this I have the habit of walking, running and even dancing to the rhythm of the song. At the same time, I will not pay practically any attention to the outside world, as if I were behind a protective dome. The ability to mentally separate from reality is also a form of relaxation for a schizoid and a way to get rid of tension.
Similar defense mechanism is intellectualization, which helps reduce the emotionality of what is happening, without losing touch with reality. Simply put, during a stressful situation, in order to stop worrying, a schizoid simply “turns off” all his emotions, because they are weaker for him. This helps him stay in a strong mind and clear memory to be able to overcome a difficult situation. When I took my history exam, I didn’t worry about the ticket or the answer - my mind was crystal clear, and I answered perfectly, while feeling my legs trembling. After the exam, the stress from the experience did not allow me to calm down for a long time - something like compensation for twenty minutes of composure. The emotions still haven't gone away.
It should also be remembered that schizoids, for the most part, stubbornly adhere to their views and, most likely, you will not be able to convince them of anything - unless you are a god of eloquence with an army of facts on your side. The fear of being absorbed into society (penetration into the “bunker”) forces us to carefully filter any incoming information. A schizoid adheres only to those views that he considers true, and rarely follows fashion (due to the same fear). Therefore, if you try to force your views on you, you will most likely be told to keep it to yourself. If his views are unpleasant to you, the schizoid will not mention them in communication - we do not need to convince people of anything. But with persistent and obsessive person schizoid in most cases does not agree.
Another feature of these people is their hobbies. It can be anything, ordinary or strange, but we all have one thing in common: there is only one or a couple of hobbies that we pursue. There are no schizoids who, from morning to evening, ran to the drama club, then to the photography club, then immediately to an art exhibition, then to a music school... All because a schizoid, as a low-emotional person, has little to interest him. If he gets hooked on a hobby that he really enjoys, he will do it no matter what. And it’s good if you can find this cherished hobby - some schizoids do not have it at all, and there is no activity that would bring them satisfaction. So it's stupid to ask us to give up our favorite hobby- they will simply refuse you. We already have almost no loved ones, nothing to do, so he’ll give up the only thing? Never.
Another related detail is the preference for solitary activities. As a person who often gets lost in fantasy, the schizoid prefers to think carefully in order to do his job thoroughly and well. That’s why we really don’t like noise, crowds of people, or distractions from conversation. But most of all, schizoids hate it when they are not just distracted, but when they try to look into their work, whatever it is, without their knowledge. A schizoid, as a closed person, does not like it when someone interferes in his affairs, no matter how. Even if you want to give advice, we will ask you to wait and not distract us. We first need to finish the work and bring it to mind. Only then, if you are trusted enough, will the schizoid demonstrate the results of his activities and can ask for your advice or opinion.
So, to sum it all up, here are a few simple tips on communicating with schizoids:
- You shouldn’t get into the personal space of a schizoid, at least right away. Long and warm communication in cozy atmosphere will help you both open up.
- Try to get used to the coldness of your interlocutor, to his aloof appearance and some unusual habits associated with retreat into fantasy.
- Don't try to force something on a schizoid that he doesn't like at all.
- If the schizoid's behavior caused the conflict, you may have to explain what went wrong.
- Do not distract a schizoid from his favorite activity, do not pull him out of moments of escape into fantasy, do not start a conversation if at the moment he is not inclined to communicate.
Of course, this is just a list of tips. It is impossible to choose rules for communicating with a certain group of people, because we are all different. Schizoids are also not copies of each other; moreover, schizoid disorder has several types. It will be much easier to get along with such a person if you have the same hobbies or preferences. About what he 
really interesting, a schizoid can talk for a long time, and this can be the beginning of a good friendship. There may be schizoid people among your friends, but there is no need to be afraid of this. Mental illness doesn't make anyone a bad person.
Finally, I would like to say: if you have discovered signs and symptoms of schizoid personality disorder, it would be a good idea to consult a psychologist for advice. Under no circumstances should you be upset or afraid. A mental disorder will not make you worse or better, but a doctor’s advice will help you understand yourself.
Schizophrenia is a serious mental disorder that most often accompanies the patient throughout his life. One of the symptoms of the disease is social dysfunction, which complicates the fate of the person living next to the patient. Simply put, for loved ones of a schizophrenic, the problem is not only the fight against productive symptoms, such as hallucinations and delusions, but also the very process of establishing communication with the patient, with the goal of helping. In this article we will try to give the most understandable answers to the question of how to live with a schizophrenic.
A person diagnosed with schizophrenia has a number of characteristics that distinguish his reality from that observed by other people. However, this does not mean that he does not need such universal human things as love, support, and understanding. The main task of the patient’s family and friends is to help him adapt to the world as best as possible and provide him with care and attention.
The main advice to people who live in a family with a schizophrenic is to be patient.
Communication with a patient can be extremely difficult. Under no circumstances should you enter into a discussion about some obsession of a schizophrenic: if he believes that his mean neighbor has deceived him, there is no need to provide irrefutable evidence to the contrary, this will not help at all. No irony, it is also inaccessible to people with schizophrenia. Here are some tips on how to properly communicate with patients in periods between crises, so as not to provoke them:
- speak in a clear, calm, low voice;
- NEVER argue;
- do not ignore communication with the patient;
- do not show condescension, treat like a child and patronizing intonations;
- agree with most of the statements, do not forget that the patient is completely absent of self-criticism.
Next we will talk about the situation when something happened to the patient. First of all, understand that not every schizophrenic poses a danger to you and himself during an exacerbation. But this is quite possible, because the distorted reality that the patient sees, accompanied by auditory and visual hallucinations, can push him to irreparable actions. Therefore, if you catch the moment when a schizophrenic friend of yours begins to have an attack, think about your safety, but as unnoticed as possible for him.
You should not outwardly show that you are worried about what is happening now, but think about a retreat plan in case the patient becomes aggressive. Do not under any circumstances question all the nonsense that a schizophrenic may utter, do not devalue the feelings and emotions experienced by a schizophrenic. If he is scared, do not convince him that there is no real danger, show empathy and willingness to help and protect.
Avoid physical contact, do not grab hands or try to hug unless the patient asks you to do so. At the same time, do not dive in and do not try to “pick” the schizophrenic, do not find out what exactly he sees or whose voices he hears. And even more so, don’t “play along”; this can only provoke aggression. Your job is to distract. Change the topic, try suggesting an activity, change the focus. Show understanding and compassion if unreasonable anger suddenly hits you.
Schizophrenics often like to blame others for all their problems. On the one hand, this is incredibly cruel to relatives and friends who sincerely love the patient and devote themselves to caring for him, but on the other hand, a schizophrenic, due to illness, is simply unable to accept that no one is to blame for his torment. That is why, as regrettable as it is, on the one hand, only blood relatives take care of a sick person. Husbands and wives most often cannot stand this test morally, or simply fearing for themselves and their children, they get divorced.
How to live with a schizophrenic husband
No matter how strange it may seem, it is not uncommon for a situation when mentally healthy woman consciously connects her life with a patient with schizophrenia. According to statistics, about 1% of the world's population suffers from this disorder. Of course, the distribution is not uniform, either by country or by city, but it is quite possible to meet a schizophrenic.
It is not difficult for some to fall in love with such a person. This is due to many factors. Firstly, the patient often has high intelligence and non-standard thinking, secondly, madness itself, until you encounter it in practice, is very attractive, thirdly (and this is a question for a healthy partner) some simply love to unconsciously create difficulties in their life, and then overcome them with suffering or pride.
There are other situations when a person with a disorder hides the problem from his partner until it worsens, and this can happen both after marriage and after the birth of children. One way or another, at some point the question may arise: how to live with a schizophrenic husband? Of course, there cannot be a definite answer; schizophrenia itself implies a wide range of forms and types. In some situations, regular hospitalization is necessary, and only then will the periods of remission be long and allow the person to function normally during this time.
Sometimes the patient for a relatively normal life It is enough to systematically take antipsychotics and undergo psychotherapy sessions. It is important that the patient has his own business, hobby, or work. How less people feels inferior - so much the better.
How to communicate with a patient? Show maximum understanding and empathy, even if it seems impossible. People with schizophrenia can exist quite adequately during periods of remission; some even go into lifelong remission (this, to some extent, can be called recovery).
What to do if your son is schizophrenic?
This is the most painful topic. Parents who are faced with this problem, unfortunately, are in an extremely sad situation. No matter how caring and loving mom and dad are, no matter how much they help their son fight the disease, they will constantly be overcome by the thought - what will happen when they are gone? I don’t want to scare you even more, but there’s nothing to reassure me either. The most better life for the patient is possible only with regular monitoring by a psychiatrist, clinical psychologist and psychotherapist.
Only systematic use of specially prescribed antipsychotics can relieve symptoms and allow the human psyche to function normally.
But the main problem is precisely that a small percentage of schizophrenics are willing to voluntarily take medications and undergo therapy. The main problem is that manic ideas of everyone conspiring against him, wiretapping, stealing thoughts from his head, do not allow most patients to follow the right path to recovery.
In addition, we must not forget about side effects from taking medications: headaches, insomnia or vice versa, drowsiness, inhibition of thoughts and movements. Of course, this is all unpleasant, but it is definitely better than terrible hallucinations, visions and voices that can provoke the murder of others or suicide. But illness does not allow us to set priorities correctly. The main parental problems with a schizophrenic son are related to providing a guardian (for the period when they themselves cannot help him) who will motivate him to undergo therapy, take medications or go to hospital, if necessary.
As for the rest, living with a schizophrenic in the same apartment is not a sentence, but a serious test, regardless of who is sick - husband, wife, child. That is why, psychologists advise people involved in caring for patients to MUST undergo personal psychotherapy.
Does a person understand that he has schizophrenia?
The answer to this question naturally varies. Different degrees of illness, different people and different periods of life - all this does not allow us to give an unambiguous answer or provide statistics. Typically, patients who are seen by a doctor and regularly take antipsychotics, during periods of remission, can clearly understand that they have a problem and what exactly helps them solve it. Unfortunately, many refuse treatment, which aggravates their situation and only contributes to the progression of the disease. How to help a schizophrenic in such a situation?
In spite of everything, continue to give your warmth, try to understand, communicate more, gently persuade to start treatment. In any other case, do not expect him to understand the situation. In his reality, he is completely normal, and you and your entire insensitive outer world are crazy. And there is no point in arguing.
How long do people live with schizophrenia?
The question of how long patients with this diagnosis live is also ambiguous. On average, schizophrenics live 10-20 years less than mental health healthy people. But what exactly is this justified? First of all, there is a high risk of suicide, secondly, lifestyle - patients are prone to vagrancy and living in unsanitary conditions, thirdly, smoking tobacco and using cocaine. Regarding the last point, one hypothesis easily explains the special addiction of patients to smoking.
An experimental study found that schizophrenia is associated with disturbances in the production of neurotransmitters, in particular dopamine, and nicotine and cocaine help increase its levels. Therefore, sometimes it is better to accept that your schizophrenic husband smokes like a steam locomotive - he thus draws out the level of dopamine to normal, intuitively healing himself. Well, any smoker will agree that this process reduces the level of anxiety and helps to calm down - the patient experiences the same thing.
Naturally, all these factors negatively affect the life expectancy of a schizophrenic. In addition, one of the important reasons for the reduction in life expectancy is that manic suspicion often does not allow normal treatment of any disease that arises in the patient, even one not related to the functioning of the psyche.
And yet, how long do schizophrenics live? Based on all that has been said, no, the life expectancy of a person with schizophrenia is significantly lower.
How can a schizophrenic be admitted to hospital?
Compulsory hospitalization and subsequent treatment can be ordered by the court only if the behavior of a schizophrenic person threatens the life and health of others or himself. A commission of psychiatrists can provide such an opinion to the court. In reality, this happens in cases where people caught in a moment of acute psychosis call the police. In practice, in order for a person to actually be taken away, there must be a lot of reasons and an undeniable threat to life.
It is much better to persuade the patient to lie down hospital treatment voluntarily. To do this, relatives need to know everything about this disease, know how to communicate in order to make the patient’s plight as easy as possible, and how to behave during an attack. Family psychotherapy helps a lot during remission. A person with schizophrenia needs to be instilled with the idea that his diagnosis is not a stigma, but simply the same problem as diabetics or hypertensive patients, who simply cannot do without daily medication.
Concluding the article, I would like to once again draw attention to the advice of psychologists to people living and caring for a schizophrenic person to undergo personal psychotherapy without fail. This will help you yourself to always remain balanced and calm, which will also have a beneficial effect on the treatment of your loved one.
ABOUT social adaptation schizophrenics and the importance of psychotherapy in treating the disease are discussed in this video
I came across a wonderful article. A reliable description and accessible explanation: why people with schizoid personality types experience communication problems.
ATTENTION! For you, is the word “schizoid” synonymous with the words “schizophrenic”, “psycho”? Fill the gaps in your education urgently!
Perhaps you have never seen life path people with schizoid personality disorder, but at least with schizoid accentuation - for sure. Many people are familiar with this picture: a person sits apart from everyone, isolated. He is detached, immersed in his thoughts, and as if not of this world. Doesn't make contact with anyone, is emotionally cold, highest degree taciturn. Usually they say “strange” about such a person. Unsociable, shies away from communication. Hello, this is a schizoid. Most people do not understand the reasons for such behavior, so they avoid such people. And rightly so, because by doing so they make life easier for a schizoid.
But in this post I would like to talk about what is happening inside such people. How they see the world and you normal people. But first things first.
I want to say right away that I will give exclusively personal observations. No theory, although I love it very much. I will refrain from even the temptation to talk about the different neurotransmitter pathways in extroverts and introverts, although this is not easy.
So, what does a schizoid feel when he sees people? He feels a) a threat, b) a burden, c) the awkwardness of the moment, d) the need to hastily recall events last days and select a topic for conversation, e) wild tiredness and irritability from point d, f) hope that there will at least be a dry discussion, without emotions and smiles, g) annoyance.
But at this moment, despite the sharply arising bouquet of negative experiences in his consciousness, the schizoid remembers that the other day in his spare time he analyzed his relationship with the outside world and finally came to the conclusion that contacts with people are useful and sometimes even desirable. Then the schizoid begins to scan the company with his eyes and look for someone to latch on to. And here everything often happens, as in the comic about Zhirinovsky: “I decided to talk to people. He’s not very suitable. This guy is a complete fucker. So we fucking talked.” A schizoid has enormous demands on his interlocutor. And this is not even picky, but necessary condition. A schizoid needs one hundred percent comfort.
What happens if, after all (lo and behold!) a schizoid manages to snatch one or two suitable people from the company, separate them from the company, take them to the kitchenette, retire with them and start an interesting dialogue? Everything is going fine, but the schizoid is still nervous. It’s difficult for him, and he overcomes himself all the time. What is noteworthy: if someone else bursts into this little world created by a schizoid from the outside (well, for example, someone fourth comes into the kitchen), then the schizoid can instantly lose the thread of the conversation and become emotionally extinguished. Then lighting a fire again will be as difficult as starting an old Zhiguli in the cold.
Does a schizoid feel discomfort, having his head in the clouds and at the same time being in company? Does he realize the need to say something, joke somehow? Yes, definitely. He is very uncomfortable. He understands that those around him expect something completely different from him. Therefore, the schizoid quickly begins to hate them all and wants to stop communicating with the company and generally, if possible, disappear from sight. People seem to him like monsters who prevent him from sitting quietly and looking out the window. But at the same time, he is a little jealous of their ability to communicate. This also needs to be emphasized.
As for alcohol, it cannot be said that it is a panacea. If a schizoid does not join the company, then even half a liter of vodka in the sting will not save him. If the interlocutor is pleasant to him, and communication has begun, then alcohol, of course, can play a role in strengthening the connection and serve as a good help.
But even if everything was wonderful, the connection was established, a certain amount of alcohol was drunk, unwanted characters did not enter the kitchen and the party went well, do not forget that in any case it depletes the schizoid’s energy batteries. There is no such sociable leisure time from which a schizoid would draw inspiration and vitality. "Relax with friends and recuperate after working week"- this formulation sounds like an oxymoron to a schizoid. Any communication for a schizoid works as a minus from the point of view of his energy potential. Moreover, he “eats” such leisure as a good off-road jeep with extreme driving. A couple of hours - and the schizoid’s tank is empty.
Therefore, those around you should not be surprised that, no matter how successful the fun may be, after a couple of hours the schizoid’s battery begins to blink, demanding to be connected to the network. Recharging is solitude. And a schizoid, in the midst of fun, can suddenly and catastrophically become depressed, and it will no longer be possible to lift his mood with anything. It takes a long time for a schizoid to “treat” after noisy parties. Sometimes for several days. A noisy party for a schizoid is like a shift in a coal mine. Hard work.
Of course, there is also such confidential philosophical communication that a schizoid feels comfortable and even slightly recharges him. But, as a rule, this only happens in the company of one person (not in the sense of a company of one, but in the sense of only one person in life). A schizoid is not able to maintain an emotional connection with more than one (maximum two) people at any specific significant time period of life. All other people for a schizoid are just inappropriate and annoying decorations.
Meanwhile, despite his inability to join the team, the schizoid really likes to watch people from the outside. He has a genuine interest in this. Always remaining on the outside, he sensitively evaluates all the details of people's characters and all the shades of their emotions and behavior. A schizoid accurately determines what is on a person’s mind. Two minutes of communication is enough for him to understand what the person in front of him is like, inside and out.
But the main emotional conflict underlying the schizoid personality lies precisely in the sphere of rapprochement/distance. The schizoid craves intimacy, but cannot afford it, since in this case he begins to feel absorption and immediately distances himself. Plus the inability to start a dialogue and difficulty in selecting topics.
This is what I told about myself. I could also start talking about the fact that introverts tend to reduce eye contact when speaking, in order to focus on choosing words and thoughts, and increase eye contact when listening, in order to better absorb information. And extroverts, by the way, are the opposite. But this will all again be my favorite lyrical theoretical jungle, which I promised not to touch. So this is where I will end my story.