- Schizoid personality disorder can leave you so uncomfortable around others that you avoid all interaction.
- You might feel overwhelmed, disconnected, or numb when you have to talk to people at work or school.
- A therapist can help you explore these feelings and their causes and find new ways to manage them.
- Visit Insider's Health Reference library for more advice.
Schizoid personality disorder (SZPD) is a personality disorder marked by isolation and detachment.
If you have this mental health condition — which is, experts generally agree, very uncommon — you might:
- Lack motivation to form relationships with others
- Prefer to focus on solitary work or an internal fantasy world
- Go out of your way to avoid situations where you'd need to interact with others
- Feel stressed or emotionally numb when you need to engage with others
People with personality disorders like SZPD are often misunderstood.
Learning to recognize key signs and symptoms of personality disorders, like SZPD, can help you get support and learn new ways of relating to others — and yourself.
Signs and symptoms
Schizoid personality disorder is different from being a "loner" or introverted.
Many people do prefer to spend most of their time alone or in small groups. But the average introvert is comfortable engaging with other people when they need to. If you have SZPD, even casual social interaction may be difficult. You may sacrifice career opportunities, fun activities, or your emotional health due to this discomfort around other people.
Some signs you could have schizoid personality disorder include:
- Almost no social relationships or confidantes: You have few, if any, people you interact with on a regular basis. Being around people feels draining, so you might avoid forming friendships or even spending time with family members. You don't want or need social interaction the way others seem to, though you might have one or two people you do trust.
- A strong preference for solo activities: You prefer to throw yourself into a solitary hobby than to go out with others. You might choose a job because it doesn't force you to attend meetings or interact with customers — even if another, more social job would align with your interests and pay better.
- Disinterest in intimacy: The thought of depending on someone else for your emotional or sexual needs doesn't appeal to you. Even if you do desire some type of relationship, the risk associated with a romance or friendship seems to outweigh the benefits. You might find it easier to become attached to animals, objects, or fantasy characters than human beings.
- Difficulty showing emotions around others: It may be hard for you to identify your own feelings or express them to others. If someone experiences strong emotions around you, such as excitement, anger, or sadness, you might emotionally "shut down" or feel an intense desire to leave the situation.
- Detachment from the world: You may feel more like an observer than a participant in your own life. If everything feels distant and pointless, it can be hard to engage. You might find yourself not caring if people like or dislike you and struggle to see the point of social bonds.
If you identify with most of these signs, it's possible you could have SZPD.
Keep in mind, though, that only a trained mental health professional can officially diagnose SZPD, or any other mental health condition, so reaching out for support is a good next step.
Possible causes and risk factors
Genetic, psychological, and social factors can all contribute to the development of SZPD. Your personal relationship with your family is important, too. In fact, child abuse is a strong predictor of personality disorders in general.
For example, if your family regularly involved you in conflict or targeted you with criticism, that could cause you to go "numb" or dissociate around others. On the other hand, if your parents didn't let you make decisions or have privacy, you may grow up thinking solitude is the only way to have any independence.
The environment outside your home also plays a role. "For schizoid PD, often the catalyst for these responses is experiencing peer rejection early on, such as being bullied. They develop a sense of feeling different from others and view people as generally unhelpful, which is why they opt for a life of solitude," says Rachel Cavallaro, licensed psychologist at Thriveworks.
Recognizing SZPD
SZPD can be difficult to diagnose because it overlaps with many other mental health conditions. Here are some ways you can tell SZPD apart from other diagnoses:
Schizophrenia
SZPD was originally described as a less severe form of schizophrenia, but clinicians now consider SZPD a unique diagnosis.
People with schizophrenia experience delusions, hallucinations, or other symptoms of psychosis, while people with SZPD do not, says John Delatorre, forensic psychologist at Resolution Forensic and Consultation Services, PLLC.
In addition, while people with SZPD lack motivation to participate in social pursuits, someone with schizophrenia may struggle to begin any sort of activity, social or not.
Autism
Autistic people often experience social isolation due to bullying or prejudice. However, research into autistic teens suggests most autistic people do desire close relationships and sexual intimacy.
In addition, criteria for SZPD don't include the intense need for routine or sensory processing issues that characterize autism.
Avoidant personality disorder
Like SZPD, avoidant personality disorder (APD) involves a retreat from social life. People with APD often deeply desire acceptance, but their fear of criticism and humiliation prevents them from approaching others.
Meanwhile, people with SZPD tend not to respond much to praise or criticism, at least not visibly. They generally approach relationships with reluctance or ambivalence.
To put it another way, you might have a desire for closer relationships deep down, but repressed emotions and unmet needs from childhood might get in the way.
Consistent emotional neglect in childhood can make it difficult to trust others later in life. If you've learned you can't rely on anyone to meet important emotional needs, you might respond by becoming entirely self-sufficient so you won't have a need for anyone else.
Depression
An episode of depression could involve some of the same signs as SZPD. Depression, for example, may sap your motivation to go to social events or catch up with friends.
It can also leave you feeling emotionally detached and flat. However, you'll typically only experience these symptoms during a depressive episode.
By contrast, SZPD symptoms remain fairly consistent throughout your life, whether you feel depressed or not. If you have both SZPD and depression, medication may help boost your low mood, but could still leave you feeling detached or uneasy around other people.
How therapy can help
SZPD is typically treated with psychotherapy.
Which type of therapy is best for SZPD is unclear, as research is limited partly due to the fact that people with SZPD rarely seek out treatment for themselves.
"These folks are less likely to present to treatment because their SZPD-related behaviors are ego-syntonic — meaning the symptoms of the personality disorder, including thoughts, wishes, impulses, and behaviors, are aligned with their values," Sabrina Romanoff, clinical psychologist and professor. "People with SZPD most often engage in treatment out of persistent insistence and concern from family members or loved ones."
If you have SZPD and your loved ones are urging you to get treatment, know that therapy is meant to offer help, not punishment. Potential goals of therapy include:
- Learning to identify your emotions as you experience them
- Reducing any stress you feel around other people
- Enhancing your communication skills
- Practicing drawing healthy boundaries in your current relationships
- Regaining a sense of control and agency in your life
Therapy will not force you to become a different person. You can decide yourself what you want to get out of treatment.
"Setting appropriate goals for therapy can help any individual develop flexible and adaptive techniques to assist in dealing with the world," says Delatorre.
Insider's takeaway
If you have SZPD, you don't need to feel guilty for not being as social as other people. Disengaging from others, whether emotionally or physically, likely protected you from harm at some point in your past. But too much isolation can be harmful, too.
Even if these behaviors no longer serve you, they can be hard to let go of — but change is always possible with support from a compassionate, experienced mental health professional.
"Therapists work to help individuals with personality disorders to rewrite their inner narrative to reduce the ongoing sense of distress they feel and lead a more fulfilling life," says Cavallaro.