Current thinking suggests that a personality disorder is a combination of fixed behaviors, combined with inaccurate perceptions, and out of proportion emotions. Personality structure is usually a combination of healthy, accurate, proportional interactions with the world combined with distorted interaction. Everyone has a partial personality disorder based on percentages of the personality that are not working effectively. This is a result of childhood training, including exposure to threat, loss, or transitions. We need to think of personality as having multiple parts that can work in harmony or in conflict with each other. The bigger the inner conflict, the more serious the personality disorder.
In my opinion, Schizoid was the term that British researchers applied to neural diverse clients when describing extreme behaviors or perceptual distortions. In the same way that NT's have personality disorders, ND's adopt disordered methods of interpreting the world and responding out of proportion to the moment, based on the behaviors of their parents, family members, and social pressures. Typically, the personality structure is "fixed" by about 10 years old. This means the habits of self-expression that are in place by 10, stay in this pattern until great effort is applied to improve those expressive structures. If a "personality disorder" worsens with age, it usually means that there is an additional problem with biochemistry that continues to unfold. Affective disorders, like bi-polar, anxiety, or depression, are typical neurological challenges that increase one's difficulties with age. However, the medications available today are extremely effective in treating these problems. The biggest challenge for those with depression, anxiety or mania, is resistance to, or fear of, medication, thus guaranteeing continued suffering. Diet and exercise can help relieve mild cases depression and anxiety. My book, Mastering the Art of Psychotherapy addresses many of these issues. Available through Amazon.
