Schizotypy: definition, causes, symptoms, treatment and controversy.

This disorder continues to be debated and is the subject of long-standing controversy.

Throughout the history of psychology, attempts have been made to decipher the mind and thinking of people through all kinds of methods. Certain currents of psychological research have created a series of psychiatric classifications or typologies based on the physical characteristics or attributes shared by a certain number of people.

One of these typologies is the not very well known schizothymia.. Throughout this article we will talk about what is the meaning of this term, where is its origin and the weak points that it has when defining the temperament of a person.

What is schizothymia?

Schizothymia or schizotypal personality is a term, currently in disuse, which was used to refer to people of a withdrawn and distant nature, who do not present any type of psychotic pathology.who do not present any type of psychotic pathology. These people usually live in solitude and with their attention fully focused on their inner world. Likewise, they are people with a tendency or predisposition to manifest symptoms related to autism.

On an intellectual level, schizotypal personality is related to originality, idealism and tendency to abstract analysis and sometimes obsessive organization.

This personality type was described by E. Kretschmer in his classification of psychiatric typologies according to physical appearance and temperament. It would constitute a non-pathological version of schizophrenia in which only negative symptomatology is present.

This tendency to introversion and isolation, characteristic of schizotypy, differs from cyclothymia in that in the latter the person experiences a series of fluctuations that lead from this state of introversion or depression to a state of extreme enthusiasm or euphoria.

Schizotypy is characterized by the depth and intensity with which the person lives his or her most intimate experiences, which are followed by extensive periods of subjective reflection and internalization.

In the same way that the person lacks any kind of interest in the external reality that surrounds him/her, he/she also manifests great deficits in social skills, which is a problem in the treatment of schizophrenia.This is a problem when initiating or maintaining any type of interpersonal relationship.

Another peculiarity of schizotypal people is that they show their anger or aggressiveness in a very cold and distant way. As a general rule, the schizothymic person will tend to accumulate his small outbursts of anger or his disappointments, discharging them only in very few and rare occasions.

This isolation from reality and the need to be centered in his inner world are conditioning factors for the person to suffer some kind of psychosis, since it will surely manifest itself in the form of schizophrenia.

Therefore, and according to the psychological characteristics described above, schizotypy would constitute a non-pathological version of schizophrenia in which the manifestation of negative symptomatology predominates.

Origin and evolution of schizophrenia

As mentioned in the previous point, it was Kretschmer who coined the term schizothymia in his classification of psychiatric pathologies. This classification is based on the idea that there are four types or models of psychiatric personality which depend on the physical appearance of the person, keeping an intrinsic and direct relationship between the body structure and the personality of the subjects.

After observing, examining and measuring a large number of subjects, Kretschmer made a classification of temperament based on the body structure and morphology of people. From this study he extracted three basic archetypes of temperament.

These were the asthenic or leptosomatic to which the schizothymic temperament corresponds, the picnic with cyclothymic temperament, and the athletic with viscous or ixothymic temperament.. In addition, he created a fourth category called "dysplasics" which would include all those who could not be classified in the previous three.

For a better understanding of this classification, the four categories created by Kretschmer are described below.

1. Leptosomic or schizotypal

The morphology of the leptosomic or schizotymic person is characterized by a long and slender constitution.. With contracted shoulders and back, thin skeleton and long and narrow trunk. They are also distinguished by a pale-skinned face, generous nose and angular profile.

In terms of temperament, it corresponds to the schizotypal. Which, as described above, stands out for being unsociable, shy, introspective and reflective, pessimistic and irascible, but at the same time it is also tenacious, dreamy, idealistic and analytical.

2. Picnic or cyclothymic

According to the German psychiatrist, pychic or cyclothymic persons are distinguished by a physical appearance of broad trunk and short arms and legs, as well as a normal height and short legs.as well as a normal height and rounded figure. In addition, they are susceptible to obesity and have a soft body with an abundance of fat.

A cyclothymic temperament corresponds to a person of the pnicnic type. People with this temperament are distinguished by being affable, benevolent, affectionate and cheerful. But with sudden outbursts of anger, explosive and choleric intermittently. However, they can also be sociable, talkative, practical and realistic.

3. Athletic or viscous

The person of athletic morphology and viscous temperament presents physical traits such as broad back and shoulders that narrow as they approach the waist, large and coarse limbs, robust bones and a rough complexion.

This type of body build is associated with the viscous temperament, which manifests itself through passive, emotionally stable, calm, indifferent, indifferent, and unresponsive behaviors.They are calm, indifferent, unimaginative and confident of their vigor.

4. Dysplastic

Finally, this last categorization includes people with insufficient or disproportionate development, with some type of physical anomaly or who cannot be classified in any of the previous subtypes.

Following this classification, and due to the criticism it has received over time, W. H. Sheldon, a professor at Harvard University, created another parallel classification. This classification was also based on a person's physique. However, in addition to physical build Sheldon also took into account other factors such as viscerotonia or cerebrotonia.

According to Sheldon, people who manifest the schizotypal temperament proposed by Kerscher correspond to the "ectomorph" subtype created by himself. A person with ectomorphic physical characteristics is distinguished by an emaciated dermis, poor musculature and fragile bones. As well as long, thin limbs.

Criticism of the term schizothymic

As mentioned at the beginning of the article, the term schizothymic, like the rest of the classification of temperaments, has not been free from criticism from the scientific community.as well as the rest of the classification of temperaments has not been free of criticism from the scientific community, so it has not enjoyed a long life, and has been replaced by a meaning with much more support: dysthymia.

Dysthymia and dysthymic disorder are characterized by a depressive mood. It is considered a chronic disorder by which the person is invaded by a series of melancholic feelings but does not constitute a depression by itself.

• Among the reasons why the term schizotypal has not been integrated into current psychiatric classifications are:
• It is a very reductionistic label. A person's personality or temperament cannot be determined solely on the basis of his or her physical complexion.
• Kretschmer only describes extreme types, without taking into account the points in between.
• It does not take into account the physical changes that a person may undergo throughout his or her life.