What are the similarities between schizophrenia and personality disorder?

They may not be confusing schizophrenia and personality disorder, Wonderfully Insane. You're absolutely right -- they tend to be very different! It "could" be that your friend has both schizophrenia AND a personality disorder. After all, the stronger an illness, the more likely that there is a second illness. So he/she may have both and it's just now that this is coming to light.

Another possibility is that your friend has a relatively rare condition called Schizoid Personality Disorder. In this condition, your friend will exhibit many characteristics of schizophrenia, but won't be "out of it" the way many people with schizophrenia are. You may want to Google the symptoms for that one, to see if that's what it is, in your opinion.

A final possibility is that your friend has an equally rare condition called Schizotypal Personality Disorder, which again, leads to "different" sort of behavior but lacks the "totally out of it" sort of nature you would expect with schizophrenia.

In both of these last two cases, your friend would need to have been like this more or less all his or her life. With schizophrenia, there is generally a period where the person is normal and then loses it, typically in teenage years or in their 20's.

Does this help?

Because some personality disorders have symptoms similar to Schiophrenia..... there are 10 personality disorders listed in the DSM so it dep0ends on which one he thinks she has as they are all very different. Schizoid PD is similar to Schizophrenia and in addition to being a PD is considered to be on the Schizoprenia spectrum... people with Schizoid PD like to be alone all the time.. the do not have friends and do not spend much time with family... the symptoms it shares with Schizophrenia are lack of affect, meaning that their emotions can be blunted and they do not show any emotion on their faces. Schizotypal is another PD on the Schizophrenia spectrum.. people with Schizotypal tend to isolate out of paranoia.. they think people are going to hurt them.... they may also have strange beliefs like in the supernatural or they think that they have special powers (similar to the delusions seen in Schizophrenia). It can be very difficult to tell these disorders apart unless a lot of time is spent with the patient.... also medication will work better for someone with Schizophrenia and not so well for the PD's.

Schizophrenia is a mental disorder characterized by a disintegration of the process of thinking and of emotional responsiveness. It most commonly manifests as auditory hallucinations, paranoid or bizarre delusions, or disorganized speech and thinking, and it is accompanied by significant social or occupational dysfunction.

According to the revised fourth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV-TR), to be diagnosed with schizophrenia, three diagnostic criteria must be met:[21]

1.Characteristic symptoms: Two or more of the following, each present for much of the time during a one-month period (or less, if symptoms remitted with treatment).

Delusions

Hallucinations

Disorganized speech, which is a manifestation of formal thought disorder

Grossly disorganized behavior (e.g. dressing inappropriately, crying frequently) or catatonic behavior

Negative symptoms: Blunted affect (lack or decline in emotional response), alogia (lack or decline in speech), or avolition (lack or decline in motivation)

If the delusions are judged to be bizarre, or hallucinations consist of hearing one voice participating in a running commentary of the patient's actions or of hearing two or more voices conversing with each other, only that symptom is required above. The speech disorganization criterion is only met if it is severe enough to substantially impair communication.

2.Social/occupational dysfunction: For a significant portion of the time since the onset of the disturbance, one or more major areas of functioning such as work, interpersonal relations, or self-care, are markedly below the level achieved prior to the onset.

3.Duration: Continuous signs of the disturbance persist for at least six months. This six-month period must include at least one month of symptoms (or less, if symptoms remitted with treatment).

there are many types of personality disorder and you didn't say which type as you can see there are many types but there is a brief description of each one to give you an idea.

Paranoid personality disorder characterized by irrational suspicions and mistrust of others.

Schizoid personality disorder lack of interest in social relationships, seeing no point in sharing time with others, anhedonia, introspection.

Schizotypal personality disorder characterized by odd behavior or thinking.

Antisocial personality disorder a pervasive disregard for the law and the rights of others.

Borderline personality disorder extreme "black and white" thinking, instability in relationships, self-image, identity and behavior. Borderline personality disorder occurs in 3 times as many females than males

Histrionic personality disorder pervasive attention-seeking behavior including inappropriate sexual seductiveness and shallow or exaggerated emotions.

Narcissistic personality disorder: a pervasive pattern of grandiosity, need for admiration, and a lack of empathy.

Avoidant personality disorder social inhibition, feelings of inadequacy, extreme sensitivity to negative evaluation and avoidance of social interaction.

Dependent personality disorder pervasive psychological dependence on other people.

Obsessive-compulsive personality disorder (not the same as obsessive-compulsive disorder) characterized by rigid conformity to rules, moral codes and excessive or obssesive.

Depressive personality disorder - is a pervasive pattern of depressive cognitions and behaviors beginning by early adulthood.

Passive-aggressive personality disorder (negativististic personality disorder) - is a pattern of negative attitudes and passive resistance in interpersonal situations.