Study group discussion: Schizophrenia and Schizotypal disorder

What's difference between schizophrenia and schizotypal?

Schizotypal have odd behaviour and magical thinking.

Why schizophrenia is not placed in personality disorder?

Schizophrenia is a much more serious mental disorder, while schizotypal personality disorder is a (relatively) mild condition where the patient has social anxiety, extreme need to be alone and usually believes in odd things.

For example, have you seen or read Harry Potter? Luna Lovegood could be an example for a schizotypal personality disorder.

Schizophrenia on the other hand, could be... Hmm... Couldn't think of a HP reference.
Anyway, a person who is delusional, has hallucinations, hears voices, again believes odd things but on a much more serious level and is willing to do a lot of things to support those beliefs or because of them.

"Personality" is like, the things that make you YOU... That makes you different from other people.

Our teachers says prophets were schizotypial.. No offense, Living alone in deserts and hearing voices!

Personality disorders are classified as the differences from the norm, they are not always extremely dangerous/harmful mental disorders like schizophrenia. "personality disorders" are just a certain behavioral pattern.

Hahah well that could be said actually, if a person came to my hospital claiming he was a prophet we would give him medication probably!

Can you help me differentiate thought content vs thought form and thought process?

I can try to help.
Thought content is what you are thinking about. Say, you are sitting in your house looking out the window, there are 2 people walking and they have a dog. Looking at them your thought content would be those 2 people, the dog, and that they are walking.

This is in the beginning..

Then you start to form more complex thoughts, the way those develop are your thought process.

"Those people are walking. They are walking in front of my house. They have a dog. Why do they have a dog? Why are they in front of my house? Are they watching me? Who sent them here?"

This is an example of a thought process, the way ideas are forming and developing in the person's head.

This was an example of a paranoid way of thinking by the way, which is common in schizophrenia.

Hey buddy thanks it was very helpful!

You are welcome :)