Do You Have a Schizoid Personality?

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a) What does "pleasure" mean? I find "pleasure" in the simplest things, but they are unconventional and so a "normal" person might think I have few pleasures. Personally I'm fine with it, so it is not schizoid.
b) I'm not emotionally cold, but I exhibit a flattened expression. In fact I knew a person who was truly emotionally cold and really lacking empathy,while the aspies I know aren't like that. (yes, yes, DSM whatever.)
c) I may appear to have a limited capacity - but I've found that towards somebody I love I can really express it and they can tell. It's just a matter of the heart.
d) I do that, but that's because I can't tell whether someone is lying.
e) Why have sex with somebody you don't love?
f) Definitely, but I also like to go on walks with people and do cafe things. I just havent met the ppl iwant to do it with and who can do it with me.
g) I definitely am introspective, and my imagination runs away on its own. ...Hey, the fantasy world is much better than the real one.
h) I have one/two ppl whom I occasionally confide in. But I AM LONELY. -_- So I'm not schizoid,because i have the desire.
i) That sounds aspie-ish... o_o And yeah, I definitely have it. But also sometimes I get paralysed because I'm afraid of doing stupid things. Eh. Go figure.

i scored severe, reasone being i had 2 points on each

I got a 12. But I recognize about a month ago It would be 2-4 points higher. Thats life for you, stuff comes along and changes some of the very fabric of your being. But I kinda cheated, cause I've already been diagnosed and read the report. *Cackles* Thats a good read.

I have read that some professionals are starting to wonder whether or not Schizoid shouldn't be on the Autism Spectrum.

There's a higher occurance rate of Schizoid PD in families of an autty than in the general population. Of course, there's a higher occurance rate of SPD in families of Schizophrenics. And then again, I've read a study which showed there were higher occurance rates of Schizophrenia within the family of Aspies and HFAers.

We're just all interelated and confused and crazy!

Oh yes. As for me: 11

a. 0
b. 1
c. 1
d. 0
e. 2
f. 2
g. 2
h. 2
i. 1

11-13 depending on how I read some of the questions...

I think that for me I developed some of my schizoid tendencies as I defence against the rest of the world to make okay to be different...

Ender

Do you have a reference for this? I have a lot of experience with one and reasonable knowledge of the other, and I find it hard to see the similarities between the two as anything more than superficial.

I was reading a rather old text about the personality disorder of the DSM-III. Back then, schizotypal, schizoid, and avoidant personality disorders were newly distinguished from a previous conception of schizoid personality disorder. This book took the approach of categorizing the personality disorders by similarities in things like independence/dependence, activity/passivity/ambivalence, etc. It was an interesting read; but, of course, much of the psychoanalytical theory mentioned is close to rubbish. It divided the personality disorders into "normal" and "severe" categories. Basically, the severe personality disorders were mixes of the normal personality disorders with more severe symptoms appended to the clinical picture. For example, schizotypal personality disorder could be seen as a schizoid personality disorder or avoidant personality disorder with illusory perception and disorganized thinking added. Borderline personality disorder could be seen as a histrionic personality disorder or a few other personality disorders with more severe breakdowns of the ego and less controlled impulse and emotional control. The author considered paranoid personality disorder to be somewhat an outgrowth of narcissistic personality disorder in many cases; the narcissist cannot accept the weaknesses within himself or herself and begins to project hostility and all kinds of bizarreness onto his or her social environment to justify failure.

The author considered DSM-III schizoids to be emotionally cold. They genuinely feel little of anything and so receive little from social interaction or too much of anything. He said even their fantasies might provide them too little pleasure eventually as they become increasingly empty. In contrast, the avoidant feels too much and becomes overwhelmed in social situations. They are hypersensitive to possible embarrassment and rejection; to avoid this risk, they withdraw.

He started the discussion with dependent personality disorder and then histrionic personality disorder. The first is the passive-dependent style (doing anything to please the person they're dependent upon, not speaking up for themselves, viewing themselves as inferior and weak), and the second is the active-dependent style (charming and seducing people into liking them, avoiding becoming too dependent on any one person frequently, remaining the center of attention at all times). Some patients mix the two.

I read about this a long time ago and unfortunately I only remember one of the secondary references I happened over, DSM-IV-TR Personality Disorders 2nd Ed., which is a separate book that the APA puts out solely on the PDs.

Unfortunately, I've tried to find this backed up in specific research and haven't had much success (though I haven't had a great amount of opportunity) so clearly not a lot of research has been done yet. But I think more will be done in the near future.

Around 10 I would say. I reckon Schizoid Personality and mild Asperger's are interchangeable diagnoses. Asperger's is the more more useful diagnosis to have, though.

Is there any age criteria for the onset of these symptoms? I remember being just as AS when I was younger, but a lot less evil and bratty.

I believe that to official have a personality disorder (be it Schizoid or any thing else) you have to be an "adult"... kids, and teens can only display the Schizoid-like behaviours.

I guess they figure you can grow out of it... Personally I think many high functioning Aspies tend to grow into it to keep the world at bay...

Ender

Let's see . . .

(a) 0
(b) 1
(c) 1
(d) 1
(e) 0
(f) 1
(g) 2
(h) 0
(i) 1

So, I think I scored 7. Between 7 and 9. Sometimes I was wavering beween 0 and 1 for these answers. Earlier, it was a 10, so I'm not sure if I'm being biased now or was earlier.

The only schizoid traits that I seem to have are tendency to introspection and fantasy (since when was thinking a mistake) and insensitivity to social norms, but the fact is normal people don't like me and they tell me so.

I wonder if a lot of people don't ice off from people because of the way that they are treated.

I also wonder why some of these characteristics are associated with a disorder. For example my wife soemtimes wishes I was less interested in sex, so if I had one more of these characteristics she would be happier.

Onset for personality disorders must be by adulthood and remain fixed. Children and adolescents can show signs of a personality disorder, but they can't officially be diagnosed until adulthood. In the UK, for example, if I am not mistaken, it is illegal to diagnose a personality disorder before a person is at least 18.

I scored 16. I've probably morphed into being who I am today from an avoidant personality in which I would concern myself greatly with others' opinions of me and persistently try to fit in with social groups though I had a pretty narrow comfort zone. I don't know how much of a choice it is for me to be schizoid but I find it advantageous in that:

I have massive amounts of time to devote to inner fantasies of my choosing.

I do not experience any emotional turbulence in real life.

I am able to focus on developing one or two close relationships and keep everyone else at a distance which is less taxing than trying to maintain several friendships.

I have no worries about keeping up with trends and prevailing norms.

I don't feel guilt or inadequacy because of my communication deficits.