Did it occur to you maybe you're Schizoid and not an Aspie?

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Some people think they are one and the same:

http://www.nldontheweb.org/Dinklage_1.htm

That is what they say in the book: That the same portions of the brain seem to be involved with all of those conditions. I found it interesting that they called it a "spectrum." It is the broadest use of that term I have ever seen - even broader than the obsessive-compulsive spectrum disorder (which some people use to include the autism spectrum).



I can relate to that. I used to call myself a solipsist. However, teaching and working with students over the last 27 years has trained me to be a bit different.

The definition of a schizoid personality in the DCM seems obsolete. The DCM has it's roots in Freudian psychology wherein people were divided into various personality types to aid a talk therapist. I believe many of these types have been superseded by advances in our understanding of how the brain works, although I do not discount that they remain an valid tool particularly in helping people who have experienced traumas.

Anybody who has taken psychology 101 knows that you start believing you have all sorts of personality disorders when you probably don't. At certain times we are all narcissistic, egotistical and schizoid.

To me, there are two important personality types: those who despite whatever problems they have are productive, honest, uphold their responsibilities and respect others, and those who are as*holes.

The DSM began to abandon Freudianism with the DSM-III. The DSM-IV-TR is almost entirely based on Emil Kraepelin's genetic and biological nosology (classification of "diseases").

Although they neglected to note that a lot of Kraepelin's "dementia praecox" could have been not what's modernly considered schizophrenia, but what's modernly considered autism and AS.

I read one Kraepelin paper about a guy who as a child had been strange and socially awkward, I think he was also good in some subjects and not in others but I can't remember, had his own interests, etc. Then they talk about him become "delusional" as a teenager. But what it sounds more like is that he got obsessed and terrified about the beliefs of his time about masturbation (which were pretty extreme beliefs), and that became his new obsession and fear was that awful things were going to happen to him if he did it. Which sounds like an autistic person or a person with OCD taking things very literally and becoming obsessed with a narrow area.

At any rate, the guy sounded autistic and sounded like they were really stretching to call him "delusional".

Well, Kraepelin did not coin that term, but he did use it. However, there are some writers who urge a return the designation "dementia praecox" (premature dementia) - for schizophrenia, not autism.



Well, I have my own problems with Kraepelin. Principally, I object to what appears to me (as a layman) to be his reification of mental disorders. He strikes me as an essentialist.

Another amazing topic

I read all the posts that commented on the various delutional disorders that were mentioned. I do not know a lot about pschology as I have only a Grade 12 education, but I have my special interests and do a lot of reading and research. It's easier now with the internet.

The posts describing Normal Personality Disorder and Staff Personality Disorder sound like they could be applied to nazis and termed National Socialist Personality Disorder. Terrorists, serial and mass murderers and those who kill and maim and rape for the sheer joy of it (sadists) could also be included in such categories or they can be grouped under another creative label., perhaps Psychopathic Personality Disorder.

To answer the question as asked, though, is what I should be focussing on, as focussing is something I do quite well. I have a hunch that those in the schizophrenic category are more prone to delusions or flights from logic and rationality. This is not intended as a criticism, and I apologize in advance to anyone that has been offended. With this in mind it would not be accurate to classify me as schizoid.

Thank you

I think I have AS initially and then developed schizoid because of AS.

I consider myself alternative. I mean, I have a lot of AS in my system, but also some of the Schizoid traits. I am cold. I empathise with two people, one I have not seen for a while. I like to be alone, but I was pleased to see my old friends the other night. People consider me straight thinking, yet know I spend a lot of my time in a happy, far away place, unknown to all but myself. I connect more with music and animals than I do with other humans. My friends call me Gollem, because I talk to myself. I always seem to know what gifts to get someone, like I comprehend their unspoken desires, yet I cannot comprehend basic body language. I have to know everything I can find on a subject important to me, but do not wish to know anything about something that does not interest me.

I am alternative, definately to the mainstream of society, free from the ties of popularity that bind so many together. In an age where so little is sacred, where nothing seems new, I still manage to surprise those around me.

What makes Speedy complete? It seems there were a lot of pieces of the kit missing from the box I came in. When those pieces turn up, along with the instruction book, then fine, maybe the true answer will be revealed.

What fits best for me is having AS from birth and developing schizoid tendencies as I've gotten older. Schizoid wouldn't account for the fine and gross motor coordination and balance challenges I've always had. Plus getting overwhelmed easily and rarely understanding group interaction. I can only be with people for short periods of time before I get overloaded. It isn't easy to explain that to people. they think I am rude or don't want to be with them. Only a few friends understand and take me as I am. I feel most comfortable alone with a cat for company. l love animals and always have. I pushed myself too hard trying to handle a management position some years back and crashed and burned and have never been the same since.

I've accepted it. I'll live alone with just a few friends for the rest of my life. That's OK. A schizoid-like withdrawal is more the realization that it just won't work my trying so hard to live like most others do so easily. Let it be.

But it still contains nebulous "disorders" such as narcissicm and borderline personality, which are largely constructs of Freud which continue to be passed down. Calling them diseases instead of personality disorders doesn't make them more definitive and finding a specific genetic or biological basis for such conditions seems unlikely.

Sure, but there has been a massive paradigm shift in psychiatry. Psychiatrists only recently realized that they put their bets on the wrong horse. As a result of the rapprochement between psychiatry and Emil Kraepelin, there may eventually be a merger (on some level) between psychiatry and neurology. Psychiatrists have now abandoned, for the most part, a silly, and largely discredited, philosophy for a genetic and biological framework. It is taking the nosology a while to catch up. Many disorders which are in the DSM-IV-TR may not survive into the DSM-V.

I do show affection, just in different ways than the usual hugging and kissing etc. My family knows that I appreciate them. I don't know if I am emotionally cold, I don't know what that means.



I do try to express my emotions, I just find it difficult to express verbally. I can sometimes write about them, though, as some may have seen in a few threads I have written about myself being depressed here on WP.



Yes, I do prefer solitary activities. Also, I have no one to share activities with so I have no choice at present but to do solitary activities.



I do have no close relationships in real life only because I find it difficult to make them, but I DO desire them.



I don't take praise well and say that it is not true. This is because of low self esteem from being bullied, though. I don't think anyone takes criticism well....



This is true. My main activity is being online. I do engage in other activities at home, though. Such as spending time with the animals, listening to music and reading.



I know that I am not a "social norm", this is because I have AS...not because I am schizoid [I am diagnosed with AS]. I am not at all "conventional" in most things that I do.



Somewhat true. Not preoccupied with fantasy...but introspection I guess I could say somewhat preoccupied. I don't think it is a fault to want to self-reflect often, though.



I am only 16 years old, I don't have a desire for a sexual experience with another person yet and I think many people my age would feel the same way.

So to conclude...no, I don't think I have SPD.

No, it is ruled out in the diagnostic process.

I considered Schizoid when I was researching AS,but I dismissed it because
I do have a desire for friendship and I'm not 'indifferent' to social norms or
conventions - I'm just not accomplished at living up to them.
AS also has other possible traits that are not listed in the DSM - ones like
children who don't swing their arms when walking in public and having heightened sensitivity to noise/colours etc.

I'm textbook AS, but I act like a borderline NT, because I've always gone to mainstream school.