Is Asperger's often confused with a personality disorder?

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biostructure
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01 Aug 2012, 4:15 pm

nominalist wrote:

The personality disorders are not usually diagnosed until late adolescence or adulthood. However, the autisms (including AS) are often diagnosed in childhood - though AS frequently later than Kanner's autism.

I think this has to do with the fact that personality "disorders" are negative and self-perpetuating patterns of relating to others, whereas psychiatric or neurological disorders are traits of the self.

Someone who is alone on a desert island could have autism, bipolar disorder, OCD, etc., but would be very unlikely or perhaps certain not to have borderline personality, narcissism, etc. In childhood, one's interactions with others are standardized or screened through the "filter" of the family and other adults. The fact that kids' interaction with each other is supervised by adults seems to prevent "full-blown" personality disorders, even if some traits are present.

Of course, certain psychiatric disorders also have adult onset, like is typical of schizophrenia. However, I see this true adult onset as being fundamentally different from the "onset" of personality disorders, which is probably due to changes in the social surroundings and one's new role in society.

lady_katie
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01 Aug 2012, 4:20 pm

There's some debate as to whether or not it can be confused with Narcissistic Personality Disorder. I think that the general consensus is that Narcissists are very capable and interested in manipulation tactics, where as someone with AS would have no desire or need (or ability?) to do this. There's probably other differences and more to it, but I'm on a Narcissism forum (my mother is a Narcissist) and they were discussing this on there.

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01 Aug 2012, 4:24 pm

Drool_Thingy wrote:

I'm not sure schizoids always isolate themselves due to feelings of superiority. I think they just possess a genuine indifference regarding relationships and see no reward in being involved with others due to not possessing the emotional machinery needed to produce a desire for relationships.

Yeah that is the way I understood it when I read about it.

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01 Aug 2012, 4:30 pm

Lode wrote:

sojournertruth wrote:

Given the above, many of those of us who are 'self-diagnosed aspies' are probably actually experiencing one form or another of a personality disorder.

If anything, it reinforces my feeling that psychology is such a wishy-washy vocation that it does not deserve the descriptor of 'science,' and is too ruled by the subjective and experiential views of its practitioners to be of much value to many of those treated.

Not true, you can't say that without experiencing the psychiatry and psychology itself. It's not like they follow a long study (don't know how long, about 8 years in total I believe, in Holland) to be subjective and just 'guess' what the root of someone's problems are. It's just close-minded to say it's not a science, just because you have some prejudices against it.

We, as humans, need to be less suspicious and critically listen to what an expert has to say. With an open mind and the courage to ask questions and ask for clarification you will get to know yourself alot better.

They, the psychiatrists and psychologists, really do intend to help you, not to steal your money.

Everyone who sees a psychiatrist or psychologist has a responsibility him/herself too.

In the first place, you need to look for a doctor specialised in Autism. Sounds logical, but I have heard from a lot of people with autism who don't want professional help because they had a bad experience with a psychiatrist that couldn't help him/her.
Secondly, you also need to do something by yourself and take steps yourself. Maybe this also sounds obvious, but a doctor can not snap their fingers and make your problems go away, you have to take the first steps yourself.

Please, stop all these unnecessary preconceived opinions agains the psychiatry and psychology.

I think there probably are people working in mental health who are more in it for the money or to make some name for themselves in the psychology circle or whatever......but yes many are probably actually interested in helping, but it can be hard to know which sort of psychiatrist you have. While its not always best to be totally skeptical its certainly not a good idea to assume every psychologist and/or psychiatrist is trustworthy.

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01 Aug 2012, 4:38 pm

Mysty wrote:

alana wrote:

The thing about borderline/AS for me is that i do not believe an AS person can live the life that a borderline lives without being completely overstimulated and melting down like every five minutes. Borderlines have an amazing capacity to cause avalanches right and left while remaining calm and unaffected. They do it intentionally, with forethought, and move on like nothing every happened. To me it's an amazing process to watch, someone causing such turmoil and emotional pain without any inner effect. I think AS people tend to be so jacked up CNS-wise a life like that wouldn't last long.

The thing is, that's a generalization about BPD, and it's not always true. Not everyone with BPD is like that.

Yeah that sort of stigma is what prevents people with that disorder from getting proper help, because everyone already has such a negative view of people with that disorder. I mean it is a disorder yet people still assume the not so desirable behaviors or thought processes it causes are something the person does to spite others which I find ridiculous. Why acknowledge its a disorder and then act like the person wants to have their symptoms.

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01 Aug 2012, 5:47 pm

Sweetleaf wrote:

Mysty wrote:

alana wrote:

The thing is, that's a generalization about BPD, and it's not always true. Not everyone with BPD is like that.

What I've read indicates that people with BPD are not in fact calm and unaffected. They create the avalanches because they feel threatened and cornered and react by fighting. Of course, what makes them feel that way are factors that typically don't bother or often at best annoy people. What I have come across is that BPD often indicates hyper emotionality and a lack of emotional regulation.

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01 Aug 2012, 6:07 pm

Verdandi wrote:

Sweetleaf wrote:

Mysty wrote:

alana wrote:

The thing is, that's a generalization about BPD, and it's not always true. Not everyone with BPD is like that.

And I imagine since it's a disorder its not their choice really...but then people will acknowledge its a disorder and still act like the person with the disorder is choosing to have the symptoms. I find that double standard irritating apparently even some mental health professionals have that attitude so yeah its unfortunate.

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01 Aug 2012, 8:38 pm

Sweetleaf wrote:

It doesn't help when you have professionals like Simon Baron-Cohen asserting that BPD is "zero negative empathy" in a book titled "The Science of Evil."

My case manager the other day told me that people with BPD threaten suicide to be manipulative and get attention, and not that they're actually suicidal. This doesn't really fit with the statistic that ~10% of people with BPD end up killing themselves, making it fairly deadly as compared to other mental illnesses.

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29 Jun 2014, 10:15 am

sorry for the dead thread loving. blame google...

The problem we all have as I'm sure someone has already said, is that we all display a little from columns A, B, C. D and E. As far as PD's go I know I tick a number of boxes across the textbook definition of personality disorders, but also a number from the ASD definition, and going further not really knowing "who" I am.

Makes it hard to know where to start - we all need a starting point to be able to say "I am..." this/that/the other, so we know what we are dealing with and locating the right support.

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29 Jun 2014, 11:59 am

I think the people who are most at risk of misdiagnosis are those in their late teens or 20s. A personality disorder can present in childhood but it really shouldn't be diagnosed until adulthood. I've heard it said that virtually all teens have symptoms of personality disorders, simply because it is part of being a teenager. But a person with a developmental disorder like autism or ADHD may take longer to develop a mature personality, and the teen phase may extend into their 20s.

If a neurodevelopmental diagnosis like ASD, ADHD, or PDD was missed during childhood, the person may end up using coping strategies that make them appear to have a personality disorder as an adult - or they might even be at a higher risk of actually developing a comorbid personality disorder. That might complicate things considerably if a professional doesn't look deeper to find the underlying problem. Many different disorders can appear to have similar symptoms, but the underlying thought processes and brain activity are very different.

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29 Jun 2014, 1:18 pm

As part of my diagnosis, I took the Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory-III (MCMI-III).

I scored pretty high for Schizoid [Base Rate = 78], Avoidant [Base Rate = 63], Depresssive [Base Rate = 79], Compulsive [Base Rate = 75], Schizotypal [Base Rate = 64] and Dysthymia [Base Rate = 64].

My current therapist (who did not originally diagnose me, but who does has expertise working with people on the spectrum) believes a number of diagnoses could apply to me, including Aspergers, Schizoid, Schizotypal or even Obsessive Compulsive Personality Disorder.

I agree with jjstar. It seems like a game of Psycho Roulet.

Veilmenacex
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16 Oct 2015, 7:25 pm

Well the MD FRCPC which is for Canadian Psychiatrists say I have a mixed cluster-b personality disorder with prominent anti social and borderline features. I really think Borderline personality disorder is the closest to AS.

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