schizophrenic spectrum disorders.

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I have aspergers and I've recently thought I might have something like schizotypal/schizoaffective personality disorder or maybe mild paranoid schizophrenia and wondered if anyone on here would be able to hazard a guess if I described some of my problems.
I frequently feel detatched from reality and have a general distrust of everyone. I feel people are going to hurt me or kill me even if I don't know them (neighbours, people I see in the street etc). I get random images come into my head of things that are often frightening and aren't things or people i have seen before in real life or on TV etc. I sometimes think people can read my thoughts especially when I sit too close to them and I have often tried to fake eye contact and alter my answers to psychologists etc as I think they will use what I say against me and try to lock me in a mental institute. I also get things in my head like a doctor isn't really a doctor but a mental patient trying to take their place and if they know I've worked out who they are they will kill me. I sometimes feel like I'm slipping out of reality and everything I know will be gone forever and I need to cling on to someone to stop it happening. I only trust my mother and feel everyone else is conspiring against me and wants to harm me or get rid of me including doctors, nurses etc. I can't watch horror or sci-fi as I struggle to seperate what I've watched from reality and feel it is or will happen to me. I also have frequent bouts of depression but during these I can have moments where I'm extatically happy.
What does this sound like? If it is any of the things I thought then what are the pro's and con's of diagnosis?

If you have these symptoms at times when your mood is relatively stable, then it's likely you've got some form of schizo affective disorder. If you only have these feelings when wildly high or very depressed, then you have some kind of mood disorder with psychotic overtones.

You would need to write down what you've said here, and give it to your mother, who you trust, and ask her to help you explain to a doctor what is going on. Because believe me, you'll feel much better if they can find an anti psychotic that works for you. I know what I'm talking about, I'm bipolar, and had many of the same symptoms as you. It's just such a relief not thinking that everyone's out to get you, and being able to make sense of the world.

Not uncommon with ASDs to live in your own mindscape a lot.

Could just be the result of lots of bad experiences. A lot of us have those.

Could just beintrusive thoughts
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intrusive_thoughts

These sound serious, and might indicate schizophrenia, they're very typical schizophrenic thoughts. The only thing that confuses me is that you seem to know that it's a delusion; the schizos I have known didn't.

Pros: You get the help you need
the doc will understand why you say the things you do
once you find the med that will help you, you will feel better and understand that no-one is out to kill you.
Cons: finding the right medicine can take time (but without even trying you won't get well)
some of the meds have bad side effects
you'll need them for a very long time, maybe for life
i can't deny that schizo-disorder is a hard label to carry, and that people might be afraid of you as they fear voices will tell you to kill them. You might wish to not share that info with just about anyone.

I know I posted a lot of negatives here, but I think you should be prepared as much as you can and have a realiistic view of what will happen next. you say you have AS, so then you're probably as fond as me of being prepared and knowing what to expect.

That said the only way to become better is to seek the help you need. If you're a schizo that's a tough break, but the only way to deal with it and be better, rather than just become sicker and sicker, is to have it checked out thorughly.
Make a list of the things that worry you and talk with your mother about it. Have her help you out with this.

I agree with others, you need to be open about what you're feeling with doctors. Many people don't get help for schizophrenia until its well advanced and they are so delusional that they can't even tell there's something wrong with them. You are to be congratulated for seeing that something is wrong and for facing the fact that it might be schizophrenia.

Leaving it and not dealing with it could lead to becoming very ill. Treating it early -- if it is that -- is very good. My psychiatrist treats people for schizophrenia. Not everyone with with schizophrenia needs to be hospitalised; some are hospitalised for a short time only, and some not at all. The idea behind hospitalisation -- if it is necessary at all -- is supposed to be to help.

Actually, I know schizophrenics who are aware of their illness, and even when delusional... ie thinking things that aren't true, hearing voices, seeing things, have insight into their condition. Apparently well educated or more intelligent patients are able to discern the difference between what is real, and what is imaginary.

Hope that helps.

My father is schizophrenic and he is very much UNAWARE of his condition. It's unfortunate, but I agree with you. It is also a spectrum disorder and some that are diagnosed will have an easier time coping than others.

OP, you sounds like you have a lot of insight like the previous poster has said. Honestly, what you're describing does sound like paranoid schizophrenia but i agree with the above poster, a high level of intelligence could help you cope more easily with the disorder and make for a better outcome.

Some of what you have been describing sound delusional, for instance the idea of people reading your thoughts. I'm DXed with schizoaffective [it's not a personality disorder, by the way] and one of my delusions was similar in that I used to think that I was broadcasting my thoughts to the rest of the world. It was rather horrifying for me because I thought that everyone could hear my thoughts and know all my secrets, and then use them against me.

Whatever type of schizo<x> you might be depends on the manifestations of the symptoms, and whether you also have mood states that are involved. It's a really good idea to let a doctor know of your symptoms because it's a great feeling to be relieved of them. Living with paranoia is no way to live.