Avoidant and/or schizoid

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I don't think a personality disorder is as common a comorbidity as depressions, executive dysfunction or selective mutism, but from what I heard so far, those two would be the two prevelant PDs. So I might not be too alone with this. Social phobia also seems to be quite common. Until some relatively recent DSM changes here and there, experts and affected persons alike would often compare the two personality disorders and call them siblings.

- When did your PD develop? Do you understand where it came from?

- Where do you stand in the nurture vs nature discussion?

- How and did you learn to differ between your conditions (PD and autism)?

- What do you think is the hardest part?

- Any upsides?

- Have you experimented with therapy, meds/drugs or anything else?

- Does it irritate you, too how many NTs seem to think that schizoid = Aspie? And then you might even be the walking stereotype for this, after all!

I hope someone answers your gr8 post.

Are you Greek?!?!?

I don't have AS but I have Avoidant PD.

I think it was one of those situations where it was under the surface via nature and childhood neglect/abuse (severe) but then developed (trigger was pulled) over a period of 9 years during which I lived very remote with my HFA husband. We lived far from town, no social interactions, etc. I developed depression, anxiety and became agoraphobic for a spell. Being around people became very strange and then as I began to focus on "what's wrong with me", I developed a complex about myself.

I can't think of ANY positive attributes other than if I stretch it far enough- I am now sharing a similar trait with my husband (I actually wish I had friends though- he doesn't care if he does or not), but the negatives are a mile long.

I take anxiety meds and see a Psychologist. I'm slowly acclimating to people again but it's a slow process.

Schizoid can NOT coexist with Aspergers. A person could only be diagnosed with one or the other.

Sorry for getting back to you so late, but that is absolutely misleading wording, Nick. An autist cannot have executive dysfunction? Or selective mutism? Or sensory processing disorder? Diagnostically speaking, no. Say what? Those diagnoses are reserved for neurotypical people. Autism or sensory processing disorder. While the majority of autisitc people have disordered sensory processing! Why? So we can be diagnosed with autism. Not with a long list of 25 disorders. The diagnose of autism entails many comorbidities which all lead up to one big picture. The point you were trying to make is factually correct, but the wording is terribly misleading. And I believe you made a mistake to include PDs. They are separate from this rule, at least where I am from. A diagnosed autist cannot be diagnosed with selective mutism, but with a personality disorder. Maybe that is different in your region.

Thank you for sharing your experience, Leilei. There is a ton of speculation (and sadly no legit research) out there how personality disorders develop and most affected people do believe that childhood trauma causes it. But that it is not correct to diagnose someone before they enter their 20s, as personalities are of course still developing in the teenage years and we must look for definitive patterns. I believe that I became avoidant because of how I grew up as a kid, with no support whatsoever and tons of bullying. Had I grown up in a positive environment, one that did not treat autism like leprosy, I of course would be a different person. Maybe for the better? Who knows. Someone else might have become a narcissist or a pure schizoid under such circumstances, while other people would disassociate simply.