Help - Schizoid personality disorder

Argamemnon · Expert User Joined: Jan 15, 2008 Posts: 741

I was shocked to read that I meet almost all criteria for schizoid personality disorder. What should I do, is there a treatment for this disorder at all? I couldn't find information on this disorder on this site.

From wikipedia:

"According to the ICD-10, schizoid personality disorder is characterized by at least four of the following criteria:

-Emotional coldness, detachment or reduced affection.
-Limited capacity to express either positive or negative emotions towards others.
-Consistent preference for solitary activities.
-Very few (if any) close friends or relationships, and a lack of desire for such.
-Indifference to either praise or criticism.
-Taking pleasure in few, if any, activities.
-Indifference to social norms and conventions.
-Preoccupation with fantasy and introspection.
-Lack of desire for sexual experiences with another person."

recluse · Posted: Mon Aug 18, 2008 9:03 pm Post subject:

At one time i thought i was schizoid but i realize the difference in that i desire affection and friendships...I fit into avoidant category.

Lea · Intermediate User Joined: Mar 08, 2008 Posts: 235

Len · Intermediate User Joined: Jun 06, 2008 Posts: 102

A lot of the symptoms cited above could also be symptoms of depression.

Argamemnon · Expert User Joined: Jan 15, 2008 Posts: 741

decadeOfSA · Posted: Mon Aug 18, 2008 10:13 pm Post subject:

Some psychotherapist initally diagnosed me with this when I was young and it freaked my parents out. This was before my SA became severe. It's totally untrue though. I just have SA and avoid situations with people because of it. I want to be around people and have relationships though. I have been through a lot of shrinks and therapists over the years and almost all of them sucked and either mis-diagnosed me or were too lazy or dumb to give me proper treatement. So either me, my parents or my insurance paid these fools to do nothing basically and probably helped jack up my insurance rates by saying I had some condition I don't have. I had some minor depression then too which I haven't had for a long time. Both the anxiety and depression can mimic symptoms of Schizoid personality.

I think most therapists are a waste of time. Most shrinks were too, since they kept trying SSRIs over and over and I didn't show any improvement. I tried all the SSRIs basically and many several times at high does and they never helped. I finally told my shrink that I must not have a serotonin problem since none of them ever helped me and he finally caved in and gave me more of what really works, benzos. I don't like being addicted to benzos, but it is the only medicine that has actually helped. I have tried anti-pyschotics either and Neurontin and some other crazy things in the hope they would help, but only benzos work for me. I think if I actually got a decent therapist, they could help me. Too bad I can't afford one right now....

decadeOfSA · Posted: Mon Aug 18, 2008 10:15 pm Post subject:

VioletTears · Intermediate User Joined: Jun 09, 2008 Posts: 130

You know, I'm actually not entirely against self-diagnosis (at least not always) because I think we know ourselves better than anyone (including our therapists/psychiatrists) will ever know us... I "knew" that I had depression and anxiety long before I was generically diagnosed with both, and I also "know" that I have avoidant personality disorder, even though I still haven't been diagnosed. I think that everyone has TRAITS of different disorders, though, so if you're reading it and just seeing peices of yourself most likely you don't have it... But if you're reading it and totally feeling like you're reading your own autobiography (not just questioning), then there's probably a good chance you do have it... I know for myself I personally feel like I COULD fit the criteria for about 4 different personality disorders, although with most I feel that half the stuff totally fits me and the other half doesn't at all... Avoidant Personality Disorder is the only one that fully resonates with me... I think that they sometimes have something at the bottom of the DSM excluding diagnosis when the symptoms can be better accounted for by a different disorder?

Anyways, it doesn't REALLY matter whether you have it or not... What matters is that your symptoms, regardless of which box they fit into the most neatly, are causing you distress... That's what you need to try to find relief for... Unfortunately it's really not an easy path, but there are certainly many things that you can try... therapy, meds, self help books, yoga... there are many things that CA help people... Probably the most important question is, what do YOU think that you need?

krs2snow · Advanced User Joined: Jan 25, 2008 Posts: 322

VioletTears, your post Rocks.

We all want a tidy little answer, don't we? A neat and clear-cut 'diagnosis' that will "Explain It All" But, the answer will not be found in a diagnosis, as we wish it would. It will not be found in a "Happy" pill that we can take twice a day (at 8am and 5pm, precisely!) and then magically! our lives will begin to Work & make sense!

Instead, it takes work. It takes flexibility. Goals, perseverance, standards, vision, expectations, experience, self-improvement and sometimes introspection. And sometimes, no introspection at all. Just simply allowing ourselves (or daring ourselves) to get out there and Do.

A diagnosis can absolutely help clarify the issue at hand, however, it will never solve that issue. It just names it. And heck, what's in a name?

Day_Tripper · Intermediate User Joined: Sep 02, 2007 Posts: 263