I'm confused. Are you schitzophrenic? And, have you diagnosed yourself or has a doctor diagnosed you?

Hey Winterlove. Well unless Mayo Clinic doesn't know what they're talking about, I have every symptom and characteristic of Schizoid there is. I'm late getting this taken care of. I've had it for my whole life. Trust me that I'm intimately aware of how I feel. I was misdiagnosed over a year ago as BPD (that was a real diagnosis, at least by a professional with a lot of letters after her name). But nothing about BPD fits me. Still, I relate to my BPD brethren in that I end up with a lot of the same results in trying to cultivate interpersonal relationships.

Schizoid is on the spectrum with Schizophrenia but it's totally different (sounds like a contradiction, I know). If you really want to know all of my darkest secrets, this is a quick run-down.

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/schizoid-personality-disorder/DS00865

Even some of my most deep-seated feelings about what caused this, from the family in childhood, are all there lined up so well it's scary. It's like someone reached into my soul and pulled me out onto a page.

Maybe understanding myself better will be the first step to accepting this crazy disorder and moving on from it. I'll never "get over it" at this point, but I can surely live with it. I've lived with it my whole life with mixed results. Only the anxiety that I've started to feel in the past several years has really knocked me for a loop.

I've had a few really intense relationships in my life (another feature of BPD that made diagnosis difficult), obviously once you read my symptoms it'll make sense why I'm so difficult. It's like a lifelong curse that I seem so aloof on the outside but have such a huge bleeding heart on the inside. Such a waste of intelligence, emotion, and whatever else I'm not living up to my potential.

But thank you for writing to me!

(Scratch that message I sent you.)

Well, I suppose you'll find out today what your diagnoses is. Good luck. I know a couple schizo-affective people. But, I'm surprised your's didn't say "hallucinations". Schizo., from what I understood, was the distinguished by the presense of hallucinations, whether it be audio or visual.
I'm dx'd BPD. Well dr. says Major Depression and Dysthymia, and therapists say BPD. I'm going towards the BPD side because the therapy treatments seem like what I need.

Anywho, thanks for being up at 5 in the morning.

schiziod is not schizophrenia... they are spelled similar ( i don't know why), but they are too different things,

Has anyone here though themselves to be autistic/ aspergers possibly instead of having schizoid personality disorder?

Winterlove..... Schizoid Personality Disorder is not related to Schizophrenia. It is a personality disorder in which the people who are affected do not desire personal relationships. We do not have hallucinations or delusions (at least the SPD doesn't cause them). We are the ultimate loners..... think reclusive, odd, poor social skills..... emotionless, and you are getting a picture of Schizoid PD.

Capn - I sent you a link to the group. There are only 4 of us and we are not very active but you are welcome.

Your last statement about closeness really resonates with me. I think the fact that you feel ambivalent about closeness sort of goes against schizoid. I think you want it, but you're afraid of it. Anyway, just my two cents. I hope you get whatever assistance you need, recovery of anything is a difficult battle. I wish you the best, it sounds like you have the intellect and persistence to get through.

I'm schizoid, well i'm fairly sure becuase avoidant is not me, i dont fear relationships or worry about doing something humiliating.

Schizoid is where you feel totally empty inside, apathy to most people and things and emotions are dulled. Fantasy and inner thinking are a result of self-imposed isolation.

However, the prognosis is pretty grim in terms of getting better. Mainly because schizoids dont want people that close and are usually content to be alone. Btw most schizoids tend to be self-diagnosed because they see no point in going to a doctor.

Schizoids can frequently feel very lonely. It's not fear that keeps us out of relationships it's because we become bored with them easily and we don't know how relationships work. We are better off making friends with our own kind because there is not the pressure or expectations of a "normal" relationship/friendship. I have one friend and we might go a year without even talking on the phone..... she is ok with that... most other people will drift away. For some strange reason she has chosen to remain my friend.

Hey,
In 2007 I had a psychological evaluation and one of the diagnoses they had down was schizoid personality disorder. the evaluation was not with my current psychiatrist. so from the test till maybe this week, i never really thought about the diagnosis. but i did look it up on the Mayo clinic's site, as well. And, yeah everything seemed accurate to me.
Yeah, I know.. I'm a loner too. and I was very surprised that there is no group on here for SPD. But there is one for schizo affective disorder. But those are definitely not the same thing.
do you have any other MH disorders?

I was diagnosed with schizophrenia along time ago never really thought much of it but i have a question does anyone schizophrenic in here show all signs asociality im watching you watch me but cry during sad movies?