Wondering what this could possibly be.

SO I'm dealing with a certain set of symptoms here that I'm trying to put together.

I had an extremely traumatic childhood. Often times I wonder if anything around me is real and have trouble identifying with myself as a person. I have no sense of self worth in the negative or positive. I simply don't understand the idea.
In social situations I often have a complete lack of empathy or emotional response to other people, but while watching movies I can become entirely over emotional. If I attempt to get close to people those friendships tend to degrade rapidly after reaching a sort of climax. I have no sense of sarcasm, but that's not to say a lack of humor. It appears that I have trouble communicating in that I try to say how I'm feeling to other people, but I always get a completely misunderstood response. I'm completely introverted, but I try to talk to other people out of guilt thinking that its something I need to do. I hate small talk, but if someone speaks on something I'm intensely interested in, I can enjoy a conversation. I often have moments where it feels like everything is moving around me and I'm just watching it happen. I'm intensley agitated at the sight of lumps or dents on flat surfaces and at the prospect of talking on the phone. I do have emotions, but lack affection for other people. I've suffered extended periods of insomnia and will often times choose to not sleep if I find a topic that I'm interested in which case I will obsess over it or hours on end regardless of need for sleep. I have very little sense of the purpose of anything, yet this generally doesn't depress me. Also my responses to pain seems to be completely desfunctional in that I laugh hysterically in proportion to the amount of pain.

Altogether this creates a number of problems in my interactions with other people and I'm wondering what this could possibly be.

Hello

It could be something on the schizoid spectrum, although I'm expert by no means. You also could have Asperger, but it would also require certain deficits in social skills (though they can be quite minimum) and would be inborn and have nothing to do with your childhood.

Sometimes such "symptoms" are not about a specific disorder but simply reactive behavior stemming from current, perhaps prolonged bad life situation. But if you feel your stuff is intense and has lasted for a great deal of time, check out this schizoid & Asperger stuff. If you do your search and don't identify at all, come back and someone will suggest you something else :) Keep us posted.

Hi, schizoid here. I can relate to some of what you said. The problem determining what's real is something I also face, although I think that may be part of depersonalization disorder which I also have. I really can't say for sure, though. You can come and read things on the schizoid subforum if you'd like. If you're really concerned about a diagnosis, I would advise going to the doctor.

Oh, and how old are you? That matters as well

Hi, another non-expert here

I can speak from some experience in saying that some of your symptons sounds like ASD. How long have you felt this way? Did you experience any similar problems as a child? If this has just recently developed I would be more inclined to say that you are suffering from some sort of personality disorder.

Thanks, Jack

I had an extremely traumatic childhood.

Get checked for PTSD

Often times I wonder if anything around me is real and have trouble identifying with myself as a person. I have no sense of self worth in the negative or positive. I simply don't understand the idea.

You have existential angst here, or slef-concept issues, which is a symptom of PTSD and BPD.

In social situations I often have a complete lack of empathy or emotional response to other people,

These are symptoms of Narcisistic PD, Antisocial PD and Schizoid PD.

but while watching movies I can become entirely over emotional. If I attempt to get close to people those friendships tend to degrade rapidly after reaching a sort of climax. I have no sense of sarcasm, but that's not to say a lack of humor. It appears that I have trouble communicating in that I try to say how I'm feeling to other people, but I always get a completely misunderstood response.

So you're a terrible communicator and have low emotional intelligence.

I'm completely introverted,

You and everyone else here.

but I try to talk to other people out of guilt thinking that its something I need to do. I hate small talk, but if someone speaks on something I'm intensely interested in, I can enjoy a conversation.

Completely normal.

I often have moments where it feels like everything is moving around me and I'm just watching it happen. I'm intensley agitated at the sight of lumps or dents on flat surfaces and at the prospect of talking on the phone. I do have emotions, but lack affection for other people.

You probably don't have it, but look up Autism Spectrum Disorders.

I've suffered extended periods of insomnia and will often times choose to not sleep if I find a topic that I'm interested in which case I will obsess over it or hours on end regardless of need for sleep.

I know you think this is weird, but this is normal.

I have very little sense of the purpose of anything, yet this generally doesn't depress me. Also my responses to pain seems to be completely desfunctional in that I laugh hysterically in proportion to the amount of pain.

You're probably hyposensetive, it's a symptom of giftedness (as is the angst) and Aspergers.

Altogether this creates a number of problems in my interactions with other people and I'm wondering what this could possibly be.

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You're awkward, have little self awareness, a lot of intelligence, probably more empathy than you let on, probably less introverted than you think and definitly need to get thinking about how your trauma has effected you.

Ergo, you are average for a young, urban, intelligent person, there's a lot wrong with you but you probably don't have a mental disorder, though you'd probably get diagnosed with Aspergers or Schizoid personality disorder if you tried.

I kind of agree with Foxes.

I had an extremely traumatic childhood
caught my attention immediately and yet you didn't
stay there at all. Instead you launched into all of your so-called
abnormal behaviours.

Time to deal with the pain of the extremely painful childhood?
You developed a lot of coping mechanisms, including diverting attention
from the source of your "symptoms". I don't blame you.
However, if you're ready and can find someone to talk and walk through the pain with you,
do it. It will save you much misery in the future in my opinion.