Do you ever tell anyone you're a schizoid?

I believe it's best to just be honest about it. If you feel the need to disclose you have Schizoid Personality Disorder, just do it. The good will outweigh the bad. There's no need to feel you're in a straitjacket over it and you can't say anything about it.

Yes, it's a limiting personality disorder....we might be in a straitjacket with our career prospects or career paths with this disorder, but it's not like it's a crime or anything. Heck...I don't even have any career prospects or career paths over having this Disorder...I just have a "job" with this thing...it's a paycheck.

We need to educate others about it so that society will be more adaptive to us and so we can better adapt to it in return. Compassion exists...it is there for us, too. We haven't done anything wrong...it's just our personality quirks at work here....we'll have those quirks wherever we go. We can be in denial of ourselves and ashamed or we can actually accept ourselves.

Depends if the person is even going to understand if I do tell them. Usually I don't, it's better they just assume me to be an introvert.

I Dream 5 wrote:We need to educate others about it so that society will be more adaptive to us and so we can better adapt to it in return. Compassion exists...it is there for us, too. We haven't done anything wrong...it's just our personality quirks at work here....we'll have those quirks wherever we go. We can be in denial of ourselves and ashamed or we can actually accept ourselves.

They're a little bit more than mere quirks.

Animosity wrote:Depends if the person is even going to understand if I do tell them. Usually I don't, it's better they just assume me to be an introvert.

I Dream 5 wrote:We need to educate others about it so that society will be more adaptive to us and so we can better adapt to it in return. Compassion exists...it is there for us, too. We haven't done anything wrong...it's just our personality quirks at work here....we'll have those quirks wherever we go. We can be in denial of ourselves and ashamed or we can actually accept ourselves.

They're a little bit more than mere quirks.

I would hope they would get their phone out and take the time to find out sometime...if they don't understand, that's on them. I've still stated my reality to them...that's all you can do.

They are complex quirks...but I'd still consider them quirks. No....wasn't trying to make light of my own Disorder at all. I can make jokes about my own Disorder...but I wasn't aiming for that there.

Most people in the place I live in are probably too ignorant to even know what schizoid is most likely. And that suits me fine.

I'm a quiet person, and I don't hide that, but I pretend to be sociable to deal with people, so I doubt anyone has any assumptions like that about me.

Any eccentricities I have I try my best to keep private and away from prying eyes. So far, I've been mostly successful. Maybe if I went to work or interacted heavily with people in college then they'd be able to come to their own conclusions. Or maybe not? I have no idea.

I have told coworkers at my current job about my being Schizoid and my other mental health issues so they could at least understand where I was coming from, and they told me I didn't seem like someone who has those problems and were very understanding and supportive of me. This admission has actually helped me out in a couple of cases and allowed me to keep my job, where as other employers I have worked for I kept my mouth shut for my benefit. I think after I am done working where I currently am now that I will not reveal it again. As much as my job angers me, I'd rather keep working there. I know what to expect everyday.

As for family, no. I don't get along with mine and I've cut them out on things like that. Friends, yes I have told and they totally understand. My therapist knows obviously and understands as well.

Yes- I just told my husband I took a test and another and another- I thought I was just avoidant and it keeps coming back schizoid. My husband said- 'you are not' and dismissed me. He is a VP executive. I told him it does not mean Schizophrenic.

I married for more security. We never spoke of children because I have never ever thought of kids of my own. Actually I have always thought- I must not have children!! because then I will be forced to interact with other parents, teachers and so on.

I did try to leave two years ago to get my freedom back...but he was so upset I could not hurt him that way.

When we married in 1997 I should have realized then I had a major disorder because I did not feel anything at the ceremony. He cried-I was ice.

I think most people don't know what it is and are afraid of it-they tend to think schizophrenic and delusional. I have told some friends because I felt that I hadn't been as good as friend to them as perhaps I should and I wanted them to know it was because I didn't care. I merely didn't know how to act. My friends know me and mostly don't care. I do find it easier to give this description for them to read, as it describes me almost exactly and not so robotic as most descriptions.

http://www.jenniferdefrancisco.com/the- ... LnWAtF0w3w

Other schizoids have said it helped them. Maybe it will be of use to some of you.

I don't really see the benefit of telling it to others. Maybe if they would take the time to look it up and read about it, but in reality that's too much to ask. There's huge stigma and misconceptions about mental disorders in society. Just see how often schizophrenia gets confused with dissociative identity disorder in pop culture. I'd rather not be associated with any of it.

I once hinted at it when talking to my sister, but I don't think she really picked it up. Some patients at the psych hospital know, but I guess they think it's pretty much the same as schizophrenia. Quite understandable in this case, as it's a treatment center for psychotic disorders anyway. As there is no specific treatment for schizoid personality disorder, they thought treatment originally designed for schizophrenia would fit my situation best. I think they're right.

Outside the hospital, I never talk about my schizoid personality disorder diagnosis. But I always talk about my ADD diagnosis when this may be relevant. It's much better understood than SPD, so telling about it usually doesn't result in much misconceptions.

Zender wrote:And if so, how did they react?

I've never really told anyone specifically that I am a schizoid, I talk sometimes about being an introvert and not socializing, some of which they can sympathize with but I never go into any greater detail. I don't think they would really be able to understand it and its hard to really describe to someone really what it means to be a schizoid since simply stating I hate being around people doesn't really do it justice in my mind.

The problem, as it is with any disorder, are the generalizations and false stereotypes people assume with you.

I think it is important to tell someone you're a Schizoid (whenever you feel the need) as a way of expressing yourself. One really isn't going to get to know a Pure Schizoid very easily....this would be an easy "life summary" to describe yourself. You could say something like..."Yeah...I have Schizoid Personality Disorder....you should look it up on your phone for the best description of it, if you're interested."

Anyway, I can't really think of a better way to sum yourself up to someone than to describe yourself as having Schizoid Personality Disorder. There's no shame in it.