Schizoid and Avoidant or Schizotypal?

I have been diagnosed Schizoid and Avoidant with borderline traits but I wonder if my paranoia and lack of grounding puts me into the Schizotypal camp. Any of you also identify with Schizoid and Avoidant? I know there can be comorbids. I have also wondered about Autism and have seen articles make that tie. What stands out the most to you for your Schizotypal diagnosis? Wondering if I need to bring this up to my doc. I'm already on an anti-psychotic for bipolar 2 and it eliminated my paranoid delusions and the "presence". I know this reads like a brain puke.

allegedly
schizoid- does not want to have friends and significant other etc
schizotypal- does want to have friends and significant other but does not socialize because he or she fears closeness and is paranoid about others

malou wrote:allegedly
schizoid- does not want to have friends and significant other etc
schizotypal- does want to have friends and significant other but does not socialize because he or she fears closeness and is paranoid about others

and avoidant does want to have friends and significant others but fear criticism, disapproval or rejection

That's what I was trying to figure out, my underlying social anxiety. Do I just not want friends, is it closeness and paranoia, do I fear criticism or do I just not connect. Did one lead to another? I feel like I just don't connect and that can make me weary of other people. Like I'm missing some critical piece. Or maybe I was hyper aware and now I'm worn out. What happens if I am comorbid Schizoid?

Either way, is that the aspect of Schizotypal that really defines it for you? Fear of closeness and paranoia of others? Is that around all people at all times and what type of thoughts are you thinking?

I heard that Schizotypal people also dress in a way that's out of stem with their culture and I think they might perceive themselves as odd.

CityMouse wrote:I heard that Schizotypal people also dress in a way that's out of stem with their culture and I think they might perceive themselves as odd.

My hope is to get a better understanding of the core features of someone who has it. A lot of people dress weird and think they are different than others. Just kind of curious what goes through someones head on a day to day basis. Is a high functioning Schizotypal fairly normal in regular circumstances? Are they always scanning for dangerous people or do these feeling fluctuate depending on environments? I assume some cope better than others. What really makes them appear or feel odd? Lack of a connection?

Giving a ###$ about diagnoses like avoidant personality disorder when one has stpd or schizoid PD is like paying attention to diastema when one has a cancer IMO.

^what do you mean?
It almost seems is better to have spd because you suffer less than avoidant.
I don't know about schizotypal

But how can you tell if it is spd or avpd or autism trait.because all of them supposed to be similar in avoiding people in a way. If you have hfa for example, i have no idea how can you tell where it comes from the feeling of not wanting to be with people in comparison with others

iabsurdlyexist wrote:
That's what I was trying to figure out, my underlying social anxiety. Do I just not want friends, is it closeness and paranoia, do I fear criticism or do I just not connect. Did one lead to another?

It's hard to do, but try to trace the reasons for your social anxiety back to their source. I'm not talking about childhood trauma or anything like that. Pick a recent situation where you felt these symptoms and pick it apart. Ask yourself what your motivations were for avoiding/disregarding.

Remember that most people who suffer from social anxiety have no PD's. It's intorversion, plain and simple. True, social anxiety is a symptom of many PD's/mental illnesses, but it's still social anxiety. There are many different kinds of apples, but at the end of the day, they're all still apples.

I'm not sure looking at social anxiety through the lens of avoidant/schizoid/schizotypal/autism is all that helpful. You're limiting your interpretation/understanding of it by placing it under the umbrella of a specific disorder. Remember that ostensibly, there is no definitive treatment and no real cure for most of these conditions, so why not examine social anxiety on it's own?

I feel like I just don't connect and that can make me weary of other people. Like I'm missing some critical piece.

That's been my experience. I feel like I simply lack both the ability and need to be a social creature. It's as if somewhere in the DNA of humans, there is something that makes us want to connect with others. Something that makes it gratifying and comforting. I lack that.

Or maybe I was hyper aware and now I'm worn out.

What do you mean by "hyper-aware"?

malou wrote:schizotypal- does want to have friends and significant other but does not socialize because he or she fears closeness and is paranoid about others

This sort of sounds like a mixture of schizoid and avoidant.

Autumn218 wrote:^what do you mean?
It almost seems is better to have spd because you suffer less than avoidant.
I don't know about schizotypal

In my eyes stpd/spd are more serious than avoidant personality disorder