Schizoid Personality Disorder
by Sam Vaknin
Schizoids enjoy nothing and seemingly never
experience pleasure (they are anhedonic). Even their nearest and dearest often
describe them as "automata", "robots", or "machines". But the schizoid is not
depressed or dysphoric, merely indifferent. Schizoids are uninterested in social
relationships and bored or puzzled by interpersonal interactions. They are
incapable of intimacy and have a very limited range of emotions and affect.
Rarely does the schizoid express feelings, either negative (anger) or positive
(happiness).
Schizoids never pursue an opportunity to develop a close relationship. Schizoids
are asexual - not interested in sex. Consequently, they appear cold, aloof,
bland, stunted, flat, and "zombie"-like. They derive no satisfaction from
belonging to a close-knit group: family, church, workplace, neighborhood, or
nation. They rarely marry or have children.
Schizoids are loners. Given the option, they invariably pursue solitary
activities or hobbies. Inevitably, they prefer mechanical or abstract tasks and
jobs that require such skills. Many computer hackers, crackers, and programmers
are schizoids, for instance - as are some mathematicians and theoretical
physicists. Schizoids are inflexible in their reactions to changing life
circumstances and developments - both adverse and opportune. Faced with stress
they may disintegrate, decompensate, and experience brief psychotic episodes or
a depressive illness.
Schizoids have few friends or confidants. They trust only first-degree relatives
- but, even so, they maintain no close bonds or associations, not even with
their immediate family.
Schizoids pretend to be indifferent to praise, criticism, disagreement, and
corrective advice (though, deep inside, they are not). They are creatures of
habit, frequently succumbing to rigid, predictable, and narrowly restricted
routines. From the outside, the schizoid's life looks "rudderless" and adrift.
Like people with Asperger's Syndrome, schizoids fail to respond appropriately to
social cues and rarely reciprocate gestures or facial expressions, such as
smiles. As the DSM-IV-TR puts it, "they seem socially inept or superficial and
self-absorbed". Some narcissists are also schizoids.
About the Author:
Sam Vaknin (
http://samvak.tripod.com
) is the author of Malignant Self Love - Narcissism Revisited and After the Rain
- How the West Lost the East. He served as a columnist for Central Europe
Review, Global Politician, PopMatters, eBookWeb , and Bellaonline, and as a
United Press International (UPI) Senior Business Correspondent. He was the
editor of mental health and Central East Europe categories in The Open Directory
and Suite101 Source of this article:
www.goarticles.com
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