Had my 6 monthly review with my nurse practitioner. Really opened up for the first time re aspergers/autistic traits. She said there is not much available in the area but didn’t dismiss me out of hand as she gave me a print out to an Aspergers site.
What she did say however was that several things could also be explained by schizotypal.
I was wondering what other posters views were on the ASD vs schizotypal connection.
For a while I was self diagnosing myself with Schizotypal.
During this time, I’m pretty sure that I was psychotic.
Schizotypal is a very interesting diagnosis.
The DSM 5 categorizes it as a personality disorder but the ICD 10 places it as a psychotic disorder under the schizophrenia umbrella.
I can see some Schizotypal traits within you.
People with Schizotypal have a lot of social anxiety.
^ Thanks. It is hard for me to tell. One of the problems for me is the artificial exclusion criteria of the DSM/ICD whereby you can’t have one disorder if a certain other one is present. Yet I have come across quite a few people who fit the criteria for both diagnoses.
I know that social anxiety can be a part of both ASD and schizotypal. Mine developed as a reaction to bullying as a teenager due to being physically and socially awkward. It seems the ASD symptoms (traits?) came first and the paranoia and social anxiety was a reaction to negative peer responses stemming from that .
I once thought I had Asperger Syndrome. But meeting with mental health professionals and immediately they can tell I’m not on the ASD. Sometimes, they can tell it’s Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorder after talking to me 5 - 15 minutes. It’s so accurate that I must just exude SZ without realizing it. Certain signs they look for.
Generally, if you are “reflective,” you are not autistic or high-functioning autistic (like Asperger).
If you respond/react to external stimuli trying to get your attention, you probably are not on the ASD.
People with Autism may lack “eye-to-eye gaze.” People with SZ may lack “eye contact” but for other reasons.
I think the disorders are all related anyway. It’s why so many of us have sysptoms other then what we are dignosied with. I know there are about 10% of schizophrenics that fit into the autistic scale. Only know that as they are the ones that benefit from a gluten free diet. Which if you do fit into the aspergers/autistic scale chances you will benefit in some way from the gluten free diet also. My 2 cents anyway.