The 4 differences between autism and schizoid personality

Sometimes two psychological disorders can imply a symptomatology that can coincide in some aspects.

Although this occurs, each pathology has very specific characteristics that distinguish it from the others. In this case we are going to delve into the differences between autism spectrum disorders and schizoid personality to know how to distinguish them.

• Related article: "Autism Spectrum Disorders: 10 symptoms and diagnosis"

Are there differences between autism and schizoid personality? Previous questions

Psychology is a fully established science and its methodology is increasingly standardized. There are diagnostic manuals where the criteria that a patient must present are described in detail so that we can frame their symptoms with a specific disorder. One of the main manuals used is the DSM-5, Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of the mental disorders, in its fifth revision, published by the American Psychiatric Association.

On the other hand, we would find the ICD-10, the international classification of diseases, in its tenth revision, published by the World Health Organization. Both manuals describe the characteristics of each of the mental health disorders and what are the criteria for which which a professional can issue a diagnosis of compatibility between the symptoms of a patient and a disorder in concrete.

Within this range of diagnoses, there are some in which a priori it might seem that there is some convergence in the symptoms. However, there are always distinctions that make them unique. This is the case of the differences between autism and the schizoid personality. These differentiating aspects are important, since they make up the criteria that guide the psychologist or psychiatrist to be able to frame the symptoms within one or another disorder.

It is essential that the professional carry out a correct evaluation discriminating between all the symptoms in order to have an accurate diagnosis and start a treatment aimed at improving the patient's situation. If it failed at this stage, all the work that would come later would lose its effectiveness, as it is receiving a series of measures that do not correspond exactly to the pathology suffered by that person.

• You may be interested in: "Schizoid Personality Disorder: causes, symptoms and treatment"

What are the differences between autism and Schizoid Personality Disorder?

We have already anticipated the importance of a correct distinction between different pathologies. Now we are going to proceed to see in detail the main differences between autism and the schizoid personality.

1. Definition

Obviously, two different disorders will have independent definitions in which they will already give us a series of important details to be able to distinguish between both diagnostic labels.

First, schizoid personality disorder is a pathology that is included in group A of personality disorders, characterized by an eccentric behavior and where the schizotypal and paranoid personality would also be found. According to the DSM-5, the schizoid personality is characterized by a general tendency to have distant or no social relationships, as well as to show a very reduced emotional expression.

For its part, the autism spectrum disorder, although it encompasses a whole series of casuistry, is characterized by a series of difficulties in communicating and interacting socially with their peers as well as a rigidity in the variety of behaviors.

2. Social relationships

There are differences between autism and the schizoid personality when it comes to social relationships. Although people who suffer from any of the disorders tend to have difficulties interacting with others, the truth is that the causes underlying this fact in each of these pathologies are different and therefore they represent one of the great inequalities between both diagnoses.

In the case of the schizoid personality, some of the criteria that appear to diagnose it would be the not being interested in starting social relationships, not having a close circle of friends or trusted people, beyond the closest relatives. Yet another of the criteria is to have practically no desire to have sex.

However, when it comes to autism spectrum disorders, the causes are different. Here it is convenient to make a point to remember that this is a spectrum disorder, which means that it occurs in different degrees of intensity, depending on the level of functionality of the individual, which can range from very low, being unable to take care of himself, to high, in which he can live independently, being the case of those who suffer from Asperger.

In the case of those people, also have deficient social relationships, but not because they do not want to have them, as happened with those with schizoid personalityBut because they have difficulties to relate in a conventional way, which in many cases generates conflicts and prevents them from establishing more abundant or longer-term relationships.

Another area in which individuals with what was known as Asperger syndrome may experience problems is in communication. non-verbal, which may not be as fluent or congruent with verbal language as a person would emit without this type of disorder. In the case of people with schizoid disorder, they would not have any significant problem managing their non-verbal language, so that for them it would not be an impediment.

The difference, therefore, would lie in the origin. For people suffering from schizoid personality the cause would be that they prefer to be alone and not have to interact with anyone. On the contrary, people with autism and more specifically with Asperger's, do not necessarily have the desire being alone, but they experience difficulties in establishing social relationships, so they end up having less.

• You may be interested in: "The 10 types of Personality Disorders"

3. Behavior types

The behaviors that individuals prefer to perform also represents another of the important differences between autism and the schizoid personality. To get started, patients with autism spectrum disorders may have dysfunctions in their sensory processing system, making them hyposensitive or hypersensitive to certain stimuli, including those received through hearing and touch.

This, among other reasons, makes these individuals tend to prefer to carry out a series of very specific activities, within patterns that are generally rigid. That is, they do not tend to accept innovations easily. Therefore, it could be affirmed that their behaviors are limited by certain preferences and, as far as possible, they prefer not to depart from these guidelines.

On the contrary, when we talk about the subjects suffering from schizoid personality disorder, we also find criteria associated with this pathology that refer to the activities they carry out, but the motivations are different. In these people there is a general tendency to choose those activities in which they do not have to deal with other people, as they prefer to be alone, without interacting with similar. Not only that, but there is no great motivation in carrying out activities, with very few that give them any satisfaction.

Therefore, those with a schizoid personality would also be seriously limiting the range of activities they prefer to do, but not because they prefer specific guidelines but because they find no reinforcement in practically any. But within the possibilities, they will normally choose those that do not involve contact with other people, as they prefer solitude.

4. Emotionality

Another difference between autism and the schizoid personality has to do with the emotional aspect, especially in relation to social interactions. To begin with, when we talk about schizoid personality disorder, we find characteristics in the diagnostic manuals that state that these people are emotionally cold, have no affection for virtually any individual, and prefer to keep their distance from peers.

Also in relation to emotionality, it has been detected that schizoid patients have no reaction facing criticism from others, regardless of whether it is in a negative or negative sense. positive. In both cases the same response occurs in the individual, which is none other than that of indifference.

The case of people on the autism spectrum is very different. We had already seen at the point of social relations that they do have an interest in interacting with others, only that in many Sometimes they have difficulty doing it in a socially accepted way, which leads to confusion or uncomfortable situations. This it is an over-effort to consciously analyze the non-verbal language and the intentionality of the interlocutor, which can be exhausting.

Therefore, it does not mean that people with Asperger's or other types of autism prefer to remain emotionally distant or cannot express their affection, but rather that their characteristics may make it more difficult for them to have interactions or build relationships with other people than those who do not suffer from this disorder.

Bibliographic references:

• Canal, R., Rivière, A. (1993). The communicative behavior of autistic children in natural situations of interaction. Psychology studies. Taylor & Francis.
• Wolff, S., Barlow, A. (1979). Schizoid personality in childhood: A comparative study of schizoid, autistic and normal children. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry. Wiley Online Library.
• Wolff, S. (2000). Schizoid personality in childhood and Asperger syndrome. Asperger syndrome.