Amy writes:
Bah, I don’t agree with that “introverted spectrum” either. Avoidant and Schizoid people avoid others for very different reasons, do they not?
Avoidant is less introverted and less pathological than Schizoid because the Avoidant desperately wants to be around people but is terrified of rejection so he secretes himself away.
Schizoid is worse, more introverted and more pathological than Avoidant because the Schizoid simply has zero interest in being around other human beings period for any reason. They are 100% content and happy to be as alone as possible as much of the time as possible. Face it, that ain’t exactly normal.
Further, Schizoids don’t really care what anyone thinks of them, and they are like psychopaths in that respect. You praise them? So what. They give you a baffled look. You insult them and attack them? They shrug their shoulders and act like they didn’t hear you.
Avoidants are painfully aware of what others think of them and are ridiculously worried about rejection. Their self-opinion is abysmally low.
If you insult an Avoidant or even so much as criticize them, they walk out of the room.
I had a therapist once and he said I didn’t have anything on Axis 2, but since I have Medical Student Syndrome, I kept going down the list anyway.
Was he sure I wasn’t an Schizoid? I was not a Schizoid because I wanted to be around people. How about an Avoidant, was I an Avoidant? He smiled and said no. “I’ve criticized you, and you handled it, you stayed in the room. You can take criticism. You criticize an Avoidant, and they get this really hurt look on their face and immediately get up and walk out of the room and you never see them again.” He told me he had had ~7 Avoidants in his career. In each case, he criticized them in the course of therapy, and as soon as he critiqued them, they got up and walked right out of therapy and never came back.
Although it is ridiculous to be so sensitive, let’s face it, normal, healthy people do not like to be insulted, attacked, criticized, rejected or humiliated. They react to it in various ways, typically showing their displeasure. It’s healthy to feel hurt or slighted by criticism just as it’s healthy to feel uplifted by praise. Those reactions indicate your humanity. If you don’t react to either, you aren’t quite human – you are more of a replicant.
Therefore, Schizoids are further along the spectrum, more introverted and more pathological than Avoidants.
