AvPD

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One thing that I've noticed about myself is that I have many of the behaviours listed in the diagnostic criteria for AvPD, but for totally different reasons than the ones listed.

(The criteria+ my reasons for behaving like this)

I work a lot better on my own. I get more done, I'm not confused by the dynamics of group interactions...

I've had problems in the past caused by the stress of working with people: this was not caused by any fear of rejection or critcism, but because my tendency to take things literally meant that whenever they said something the slightest bit ambiguous, I'd become confused.



I'm unwilling to get involved with people unless I'm fairly certain that they are going to be interesting. This is why I approached so many of my uni lecturers after class to discuss a point that had come up in the lecture. If people don't like me, I'm not too bothered. I like very few people; why should everyone like me?\



I do this, but for none of these reasons. I can't put words to why intimacy is so uncomfortable for me, but it is emphatically NOT because of "the fear of being shamed, ridiculed, or rejected". I have trouble with all emotional interactions; I think partly because I have no good idea how to respond to other people's displays of emotions.



No. In the past (teenage years mainly), (and because of experience of being almost invariably criticized or rejected in social situations) but not now. I worry a lot about making mistakes in social situations, but this, I think, falls under my generalised anxiety- I hate making mistakes, full stop. ("Period" for Americans.)



Because of not knowing what the hell to do. Also, half the time I'm too bored to bother involving myself.



What, hardly being able to get a sentence out, forgetting words, not knowing how to approach people, not knowing how to sustain a conversation, tending to talk about nothing but music, having great trouble looking at someone who is speaking to me and having trouble thinking of things to say besides "Yeah" "Uh-huh" "Mmm," doesn't count as social ineptness?




No, in fact I make a point of doing the above to challenge myself.

I can see how it would be easy for someone to observe my behaviour and jump to the conclusion that I am behaving in these ways because of fears of rejection, when really, I could barely care less about it. I think that my psychiatrist made this mistake, some remarks that he's made suggest that he sees my behaviour/experiences in terms of

1. Avoided social situations.
2. Had less of an opportunity to learn the rules of social interactions and how to read nonverbal signals.
3. Now has trouble knowing the rules of social interactions and reading nonverbal signals.

when in reality, it is

1. Was never really interested in playing with other children (if people had not dragged me into their games, I most likely would have remained friendless throughout school and been fine with it), which exarcabated the existing problem of
2. Trouble knowing the rules of social interactions and reading nonverbal signals, both of which caused a tendency to
3. Avoid social situations, but FAR more out of disinterest (and the fact that most of the things I enjoy are solitary activities (I don't enjoy them because of this, I enjoy them because they are fascinating) than anxiety.

He's recently begun to understand a little better (see
this post here for further details), and I'm hoping to make further progress in getting him to better understand why I behave as I do.

Has anyone here had problems with people seeing their behaviour and totally misinterpreting the reason?

Ive been diagnosed AvPD and seriously... I can see why someone might think i have it, but i dont really match any of the criteria

Yeah fine i avoid social situations, but not cause i feel inferior or scared of making a fool out of myself really. I mainly stay out of it cause it dont enjoy them at all. Some cause me anxiety yes, but not in the way described.

Im certain i dont have this, so even if i have Aspergers or not im sure i need a different diagnosis. This just doesnt cut it for me. I know i said a lot of things i shouldnt have to my psych, or rather... I said other things than what i really meant. He once asked me a question, "Do you get totally preoccupied with work or school assignments?" I answered no, cause i didnt work or go to school then. But the truth is, if im interested in the subject or whatever job im doing i WOULD get totally preoccupied with it. So i scored wrongly on that test or whatever it was. I took a quick glance at it not so long ago and realized i had probably answered a lot of questions without really thinking. And when i dont think, most stuff i say come out totally wrong.

Ive just recently discovered most of my traits and early behaviour sound a lot like Aspergers. Im fairly certain i have it, but to be honest i need to know a whole lot more about my childhood to tell for sure. My mom thinks i have some traits as well, and that ive had them forever. Shes just really horrible at remembering my very early childhood. I hope ill figure it out when i have my assesment. Going to see a neuropsychologist some time soon.

And to answer your question, yes ive had trouble knowing for what reason i did things. I wont say i misinterpreted them, but i thought everyone was like me I was shocked to learn that the things i did could classify as a disorder and that "normal" people didnt behave like this. I was convinced i was completely ok, apart from my social issues. I was certain everyone had obsessions to the degree i had... I can list a ton of things really. Its weird, suddenly discovering that all of my traits are considered abnormal.

I knew from a very early age that not everyone was like me; I could see the differences in behaviour and ways of communicating. Body language was particularly frustrating (particularly in high school, for some reason my brain won't respond to most teenage body language in their social contexts beyond being annoyed) as I could see that it was being used as a significant part of people's communication, I just couldn't tell what was being communicated.

My psych hasn't asked one question about my early life. I can remember what I was like: solitary, only joining in with the games of the other children when I couldn't avoid it. Now, that could be misinterpreted as shyness (and for a while I thought of myself as shy because of having no other word), but in actuality, it was because I couldn't see what the other children had to do with me.

They were the type of children who played elastics and gossiped; I was the type of child who walked around the edges of the playground. Why should I have felt bad about that?

Not afraid: uninterested. It would be nice if more people could realise this.