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This personality disorder is characterized by an ingrained pattern of aloofness, social withdrawal, indifference to the feelings of others, and a restricted range of emotions. Often described as "loners," people with this disorder usually have no close friends and choose solitary interest and occupations.
Symptoms:
Neither desires nor enjoys close relationships, including being part of a family.
Almost always chooses solitary activities.
Has little, if any, interest in having sexual experiences with another person.
Takes pleasure in few, if any, activities.
Lacks close friends or confidants other than immediate family members.
Appears indifferent to the praise or criticism of others.
Shows emotional coldness, detachment, or flattened affectivity (emotions).
Treatment Considerations:
We are born with a genetically determined temperament that will continually influence our behaviors throughout life. Understanding of personality disorders and how it affects your life is important -- increased awareness does not lead to radical change but rather to a smoothing of the rough edges and a greater ease of going with their natural flow. To either change or learn how to work with and around personality disorders will require large doses of honesty, hard work, humility, and courage.
People with this personality disorder usually don't change much.
The goal will be to help them find the most comfortable solitary niche.
Cultivate a job and hobbies that are satisfying and allow you to be on your own.
Treatment goals should focus on decreasing resistance to change, goal development, improving social interaction, improving communication, improving self-esteem, and decreasing social isolation.
Information and or Criteria summarized from:
American Psychiatric Association. (1994). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders, fourth edition. Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Association.
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