One of my many parts is the ability to withdraw into myself and suffer in silence. As a young child I was hit by the polio epidemic in 1955; as a result I suffered a period of isolation seeing no-one except the medical staff looking after my needs. Right or wrong, I知 convinced this episode had a lasting effect on my personality.
As well as withdrawing, I sometimes feel the need to stay silent. This is not a case of wanting to be alone, but rather like Greta Garbo I want to be let alone.
In this state I find it hard to communicate with others and realise this is hard for those who care for me because it must appear I am ignoring them. In fact I知 not, I just feel I have nothing to say and would rather be quiet... let alone... not pressured.
Under normal circumstances I find I can conquer the feeling within a relatively short time and return to more natural levels of communication. More recently I知 finding this harder and harder to achieve. The periods of silence are extending. I知 becoming less and less communicative.
People with Schizoid Personality Disorder (SPD) are withdrawn and detached from others and appear to be emotionally cold and distant. Damn that sounds just like me, but I have not been diagnosed as suffering from SPD.
I知 aware that I display symptoms of both Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD) and Avoidant Personality Disorder (APD), but likewise haven稚 been diagnosed with either of these.
Perhaps the psych needs to explore me further...
Anyway, I know I知 not alone in this affliction(?) of self-imposed silence and am wondering how others out there cope with their need for minimal communication?
