It's interesting how that Self In Exile site seems to be using a somewhat different perspective from the canonic one represented in, say, the DSM. Then again, when Yontef goes past the DSM-speak and gets down to the experiential nuts and bolts of working with his clients, his perspective sounds very different too.

I don't know if I'm schizoid or not. I've been in therapy (a long time ago) but never officially diagnosed with anything that I know of. A shrink whom I once worked for (in research) suggested I might be, and based on how I remember being in those days I'm inclined to agree with him. I avoid many of the same kinds of activities that schizoids are supposed to be afraid of but it doesn't feel to me as if I'm afraid of them, more like there's nothing there that I'm interested in. For instance, I generally have no use for parties but one friend of mine occasionally throws parties that I do enjoy, with guests I do like being with, and I'm always happy to go to hers.

People who self-describe as schizoid seem pretty real to me. When I read about schizoid process (Yontef) or self in exile or the false-self system (Laing) I find myself going, "Doesn't everyone do that to some extent? Don't some people get stuck doing it, unable to stop, while a lot of others get stuck doing other stuff to avoid it?"

Being schizoid (if I am) doesn't seem to get in my way at all; I like my friends, my friends like me, and in most areas of life that I am interested in I seem to operate a notch or two above average.

I do have one friend who, I suspect, has been working to overcome shyness or something. It used to be, maybe still is, an effort for her to work her way up to something like performing before an audience but once she gets there she gets a big kick out of it. She's sometimes invited me to participate in some of these activities with her; as with most things like that, I usually haven't been quite interested enough to bother. I often seem to see her projecting some of her own resistance onto me: "I'm not afraid, you are. Come on, go for it! Oh well, what could I expect from someone like you..." Actually, on the rare occasions when I do feel inspired to show off I seem to be comfortable doing it and pretty good at it; I just don't feel like it very often, nor miss feeling like it when I don't.

But enough about me -- unhijacking ripley's thread now, lol!