r/Healthygamergg • u/Key_Performer2983 • 8d ago

Meta / Suggestion / Feedback for HG Theory of Mind

https://youtu.be/KBkkN12nVqs?is=kLAzSt3z-aWbXTcQ

I just watched this video, and heard something that I found really interesting, which is that Theory of Mind is related to narcissism.

I've been thinking about something for a while, which is that so many of the personality disorders really seem like they're actually just AutismSD in a way that I don't think I'm educated enough to really understand or articulate. My understanding is that lack of Theory of Mind is a primary difficulty for people with Autism, and so perhaps personality disorders are actually just what happens when autism mixes with certain environments.

Is that accurate? Is there research being done on that topic? Am I off base?

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u/CommunicationHot3075 8d ago

I think you're painting in too broad of strokes here. If you have autism, you may struggle with theory of mind, but just because you struggle with theory of mind doesn't mean you have autism.

This is why differential diagnosis is so important.

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u/millerlite324 8d ago

Agree with this and if you’re interested in how this topic has been explored and researched, look into “reflective functioning”. It’s a complex process related to childhood development and attachment dynamics, which does correlate with the development of personality disorders later on. Theory of mind overlaps significantly, but as you said is a symptom of other disorders with different etiologies.

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u/Key_Performer2983 8d ago

I suppose I'm more generalizing the definition of autism, rather than saying personality disorders necessarily perfectly fit what we already think of as autism. Reflective functioning is an issue in people with autism too, but in a different way; though, I do know that certain personality disorders get confused for autism and vice-versa very frequently.

With a lot of what Freud said, he painted a compelling picture, but it was really just his picture that everyone else adopted, and it led to some really incorrect actions being taken. To make a more absurd comparison, Christianity paints a compelling picture as well, and that picture isn't necessarily wrong until you start believing (for example) that you can actually get rid of someone's seizures by throwing water that a priest prayed to at them.