persons refusing to talk

[Orin]

Many years ago I used to work at a mental hospital and one of the patients refused to talk and make eye contact.

I've always wondered what mental condition he had. PTSD? Avoidant Personality Disorder? What do you guys think?

 

[not_a_robot]

Autistics are frequently punished with malicious misdiagnoses of "personality disorder" because shrinks find us "unlikable."

Did he get worse, or show no improvement with "treatment"?
Probably autistic, but being treated/punished as something worse.

 

[Orin]

Did he get worse, or show no improvement with "treatment"?

I vaguely remember my co-worker saying that towards the end of our tenure he did verbalize a bit, but it was sparse.

 

[Scribble Fan]

Social Anxiety/Phobia?

 

[cornflowerblue]

Many years ago I used to work at a mental hospital and one of the patients refused to talk and make eye contact.

I've always wondered what mental condition he had. PTSD? Avoidant Personality Disorder? What do you guys think?

Selective mutism can cause this. So can catatonia. Catatonia is a symptom, not a diagnosis. It can happen as part of dementia, schizophrenia, depression, etc. Some autistic people don't speak. The lack of speaking also could have been a side effect of heavy medication. Or a neurological problem. Or intellectual disability (new name for mental retardation).