Discussion Topic: Introversion and Social Anxiety Shame

I have typically considered myself to be a pretty introverted person, though I understand that everything should be measured on a scale (or more than likely, multiple scales). I spend a lot of time alone or with small of friends / family and can usually find something to occupy my time. Often I will get wrapped up in something that may be considered slightly obsessive to some (such as trying to make something perfect by tweaking it further and further) or doing something that could be considered procrastination from projects, tasks, and life experiences I know or feel that I should be doing. For example, rather than looking for new job opportunities or going to that party everyone seems excited about, I might spend 4 hours cataloging books I own and those I want to read in a spreadsheet and adding different ways of organizing the information. It’s possible I might be a little further along on the Asperger/Autism spectrum though I have not been tested for this.

I also suffer from several forms of anxiety including social anxiety and existential anxiety, so much of my life seems squeezed in between fears that weigh on every other decision. I want people to like me, so I try to at least do the minimum amount of social interaction to make this possible. I will often feel the peer pressure from others to be more social with them or with people in general. Whenever I choose not to do this, I feel a sense of shame and have a time expressing to people I chose not to be around them. I really dislike lying so I either try to choose my words carefully to just be vague or I avoid the subject. This discomfort with even discussing my introverted tendencies to avoid offending people has caused me to just keep many of my relationships at arm’s length.

Despite all this, I often do also feel lonely and crave some social interaction. I’ve noticed some introverts seem to rejoice in staying in on a Friday night, and I have definitely been there at times, but there is often a part of me that feels depressed that I am not going out and will spend another potentially memorable social experience alone instead. When others ask about my life, I often feel embarrassed to admit how little time I spend doing social things that seem to be what makes people interested. I also can’t help but feel like unless I reserve more time for social interaction and actually go out of my way, I’m going to just become more and more secluded, socially inept, and regretful of my life. Also, I do notice that sometimes social interaction drains me while other times it fills me with energy, it really seems to depend on the type of interaction and how well it ends up going.

Does this experience sound familiar to anyone else who considers themselves to be introverted? Or do you notice distinct differences? How would you say that introversion and social anxiety differ? Can a person be socially anxious and lean more toward the extroverted end of the scale? Any thoughts would be most appreciated!

#introvert #shame #anxiety #depression