introversion
anonymous
December 13 2010, 11:56:48 UTC
> I really think, sometimes, that I need therapy to learn to cope with *people*. > It can't be normal that even *pleasant* social interaction is so draining for > me that I shy away from it, can it?
It's a basic characteristic of introverts that they lose energy through social interaction whereas extroverts gain energy from it. It has nothing to do with whether you find a particular social interaction pleasant or not. It's like sports. It can be pleasant and exhausting at the same time.
I don't think therapy can turn an introvert into an extrovert. However therapy could help you understand yourself better and cope better with your own personality. A therapist would probably tell you (among other things) that your problem is not that you find dealing with people draining but that you feel bad about that fact.
Of course there are other options that more directly address the issue. A friend who tried coke (the white stuff, not the soft drink) once told me that it made him more open and suddenly even walking up to people was no problem at all for him. And I guess there are legal prescription meds that have the same effect. The question is, would you want to take drugs that change your personality in such a fundamental way?
I'm currently faced with a similar question. I've decided to seek medical help for my psychological issues. It is very likely that I will get a prescription of anti-depressants. That was the case several years ago when I made my first attempt to get help. Back then I didn't take the medication (and stopped seeing the doctor, too). I'm not sure what I will do this time. It's a difficult decision for an intellectual and lifelong misfit to have his personality forcibly changed. It's paradox. On the one hand I'm unhappy and I know I need help, but on the other hand I do love myself the way I am. In a way that mirrors my experiences with women. I tend to be attracted to women who are unhealthy for me but I can't let go even when I recognize that she's hurting me.
> It can't be normal that even *pleasant* social interaction is so draining for
> me that I shy away from it, can it?
It's a basic characteristic of introverts that they lose energy through social interaction whereas extroverts gain energy from it. It has nothing to do with whether you find a particular social interaction pleasant or not. It's like sports. It can be pleasant and exhausting at the same time.
I don't think therapy can turn an introvert into an extrovert. However therapy could help you understand yourself better and cope better with your own personality. A therapist would probably tell you (among other things) that your problem is not that you find dealing with people draining but that you feel bad about that fact.
Of course there are other options that more directly address the issue. A friend who tried coke (the white stuff, not the soft drink) once told me that it made him more open and suddenly even walking up to people was no problem at all for him. And I guess there are legal prescription meds that have the same effect. The question is, would you want to take drugs that change your personality in such a fundamental way?
I'm currently faced with a similar question. I've decided to seek medical help for my psychological issues. It is very likely that I will get a prescription of anti-depressants. That was the case several years ago when I made my first attempt to get help. Back then I didn't take the medication (and stopped seeing the doctor, too). I'm not sure what I will do this time. It's a difficult decision for an intellectual and lifelong misfit to have his personality forcibly changed. It's paradox. On the one hand I'm unhappy and I know I need help, but on the other hand I do love myself the way I am. In a way that mirrors my experiences with women. I tend to be attracted to women who are unhealthy for me but I can't let go even when I recognize that she's hurting me.
Matthias
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