In this house, introversion is "wrong".
Even as an adult, I am treated like an antisocial outcast. Needing to get away from everyone for even just an hour, to watch tv or read or just to stare at the ceiling, means I'm selfish, lazy, and irresponsible.
Except that's not what I am. I'm introverted. Severely. I actually get drained from being around people constantly. If I don't get time away, I become irritable, cranky, tired, and I get headaches. Not because I dislike the people around me, but because they wear me out.
In order for me to function properly in a world created for extroverts, I need some "selfish" quiet alone time. In order to get best of me, you have to be willing to give me that time. My mother doesn't understand this. My step father doesn't understand this. Very few members of my family understand this. They are extroverts. They always have been, just as I've always been "awkward", "boring", "disrespectful", "rude", "antisocial", "lazy", and countless other words that have led to my low self esteem.
I talk about introversion a lot because I want to feel accepted. The first time I learned what it meant, I felt like I had finally made sense. Being an introvert is an important part of who I am, and it's well past time for introverts to be accepted rather than expected to change. We don't have to change, because there's nothing wrong with us. We are not broken.
I'm writing this now because I have had far too much social stimulation today and I needed to escape. I work in a shop at the mall, so I am dealing with customers all day. I come home to a house full of noise and people. I rarely, if ever, get time to myself. It's not a selfish thing to ask for. It's necessary for my mental well being. I shouldn't have to sacrifice sleeping at night just to recuperate from the constant people I had to interact with throughout day. If I had the financial stability to live in my own apartment with only my son and my cat, I would be at my absolute best. But I don't have that. And I won't for a while.
Until then, all I ask for is a little respect and understanding. I need time to myself, just as some of you need time to socialize. Being introverted is not a disorder.