The Gift of Introversion

The Difference Between Social Anxiety and Introversion
In 4 Comics
Loving Alone Time Is Different from A Mental Health Condition.
by Lindsay Holmes and Eva Hill
Huffington Post April 25, 2018
Introversion and social anxiety are often conflated, whether it’s in people’s minds or in
memes on the internet. Here’s the reality: Preferring alone time is not the same as living
with a mental health condition.
Introversion (the characteristic of preferring alone time) is a personality trait. Social
anxiety (a phobia of being watched or judged by others) is a mental health condition,
and it affects an estimated 15 million Americans. Of course, you can be an introvert and
also have social anxiety. But the misperception that the two are one and the same does
a disservice to those who fall under each category.
These easy-to-understand illustrations depict the differences between social anxiety
and introversion, according to experts and research.
Take a look:
1. Introverts Get Drained from Big Parties. People Living with Social Anxiety
Often Fear Them.
The thought of social interaction can be paralyzing for someone living with a
social anxiety disorder, according to Victor Schwartz, the chief medical officer of
the Jed Foundation, a suicide prevention organization.
“Introversion is a character style. The person may not like or may take time to
warm up in social settings and might experience some manageable anxiety in
social settings,” he said. “The person with social anxiety has more severe and
acute anxiety when faced with or even thinking about social situations, and this
will very likely cause functional limits.” This includes a fear or an avoidance of
parties or other group settings, he added.
2. An Introvert Could Be Born with The Trait. Social Anxiety Can Develop Based
On a Person’s Environment.
Social anxiety can manifest as a product of a person’s environment, according to
clinical psychologist Ellen Hendriksen. For example, it can develop after bullying
or some early form of social rejection. However, introversion is more of a
characteristic that’s ingrained in a person from the start.
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