In reality, Prozac and other SSRIs (including Luvox, Paxil, Zoloft, Celexa and Lexapro) may help many people to overcome their social anxiety. But there is no evidence that any medication converts introverts into extroverts.
Introverts who tend to have fewer positive feelings, or to not be attracted to rewards in life, are more likely to abuse drugs than more extroverted people with positive emotions, a new study suggests.
Science says yes…to a degree. Like many opposite traits, introversion and extraversion are on a spectrum, and different people lie at different places along the spectrum. Some Introverts are definitely “more introverted” than others.
Although not differing on general demographics, traumatized individuals reported more trait anxiety and lower self-esteem than nontraumatized individuals. They scored higher on Neuroticism, were more introverted, and were less emotionally stable than nontraumatized participants.
Why We Become More Introverted With Age. In a post on Quiet Revolution, Cain confirmed my suspicions: We act more introverted as we get older. Psychologists call this “intrinsic maturation.” It means our personalities become more balanced “like a kind of fine wine that mellows with age,” writes Cain.
That means, although we can grow and change over time, we're born as either introverts or extroverts. And you can tell fairly early on—Laney says children begin to show signs of introversion or extroversion as early as four months of age.
While introverts make up an estimated 25% to 40% of the population, there are still many misconceptions about this personality type. It is also important to note that being an introvert does not mean that you are socially anxious or shy.
Introverts are looked down upon for lack of good 'communication skills'. Right from an early age, introverts have to compete very hard with peers, who seem to have no problem in public or interpersonal speaking. What seems to be effortless for peers is actually the most difficult task for an introverted child.
Overall findings show introverts are more vulnerable than extraverts to depression and decreased mental well-being. Introverts are more likely to be compliant and have lower self-esteem than extraverts, and also have less social support than extraverts, which can be detrimental when experiencing depression.
While it's true that both types of personality can experience problems with their mental health, it's widely accepted and proven that introverts are more susceptible to depression than many other personality types.
Whether it's making small talk to the point of feeling drained or just having a busy day at work, life can be exhausting for both introverts and highly sensitive people. It's not unusual for them to feel quite tired and mentally fatigued at the end of the day, and they may even need more sleep than others.
In 2011, research by psychologists Jennifer Grimes, Jonathan Cheek, and Julie Norem broke introversion into four main types: social introvert, thinking introvert, anxious introvert, and restrained introvert.
Introverts are easily distracted by external stimuli and while they might be too nice to say anything, get very frustrated with constant interruptions when they are trying to concentrate.
Introverts struggle with the fast pace of many organizations and offices without walls can be rough for introverts who prefer to go inward to do their best thinking. If you're an introvert, you struggle with finding quiet time to gather your thoughts, particularly at brainstorming meetings.
These findings go against the stereotype that introverts are happiest when they are alone. The fact of the matter is that meeting and spending time with others is a happier state than being alone. Not only that, but also when introverts act extroverted, they also report being happier as well.
Even though introverted people tend to prefer time alone, they can also experience feelings of loneliness.
Independence. Unique and fiercely independent, introverts are more inclined to let their own inner resources guide them than follow the crowd. We do our best work — and are our happiest — when we have the freedom to explore ideas, spend time alone, and be self-directed and independent.
Introvert is formed from the prefix intro–, meaning “inwardly” or “within,” and the root vert, meaning “to turn” (as in invert). The concept of introversion and introverts (and other personality types) was popularized by psychologist Carl Jung in the early 1900s.
While most survey respondents, regardless of personality traits, say they prefer to cry when they're alone, Introverts are more likely than Extraverts to say so. Introverts are more comfortable crying alone or with a small group of friends, while Extraverts may be more at home with public crying.
In a post on Quiet Revolution, Cain confirms what you've probably suspected all along—we act more “introverted” as we age. Psychologists call this phenomenon “intrinsic maturation,” and it means our personalities become more balanced as we get older—“a kind of fine wine that mellows with age,” writes Cain.
The truth is pretty simple: Being an introvert is normal and healthy. 30 to 50 percent of the population is introverted. Being an introvert does not mean you're shy or have social anxiety.
While introverts are generally likely to report lower levels of happiness than extroverts, this does not mean that introverts are unhappy. Ultimately, it's important to note the happiness benefits of both introverted and extroverted behavior, no matter where you fall on the spectrum.