Introversion Introversion is the preference for quiet, minimally stimulating environments andintroverts are reserved and reflective or can give the impression that they act slowly. Introverts like to think before they respond. As a result, "interactions where there is room for reflection can be very pleasurable for them. They enjoy being and doing things alone, like reading, for example. Introverts are not "associative" beings; they can socialize and they do, only they do it in a different way than extroverts. They value deep and meaningful relationships, they love to connect authentically and share their ideas in a small group or in a two-way conversation More than the outside world, an introvert gets energy from the ideas, images and memories that are in his inner world. Also, introverted people are those who are wary of their intimacy don't like to talk too much about their private lives. The brains of introverts are not "wired" to get the reward that extroverts receive when interacting with people. These people are more sensitive to dopamine, the 'wellness' neurotransmitter," so "many social situations or highly stimulating environments can be mentally or physically exhausting for an introvert. Shyness Shyness is a characteristic of personality present in a large number of people, in which the subject who possesses it has difficulty expressing himself in public and bonding with his peers, which gives them a certain effort and often generates anxiety. These types of people tend to be silent not because they don't have to say, but because they are afraid to do so because of the possibility of being judged negatively. Shyness is defined as the feeling of insecurity or shame in oneself, that a person feels in the face of new social situations and that prevents or hinders him from engaging in conversations and relating to others. Shyness is a dimmed form of social phobia (which we will define and explain in detail at a time) and which we usually have and disguise better or worse. Shyness is seen as a pattern of behavior that limits the social development of those who experience it within their daily lives. Initially it is not a disease, but if it is not controlled or moderate it can become pathological (it can escalate to social phobia or even a staff disorder, the avoidative one. Shyness is not considered a pathology unless it is taken to the extreme and social situations are actively avoided or symptoms such as anxiety crisis to have occur. It is not that the shy person is introverted (in fact shy people can actually be very extraverted), but for fear they have to exercise caution as to what they say and to whom, and do not dare to present their views firmly. These people may feel unsafe and uncomfortable in social situations, and usually don't usually deal with large groups of unknown people. The defining feature of shyness is the fear of the negative evaluation of others, the fear of rejection, the fear of what others think of me. A shy person is a person who is afraid that his or her behavior is not appropriate and this will provoke criticism and/or rejection of others. This fear is normal in our species, because throughout our evolutionary history it has helped us to stay cohesive with the group, increasing our chances of survival as individuals. However, when it is excessive and triggers in social situations where the threat is not objective, but is overrated, that is when we talk about shyness or social phobia. The shy person is a cautious person: he does not risk making mistakes, being rejected or being inadequate and as he does not practice, does not advance and hopes that one day he will rise up with high morale and will be confident by the art of grace. Overcoming shyness is a matter of number of words (changing the 'yes', 'no', 'maybe' to five-minute phrases). Difference between introversion and shyness It should be noted that introversion is not the same as shyness although there are people who often confuse both and think they are synonymous. Shyness, on the other hand, is the fear that people will judge us negatively, in virtually any social situation. The shy feel quite uncomfortable and distressed in social interactions, especially with people they don't know very well. Shyness is the fear of being judged in a negative way while introversion is a preference for calm environments and without too many stimuli. For example, a shy person can avoid an event to engage in professional relationships because he is very stressed at the idea of meeting new people (even if he really wants to go), however, an introvert could dodge the same event because he prefers to just relax at home. Both introverts and extroverts may experience shyness. Science has shown that the degree of sociability (introversion and extroversion) is independent of shyness. Shyness is a state of hypersensitivity that causes certain emotional responses such as self-inhibition and self-protection, while introversion is related to the type of environment each prefers. Someone introverted may be shy, but it doesn't necessarily have to be. It is perfectly possible to be shy and outgoing. Or be introverted but not shy. In the latter case it would be a person who prefers to be alone rather than accompanied but who is able to perform well in social situations. But why do people think introversion and shyness are the same? both introverts and shy people avoid social interaction," but for different reasons: The former because it can exhaust them; and the latter, because it causes them distress. Perhaps what happens is that shyness is more common in introverts. Historically, shyness and introversion have been considered to be the same because their behaviors are very similar, even if the mental state that causes it is totally different. In both cases they are reserved people who prefer to avoid large social gatherings and stay out of the stress of the world. But while the shy man fears to speak, the introvert is simply overstimulant. SOCIAL PHOBIA Social phobia or social anxiety disorder is an anxiety-related disorder in which the subject who has it has an irrational and persistent fear of exposure in social situations or to certain people, due to the fear of being judged or performing some action that makes them ridiculous. In this anxiety disorder, the person avoids social situations and feels a high level of anxiety if forced to participate in such situations, being able to experience anxiety crises. The person recognizes that their fear is irrational, and it is not due to other disorders or substance use. Social phobia is an intense, persistent and excessive fear in response to one or more social situations or actions, in front of others, in which the person is exposed to unknown people or possible scrutiny on the part of others. It can also happen to well-known people who don't spend much fair time with. These people are especially blocked in situations where you have to act. This disorder can occur in a generalized way or by circumscribing panic to specific situations such as exposure or a particular type of public activity. Social phobia is a type of phobia. There is talk of phobia, when the intensity with which we experience fear in the face of different dangers is:
Unjustified by the objectivity of danger
Unwelcome (we don't feel it at the right time)
Excessive (we feel more than we should)
It interferes with our normal lives unnecessarily, and reduces our capacity for action and enjoyment.
Social phobia focuses fear on social situations (more complex and frequent, compared to other types of phobias (e.g., snake or spider phobia, stimuli that are not easy to find in everyday life). Social phobia totally alters our lives, as we are forced to live in society. We all often experience uncertainty, anxiety and insecurity when meeting new people, but once the ice is broken, most manage to turn those encounters into a pleasant experience, but in the case of people with social phobia degree of anxiety experienced is much higher in these situations: it can be both the degree of anxiety or shame, that physical signs occur , muscle and voice tremor, blush, etc.) which make us more vulnerable and insecure and the social situation, rather than becoming an acceptable time, into something pleasant, becomes increasingly unpleasant, forcing us to use avoidance and control behaviors in the face of these distressing situations. The desire that we all tend to have to be part of social groups, to be valued and appreciated, is severely diminished, along with the consequent low self-esteem and inferiority complex. It is normal to feel anxiety, nerves, in the face of exposure, but in these cases it is so intense, that the person begins to feel very bad physically, some even vomit; suffer from stage fright. Stage fright is part of social phobia. Social phobia only appears at times when the person has to act (for example, exposing to others). If this fear persists for a long time, it can be aggravated by a widespread social phobia (where the disorder expands). Some people with social phobia tend to drink alcohol to gain value and disinhibition. Social phobia can be something that - unlike snake phobia - is present to us every time we are forced to be the center of attention or if our profession involves being exposed to often unknown people (sellers, actors, musicians, teachers, etc.) We may also be forced to speak in public (at school, work meetings, friends - when they are a large group). Some social phobias accentuate the fear of dealing with the other sex to extremes that cause serious difficulties in getting a partner. Causes: The causes are usually that the person has suffered a traumatizing situation (for example, that they have humiliated or ridiculed them in front of everyone). Bullying or bullying can cause this type of disorder in childhood and/or adolescence. It can also occur in adulthood, albeit less frequently (as a result of mobbing which is work bullying). Unlike bullying, mobbing is more subtle (it's not so much physical aggression, it tends to ridicule, that is, it's psychological aggression. Among the causes, parenting style, such as authoritarian, also influences where parents often use stiffer or stronger punishments. Some parents in this style often even humiliate their children in front of people. Normally social phobia appears during adolescence because the young man is getting to know each other and is creating his own identity and it greatly influences what others say that is part of his self-concept. Its origin is more social experiences and the factors are more external, while the avoidative t. the causes are more biological and the factors are more internal Diagnostic criteria according to DSM V
Intense fear or anxiety in one or more social situations in which the individual is exposed to being observed by others. Examples include social interactions.
The individual is afraid to act in a certain way or to show symptoms of anxiety to others and that they reject them.
Social situations almost always cause fear or anxiety.
Social situations are avoided or resisted with intense fear or anxiety.
Fear or anxiety is disproportionate to the real threat posed by the social situation and the sociocultural context.
Fear, anxiety, or avoidance are persistent and typically last six or more months.
Fear, anxiety or avoidance cause clinically significant discomfort or deterioration in social, work and other important areas of functioning.
Fear, anxiety, or avoidance cannot be attributed to the physiological effects of a substance or other medical condition.
Fear, anxiety, or avoidance are not explained by symptoms of another mental disorder, such as panic disorder, body dysmorphic disorder, or autism spectrum disorder.
If there is another medical condition, fear, anxiety or avoidance are clearly unrelated.
Most important elements of social phobia:
Worry about becoming the center of attention, every time we meet someone.
Fear that someone will look at us and observe what we are doing.
Fear of being introduced.
Fear of eating or drinking in public
Difficulty managing in shops and administrative relations
Terror to address an audience or group of friends
Aversion to making phone calls and making arrangements
Difficulty confronting each other at work or making claims (even if you are right and right to do so)
Parties and meetings are a nightmare and the behavior of the person who has social phobia is to stand near the door or take care of discreet tasks that allow him to flee the situation.
Tendency to shy away from enclosed spaces where there are people
Feeling that everyone is looking at us and devaluing us
Fear that our interventions will seem ridiculous, poor or inadequate. Fear of 'going blank'.
Symptoms:
Difference between shyness and social phobia As we can see from the definitions of shyness and social phobia, both concepts resemble: in both cases. the person suffers a fear of being judged socially by his acts or words, inhibiting his interaction with his fellowmen to some degree and thus causing a more or less severe limitation of expression and social bonding. In fact, social phobia is sometimes seen as the pathological end of shyness and it is not strange that personalities with a high level of shyness in childhood can develop social phobia in the future (although it does not have to happen). However, we can find several differences between shyness and social phobia, some of the main being the following:
The non-avoidance of social interaction
Shyness is a more or less stable personality feature throughout life, although it can be reduced as the subject's life experience varies. But even though it can cause some limitations it is not considered a disorder. Social phobia implies the presence of a high level of fear of confronting social situations that cause their avoidance in a continuous and persistent way. However, the shy person is able to carry out an interaction in social situations and although he does not feel safe in such contexts does not avoid them so actively. For example, the shy man may go to a party even if he doesn't talk much, but thephobic will avoid it if he can. 2. Widespread fear Another point at which the two concepts differ is that while the shy person is often uncomfortable in the face of specific situations or people, in social phobia fear and tends to be more widespread (even if we are talking about a circumscribed phobia). 3. Physiological differences A third point of contrast is the presence of symptomatology at the physiological level. A shy person may experience blush, sweating, gastrointestinal discomfort and some nervousness when exposed, but in general no major disturbances occur. However, in the case of social phobia you may experience tachycardia, breathing difficulties and severe anxiety crises not only when faced with the situation, but also when you imagine it early. 4. The intensity of the limitation The shy person may suffer at a certain time because of the perception of inability to relate or defend his or her point of view, but in the case of a social phobia fear and concern are more continuous and limiting his quality of life. Thus, someone shy may prefer to cross a street rather than the one within a few meters so as not to meet someone determined, while a person with social phobia is able not to leave the house knowing that at that time a person who likes returns from work and could find it by chance. AVOIDIVE PERSONALITY DISORDER Avoidance personality disorder is often confused with social phobia because of the similarity of symptomatology and causes. In this case we are faced with a case of avoidance of personality disorder, when we are faced with extremely shy people (for example they do not hold their gaze, they do not usually start a conversation with other people, they are more than all listeners, they flee to social contact because they are afraid of public scrutiny, for fear of being judged or rejected is not that they do not want to have friends or that they do not want to socialize , on the contrary, they wish, but consider that they cannot do so, because they "are not very interesting", according to them). Their appearance is very nervous and tense, which makes some of them suffer and taunt by their peers. It is characterized by a pattern of social inhibition, along with the presence of feelings of incompetence and a lot of sensitivity to negative evaluation, which manifests itself early in early childhood and is present in different contexts. In this case, the person who suffers from it tends to avoid situations in which he or she has to establish frequent interpersonal contact for fear of criticism, rejection or disapproval. In addition, she is often unwilling to engage in conversations or create links unless she is sure she will be appreciated, is often retracted in close relationships, thus avoiding being ridiculed, and is overly concerned about being criticized or rejected. In addition to these, the beliefs of being considered unattractive, inferior or socially inept are typical, reflecting obvious problems of self-esteem, and thus showing a lack of initiative when starting new activities, especially when these are social in nature. Causes The causes of personality avoidance disorder for many authors are purely biological and focused on the type of temperament. There is a chance of finding brain differences in behavioral activation and inhibition systems that regulate emotional responses to threat or incentive signals, indicating that the person's temperamental willingness to face environmental changes facilitates isolation and flight of new situations and this can be seen from the first months of life. This disorder becomes more noticeable from the age of 2, for example, the child hides behind the breast or potato or hides under the table so that they do not have to interact with anyone, even if they are familiar, etc. Other studies reveal that family relationships influence the development of such personality disorder, while others argue that the social environment, the few achievements achieved or praised, generate in many people the fear of failure. In these cases children begin to minimize their logos (in the cases of authoritarian parents q minimize the children's achievements). If there is comorability with a social phobia disorder, social phobia is first worked because it is faster to work and then the avoidance of personality disorder is worked on (working personality disorders takes longer). Characteristics of the preventative
Diagnostic criteria according to DSM V:
Avoid work activities that involve meaningful interpersonal contact, for fear of criticism, disapproval or rejection.
He is unwilling to establish relationships with others unless he is sure to be appreciated.
He is withdrawn from close relationships, because he fears being embarrassed or ridiculed.
He is concerned about being criticized or rejected in social situations.
It is inhibited in new interpersonal situations, due to the feeling of lack of adaptation.
He sees himself as socially inept, with little personal appeal or inferior to others.
She is extremely reluctant to take personal risks or get involved in new activities, because they can be embarrassing.
It ceases to be a personality style and is considered a disorder, when it begins to limit the person at all and the person flees everything, who does not leave their home if they want. Differential diagnosis between avoidative personality disorder and social phobia:
In avoidance personality disorder, its origin is due to biological factors and is focused on itself.
In social phobia, its origin is more by traumatic events and focuses on factors in external.
The two problems share many similarities (fear or rejection in the face of social situations, inhibition, distorted thoughts), but they also show certain differences, some being more subtle than others. In this sense, avoidance personality disorder has a seemingly more serious character, in which the degree of generalization (present in many situations) and associated problems (self-esteem, erroneous cognitions) turn out to be broader. In addition, it is defined as a pattern, unlike the specificity of social phobia, which means that it appears relatively early on a temporary and non-specific basis. In the case of phobia on the other hand, the problem may be placed in one or a few situations of social interaction and although these may significantly limit the person, the person may normally develop in other situations, showing certain social skills. Finally, we must keep in mind that personality disorders cannot be diagnosed before the age of 18, so, before this age we will have to resort to problems related to bonding or anxiety.
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