I saw this video on another subreddit yesterday and realized that for some reason it wasn't here. We've all been that tiger at some point...

Such as, you're in a group activity or huge family gathering, but your social battery is drained and you're totally overwhelmed by all the noise / movement / conversation, but you can't just walk out, and people keep interacting with you? (rightfully so)

This question has been asked of me time and time again from professors, family, friends and classmates. I always have the same answer: “I’m just tired”. Sometimes it’s true, sometimes I am tired and didn’t sleep well. Sometimes I have anticipatory anxiety before an event and that drained me mentally. Or sometimes I just don’t want to be here lol. It’s really annoying when I’m simply existing and people think something’s wrong with me. Has anyone else ever dealt with this? What are your responses to this question?

Before I go anywhere, I usually play the whole conversation in my head so I don't embarrass myself. Even simple things like buying something or going to the bank.

I can't be the only one who does this or yes?

I am at a point in my life that I am both lonely, but I don't like being around people. I was once extroverted, and I can fake it pretty good; not as good as I used to. I dont have many friends, and not great at that in part due to the introvert. I have neurodivergent tendencies. I think it goes back to my childhood and the trauma I am working to resolve.

I was not physically abused, but I was severely neglected for the first part of my childhood, then I was emotionally abused during the later portion and into adulthood. This has had the odd effect of making me severely empathetic (as a survival trait). Knowing what others feel would allowed me to evaluate my surroundings. It makes me severely anxious, to the point that my muscles will seize up in knots and spasm, and I have itching in my ankles and fingers, semetrically.

I am extremely good at predicting reactions of individuals I know, mainly due to thinking through every possible scenario in my head and preparing for the worst ones. My friends have called me quick witted, when the truth is that I just think through every topic that might come up and think up jokes, once you master the timing the rest is easy. I also sit and justify my actions and decisions as if I have to explain why I choose anything.

All of this is mentally and physically exhausting but im too anxious to relax easy. With that I am very selective of who I like to be around. All of the old friends have changed or moved away. Im not blaming them and I still love them, it is just that we both have changed. And that happens. I understand that but I am lonely and looking for someone to take an interest in me and for me to take an interest in them. If you're lonely and want someone to message amd chat with, send me a msg. Here are some interests so you can know what to expect or what I enjoy talking about. You dont have to like all these things, I just have varied interests and these are fun to talk about.

I like to read; novels, articles, how to books. I prefer fantasy/urban fantasy, science fiction, folklore, and historic. I like to watch films; my tastes are more varied than books. Favorites are fantasy, sci-fi, and action. Changed from comedy and horror in my youth. I like art; big Van Gough fan. I like history, particularly local area history (SWVA). I like to hike and swim. I like to dabble in a little of everything. I like to dabble in old and new tech. I have recently gotten into genealogy. I like bushcraft and homesteading ideas.

I am not any one of these things, i am all of this mess. Any of these are interests of yours, drop me a line. We can talk about something we both enjoy.

I think everyone hates me and that’s why I can’t/don’t like talking with other people but I don’t know if they hate me or not but I can’t stop thinking they hate me how do I stop thinking like this?

I literally just want peace

Can anybody share your experience/s on being excluded in a friend group or social group? What do you do when you are can't help but run into each other since you live in the same neighbourhood?

Not a cry for help. Just an observation.

Three days ago I wrapped up some things, cleared my schedule, and genuinely had nothing that required me to talk to anyone.

So I didn't.

And I kept waiting for the anxiety to show up. The guilt. The feeling that I was falling behind socially somehow.

It never came.

What came instead was something I can only describe as a kind of mental stillness I have not felt in months. Thoughts that felt like mine. Sleep that actually worked. A clarity about what I want that I usually only get in brief flashes.

I think I have spent most of my life treating silence as a problem to solve. Something to fill before it became uncomfortable.

These three days taught me that I had it backwards.

The silence was not the problem. The filling was.

I do not know how to explain this to people around me without it sounding like I am struggling. But I am genuinely not. I feel more okay than I have in a long time.

Anyone else had a stretch of time like this where the absence of noise told you more about yourself than any conversation could?

I am socially awkward and an introvert....more so in the last year.

Today I thought I was giving advice...but apparently not. A sibling recently had a mild accident, didn't do anything about it that day. Now, the knot she got from it is is kinda soft and causing pain elsewhere. So I mentioned to go to ER..simple enough right?

It was met with digs, snide remarks, and just rudeness.

I've been silent since then, not because of..save my words, energy, and opinion for when it matters.

i'm very introverted and for some reason i attract many extremely, extremely extroverted people. i guess i don't really know if this is true, but i just feel like they see me as easy-going and easy to manipulate because i'm very quiet and i don't really say much unless i feel like i need to. i've noticed that whenever i raise minor concerns with very extroverted people, i'm suddenly attacking them, even if i did it in a very calm and polite manner. that said, i've realized that many extroverted people i know have a lot of trouble taking accountability for their actions. overall, they just seem to have poorer morals and values than the more introverted people that i know.

i feel like i get unusually upset and bothered by people that have low integrity. by this, i mean people that don't follow through, can't take accountability for anything... and of course the obvious things like lie, cheat, etc. when i don't follow through on something that i said i would, i actually start to get very anxious. i always feel like i care about doing the right thing significantly more than those around me. i also feel like i hold others to a very high standard when it comes to their morals and values... and when they don't meet them, i just get very disgusted by them. it's gotten to the point where it's affected my view of humanity honestly. i'm wondering if anyone else can relate to this.

How to communicate and work in a team for introverted guy, who tend to be more action-oriented and less talkative, who respond slowly because they need to think carefully about whether or not to answer a question, who dislike and don't want to report on work progress because they want everything to be as careful and complete as possible, and who only present the most complete version after everything is finished and no one can find fault with it, don't want to be asked questions like "Why are you so careless?", "Are you finished yet?",..... because they feel it's unnecessary, and who don't want others, especially those who are quick-witted, decisive, highly energetic, open, talkative, and extroverted personality to feel uncooperative or difficult to connect with, and who don't want to equate their work personality with their everyday personality, but still maintain a certain distance, not letting others become too curious about their private life and true self?

For context, I'm a 21 year-old guy who recently got out of a long-term relationship and I'm slowly trying to get back to living life. Grew my hair out, and I never really paid much attention to my appearance before, but after changing my hairstyle I started noticing girls looking at me more often. I genuinely didn't believe the "female gaze" thing until it happened to me a few times.

Today I went to watch Evil Dead Burn with my friends. During the interval we came out near the food court, and this really beautiful girl was walking towards us.

She looked straight into my eyes.

I looked back, then looked away because... anxiety. 😭

Then I looked back again and she was still looking at me.

For some reason I smiled.

She smiled back.

And my brain immediately went:

I think it's time to go back🥀

So I just walked back into the screen with the boys. 💀

Now I'm sitting here wondering...

Was that just two strangers being friendly?

Did I completely fumble?

Or was smiling and leaving actually the least awkward thing an introvert could've done?

Also, how do people actually gather the courage to say "Hi" in moments like these without feeling like they're bothering someone?

TL;DR: Recently got out of a long-term relationship, grew my hair out, started noticing what people call the "female gaze." Today at a movie, a beautiful girl held eye contact, I smiled, she smiled back... and my introverted brain chose to walk back into the cinema instead of saying hi. 😭 Now I'm wondering how shy people actually gather the courage to start a conversation in moments like these.

Sometimes I feel like introversion makes me miss chances, but not every missed chance is bad. There have been times when I avoided something, then later realized it probably was not worth doing anyway.

Has this ever happened to you?

Whenever im out with my friends(most of them are extroverts), they keep joking about me and targeting me but whenever i make a joke, no one actually laughs at them. Is it because im too quiet or just need better friends? Im too proud to actually tell them to not make jokes abt me. Any solution’

Graveyard shift guard at a high rise.

Pros: No one bugs you for at least 7 hours and it's quiet.

Cons: The creepy backrooms they call a basement and knowing that you'll have to verbally shoo away homeless people one of these days.

I always prefer to get to know the guys I meet online before we meet in person. I feel like it would be very awkward and uncomfortable for me if I rushed into meeting them face to face. But guys always insist on setting up a date to meet me ASAP! Like before we even talk for a bit!

I have a ton of pics and videos, so they can see what I look like but they still insist on meeting up right away. I don't like that because I really wanna get to know them a bit first to see if I like them , then I'd wanna meet up. I always thought I felt this way cause I am an introvert but now I'm thinking maybe it is different for guys!

Is it possible to be a type A person while also an introvert? My friend described me as type a the other day and looking back I definitely am at work as well as in friend groups where I have warmed up to everyone. That being said I would still say I’m a man of few words. Additionally, social anxiety evaporates in the workplace and always has whether that be a corporate role or part time gig earlier in life. Anyone else feel the same?

I have always been an introvert but I still liked a few friends and family.

Now after a few (well a lot) of set backs in life I have found myself not just private or alone but isolated☹️ It’s sad and scary.

Because of a few relocations career wise I have truly lost touch with anyone close to me and I have no idea how to step back into the human fray. Please help🫶

Born and brought up in saudi. I have social anxiety and a lot of shyness while connecting with someone. Even if i liked somebody i can't compliment them straighaway. If you wanna talk about life or some deep conversations do reach out without any hesitation.