Extrovert With Social Anxiety

Social anxiety is an issue which can cause a decrease in the quality of life of its sufferers, due to the associated stress and social withdrawal, as well as loneliness. A decreased sense of self-worth is also often associated with this issue.

Given that extroverts are known for being very social people, and enjoying social situations, it would be considered very unlikely for them to suffer from social anxiety. But is that really the case, or can you be an extrovert with social anxiety, too?

In this article, we’ll go over what an extrovert is, what social anxiety is, and finally find out whether or not extroverts can suffer from social anxiety.

What Is An Extrovert?

Simply put, an extrovert is an individual who enjoys social situations, and has a higher need for social interaction. They tend to find activities such as going out with friends, parties, festivals and pretty much anything involving socializing with larger numbers of people enjoyable.

Extroverts tend to also have an increased need for social interaction, compared to the general population, and especially to their counterpart, the introverts. With humans already being social animals, meaning socialization is one of our secondary needs for general wellbeing, right below food, water and shelter in terms of importance, this means that extroverts have an even higher need for socialization.

Extroverts, as a result of the combination of their nature, as well as their vast experience in social situations, tend to be generally more confident in these types of situations.

They also tend to have larger social circles, meaning a larger number of friends and acquaintances that they interact with regularly.

To summarize, extroverts are people who experience an increased need for socialization, as well as deriving more pleasure from social interactions. They tend to be more confident, and socially skilled, in all manner of social situations and interactions.

What Is Social Anxiety?

Social anxiety can be accurately characterized as a mental health condition which causes the sufferer to avoid social situations, due to a (often irrational) fear or concern of being judged negatively by other individuals, or suffering embarrassment.

This condition typically appears in people during their early to mid teen years, but it may also happen in early childhood, as well as well into adulthood years. In short, social anxiety may surface at any point during a person’s life, though it is most likely to appear during the teenage years.

Symptoms of social anxiety may vary, and what may be considered a symptom in some, would not be able to be considered one in others. For example, shyness in social situations may be common in children, and not point to social anxiety, but it may be considered a symptom of social anxiety in a 30-year-old.

The level of comfort that one experiences in social situations is influenced by many factors other than social anxiety, including but not limited to personality traits and life experiences.

Symptoms almost exclusively reserved for social anxiety, however, include the following:

• A fear of being judged negatively by other people in social interactions or situations. For example, worrying about how those you interact with will perceive your choice of clothing on that particular day, to the point that it leads to outright fear.

• Being concerned about humiliating or embarrassing yourself in front of other people. Example: You are about to sing a song at a karaoke bar, and you begin fearing being laughed at by the friends you went with.

• An intense fear of talking, or otherwise interacting, with strangers. In extreme cases, even talking over the phone or via text messages with a stranger may trigger this intense feeling of fear.

• Having a fear of physical symptoms which may give away that you’re nervous, such as blushing, trembling hands or talking with a shaky voice. This often becomes a sort of self-fulfilling prophecy, as the more you fear it happening, the fear increases the chances of it happening.

• Expecting the worst to happen as a result of a negative experience during a social interaction. For example, when asking someone out, you expect rejection in a very hurtful way.

All of the above symptoms, and the many more left unmentioned, can cause a lot of stress to social anxiety sufferers, stress which can be very detrimental to good health.

Can Extroverts Suffer From Social Anxiety?

The straight to the point answer is that yes, you can be an extrovert with social anxiety.

Here’s why.

Social anxiety does not discriminate when it comes to choosing its victims. In fact, social anxiety may occur in anyone, at any age, of any gender, regardless of whether they are extroverted, introverted or in-between.

Because social anxiety is a mental health condition, it can be caused by either internal factors, external factors, or a combination of both. Either or both types of these factors can lead to extroverted individuals to become afflicted with social anxiety and all the stress and negative effects it brings with it.

Here are some of the possible causes of social anxiety appearing in extroverted people:

• Inherited traits - Some anxiety disorders, including social anxiety, may sometimes run in families. Sometimes, it is common for symptoms to not surface until later in life. It’s still unclear whether anxiety disorders running in families is genetic, or a result of learned behavior during childhood, and research is still being conducted to determine which is the cause.

• Amygdala anomalies - The amygdala is the part of the brain responsible for fear responses. In cases of damage to the amygdala, or other anomalies to its structure, it can lead to disorders such as social anxiety.

• Negative outside experience - This possible cause behind social anxiety has nothing to do with the inner, but rather the outer. A negative experience in a social situation, if severe enough, can be the catalyst to developing social anxiety, even in individuals considered extroverted.

Conclusion

Social anxiety is a condition that may affect anyone, old and young, introverted and extroverted alike. It has many possible causes, and may surface at any point in someone’s life.

Extroverts who suffer from social anxiety may, in fact, be even more affected by social anxiety than introverts, particularly due to the social isolation aspect in relation to their higher need for social interaction.

It is important not to start using unhealthy coping mechanisms, such as vaping or smoking. And instead focus on healthy coping methods instead.

Take the time to rest, relax, and recharge. Your social battery depends on it!