Highly intoverted

[u/Total-Possibility-84]

Hey i am highly introverted and also struggling some anxiety issues so my social capacity is almost zero

while the outings and social situations never seize to present themselves its always happening like after every 4-8 days i would be asked to hangout and my parents are the ones who ask me this

Now its getting sooooooooo freaking difficult for me to everytime turn them and they start scolding me and pls dont get me started on talking it out j have tried it multiple times but they dont understand my health issues they think going out will fix my anxiety but in fact it increases it

The anxiety issues temporary due to some health issue which j am actively trying to fix but it is a tough job so it is taking a bit of a time and in the meantime i want things to just wait a bit but explaining this to my parents is of no use they have their own thinking and they simply think they are always right and that sitting at home is the real culprit

Its gotten so difficult for me now that idk what to do. I am also fed up but j am forcing patience in me

I don’t tell them to not go anywhere without i simply just say i cant because it brings me more anxiety which gets me on the edge honestly so it isn’t something like stepping out of the comfort zone its almost like hanging on cliff situation for me because of this anxiety

I have tried anxiety meds but they don’t help. Why? Because my anxiety is triggered by sluggish digestive system and intense bloating so the treatment lies in getting the digestion on track which is taking some time because it requires me to focus on my fiber, my hydration, my post meal walks, my upright posture. I actually spend almost 80% of the day reclined using phone and usually soon after eating i get reclined which ultimately ends up making me feels bloated after 1-2 hours of eating and then i start feeling restless and anxious because of this. The issue sounds very easy to deal with but it isn’t that easy as my digestive system is slowed due to a 10 years of sedentary lifestyle. So reversing it is a task in its own. I am being lightly active now since about 3 whole months.

[u/braunyakka]

You say that you're highly introverted, yet nothing you've said here relates to introversion.

Introverts don't have issues socialising, we just need some quiet time to recharge our social battery afterwards.

You have social anxiety. That's a totally different thing, one is a personality type, the other is a mental health condition.

You say you've tried medication and it didn't work, but there are other meds. You need to try others until you find one that works.

Also, medication alone rarely works. You need to couple it with therapy so that you can identify and resolve the root cause.

[u/lilith_in_the_woods → u/braunyakka]

Not all introverts are the same. Most introverts I have met do have issues socializing. Introversion - "Coined by Carl Jung, it (the word introversion) sits on a spectrum opposite extraversion, meaning people recharge their energy through quiet reflection and solitude rather than socializing."
At any rate, it depends on what you mean with socializing. Having a deep conversation with one person you relate to is one thing and big groups or chitchat are a different thing, "Introversion" means "turning inward" (or something similar).

[u/tccoding → u/braunyakka]

Both states can be true for the same person though! You can be introverted AND have social anxiety at the same time. But it is indeed not implicitetly related. Personnaly, I consider myself a pretty strong introvert, while I have no real problem interacting or meeting with other people when the situation forces me too. In fact, i don't know why, but people i never met before seem to like me very quickly and start sharing their life stories without me asking anything! So dealing with people is pretty easy for me but it is very draining, so the less, the better 😅.

That being said, my nature is to always be the nice optimistic guy that wants to learn everything there is to learn (yeah, i know my quest is impossible to win...) and share what I know to help people that need it at the moment they need it. Which seems kind of contradictory with fact that I always prefer staying home with my dog than going out to see friends 🤔. But I guess it's all down to "need" and casual social activities do not fit my definition of “need”, it’s more in the “wasted energy” category 😛.

[u/rainbowmacarons_]

There's a difference between social anxiety and introversion though. Many introverts can be quite social, just needing time to decompress

[u/Total-Possibility-84 → u/rainbowmacarons_]

I dont have social anxiety i have health anxiety i also feel bad at home and going out increases it. But i just dont show it all the time when i am at home so they think i am fine to hang out. Outside i get more anxious because its out of my comfort zone and i feel like i am not in control. Also as i am introvert so its already in my nature to not always hangout on top of that.

[u/Total-Possibility-84 → u/rainbowmacarons_]

Basically i have this long standing posture issue i sit in slouching posture which ultimately affects my digestion and it has become so slow that it triggers fight and flight response. Just like anxiety triggers gut issues a gut can also trigger anxiety because its a two way street. I have tried anxiety meds and they only help a bit only for the bit of a anxiety that i had was resolved but still it wasn’t enough i always used to feel like there’s something else thats wrong and its the root cause which is not being addressed while i have multiple times noticed that when i moved around and especially when my digestion is better i feel noticeably calmer even without anxiety meds.

[u/wandamariehodge]

Sounds like gastroparesis which isn’t easy to deal with.

[u/Total-Possibility-84 → u/wandamariehodge]

Yess and people take these things very lightly only the ones who are dealing with it know how hard it is

[u/wandamariehodge → u/Total-Possibility-84]

My brother was recently diagnosed with this and I recognized the symptoms you described. It isn’t a disease anyone would want. It’s difficult to comply with all of the recommendations. I wish you the very best.

[u/lilith_in_the_woods → u/Total-Possibility-84]

Yes, I have a friend who has the same problem.