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Introversion vs Social Anxiety: What’s the difference?

Have you ever asked a friend out for a gathering, only for them to reply, “I don’t really feel like going to meet so many new people. I’m an introvert.”? Or perhaps, you yourself have used “I’m too introverted for that…” as an excuse to skip out on larger social events?

Using introversion as a reason to wave off invites has become quite commonplace in today’s society. With this comes the question, where’s the line between introversion and social anxiety? What you may think of as introversion could be a marker of social anxiety instead – and learning how to manage this effectively may help you handle social situations better, so it doesn’t impede your life. We explore the differences between the two; and what you can do if you have social anxiety to cope better.

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Comparing Introversion and Social Anxiety

The key difference between introversion and social anxiety is that the former is a set of personality traits; while the latter is a mental health condition, which could have a detrimental impact on your daily life, if left unchecked.

Introverts draw energy from being by themselves; and this may be why introverts may shy away from larger social activities, particularly if they’ve already had a draining day or week. They tend to favour solo activities or smaller gatherings with close friends. This isn’t too say that they’re unable to be in large groups; rather, they know they may have to expend more ‘energy’ in these settings.

On the other hand, individuals with social anxiety tend to experience (a sometimes) distressing amount of nervousness or fear in social settings. While it’s natural to be a little worried of judgement – particularly in a new social group – those with social anxiety have an overwhelming fear of rejection or judment; and this can lead to them avoiding gatherings or environments because of this fear… even if they had wanted to join in, in the first place. One may also be overly fixated on social gaffes that they’ve committed in the past (no matter how minor), and constantly worrying about committing the same mistake again.

As you can see, what differentiates introversion and social anxiety is the feeling of choice – that you’re comfortable and able to join a social gathering if you wanted to.

Common symptoms of Social Anxiety

Being a little uncomfortable or shy in new social situations doesn’t necessarily mean that you’re socially anxious. Rather, it’s whether these feelings prevent you from participating in activities, perhaps even if you had wanted to.

These are common indicators that one has social anxiety:

  • Intense fear and stress around talking to new people, or in social situations and gatherings; and even avoiding interacting to strangers and events because of these feelings
  • Constant worry about doing something embarrassing or humiliating in front of others 
  • Expecting the worst possible outcome in every social situation (such as being laughed at or mocked)
  • Fixating on tiny mistakes committed in a social situation, even if no one around had said anything

Social anxiety may be more than emotional distress. It can manifest as physical symptoms as well. One may also experience a fast heart beat, trembling, sweating, nausea, light headedness, or just an overall feeling of being tense when they’re put in social situations.

For an official diagnosis, these symptoms need to be present for at least six months. 

Together, all of these symptoms can be debilitating – and lead to an outright avoidance of any gatherings or events and even a sustained social withdrawal, so as to reduce the chances of feeling this way.

Knowing whether one is just introverted or actually experiencing social anxiety is the first step towards managing its effects on their daily life. This is because they’d be able to identify the reasons for why they’re turning down social invitations. 

If left unmanaged, individuals with social anxiety are at risk of developing other mental health conditions, such as depression. This is because the stress of having to interact or the guilt and frustration of avoiding gatherings can build and bottle up in an extreme way; causing greater repercussions on one’s mental health.

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When should you Seek Help?

You may want to speak to speak to a healthcare professional if you think your anxiety is affecting your daily life. 

For example: finding that your anxiety is preventing you from attending social gatherings even with your closed friends; or that it’s impeding your professional life because you’re unable to participate in office events.

The earlier you seek treatment for anxiety, the easier it may be to treat; and the more effective the intervention. A mental health professional, such as a therapist or cousellor, teach you how to reframe your thoughts of worry or anxiety; as well as equip you with skills on how to better navigate social situations, in a way that is least stressful to you.

A common treatment approach would be to use Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), which helps you identify the thoughts and beliefs that are behind your anxiety, and how to reframe these for the better. Ultimately, the goal of CBT is to change your behaviours because you’re able to first see these unhelpful ways of thinking and recognise how your beliefs are not, in fact, reflective of reality.

Treatment for social anxiety can take time, especially if you’ve been experiencing it for a prolonged period. However, by working consistency with a therapist, you’ll be able to overcome and move past it.

If you’d like to take that first step – whether you’re just struggling with feeling left out in social situations or you suspect you may have social anxiety – you can reach out to our therapists and counsellors at A Space Between. We’re here to support you, with whatever you’re facing.

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Written by Em Tang

An experienced health & wellness writer, I am a story-teller at heart. For me, writing is a way of weaving together the little details that make our existence meaningful and significant into a beautiful, larger story.

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