All MBTI types and social anxiety?

This post answers: How do individuals with different personality types on MBTI handle social anxiety? What is social anxiety? What are the signs and symptoms of social anxiety? How to manage social anxiety using self-help techniques? How to manage social anxiety using other methods?

How do individuals with different personality types on MBTI handle social anxiety?

Every personality type is vulnerable to experiencing social anxiety. However, each experiences it differently and there are different ways to handle these social anxieties based on their personality types in terms of the MBTI classifications.

INFJs

INFJs could indeed experience social anxiety periodically, which provokes them to detach. They inevitably struggle when they don’t have enough time to relax time, but when they have social anxiety, it becomes challenging for them to communicate with those around them.

INFJs who do not suffer from social anxiety may require time alone, but they also value the ability to relate with others. With social phobia, the INFJ will suspect their every act in front of everyone and might very well find it difficult to connect up to new feelings.

It is undoubtedly a difficult condition for the INFJ to deal with, and it frequently necessitates the right kind of people connecting with them for them to form the links they seek.

ENFJs

ENFJs who suffer from social anxiety have trouble coping because they favor being around people. The ENFJ ponder over everything they do and believe they are often not good enough. When they try to interact, they constantly think over every word to feel more at ease in a particular position.

ENFJs who suffer from social anxiety do not stop communicating; instead, they doubt themselves and put extra pressure on themselves to make the right evaluations by others.

 They can almost certainly keep questioning their actions, analyzing, and possibly asking someone else if they said or did anything incorrect.

INFPs

INFPs who suffer from social anxiety frequently try to isolate themselves in hopes of avoiding utter humiliation. They find it difficult to be in crowds and immediately feel like critical targets in certain ways.

The INFP who suffers from social anxiety finds it difficult to step beyond their comfort zone and often feel more at convenience by themself.

With social anxiety, the INFP may attempt to conceal from others in some ways, but they rarely want to make their uneasiness known. 

They will try to appear fine while concealing the fact that they are genuinely feeling quite stressed and deeply uncomfortable. INFPs with social anxiety may even use dramatic irony and consciousness to mask how nervous they are.

ENFPs

ENFPs who suffer from social anxiety frequently try to hide their uneasiness. They are concerned about how their behavior will be interpreted, but they continue to look for relationships. As they still want to be close to people, the ENFP’s social anxiety can be extremely difficult.

They are still sociable, but they will question every action they take. They frequently believe that people dislike them and have reservations about their partnerships. The ENFP may even believe that their actions cause others to be agitated with them, and they will often struggle to deal with something like this.

INTJs

Instead of wasting time in awkward situations, INTJs with social anxiety often feel the need to isolate themselves. INTJs have a difficult time desiring to communicate with most people in the first place, and social anxiety makes it even more difficult.

They rarely want to expose themselves to new situations and therefore will avoid crowds. When it comes to connecting with others, INTJ with social anxiety may struggle to understand how their actions are perceived and may constantly feel as if they are saying the wrong things. They may also believe that their words will cause harm to others, even if they have no intention of doing just that.

ENTJs

ENTJs with social anxiety have a difficult time dealing with it because they already exert pressure on themselves. ENTJs want to succeed and aspire to be as productive as possible. 

They are often happiest in positions of authority, but social anxiety can seriously impede this. ENTJs want to do everything they can to conquer their difficulties and would most likely continue to shove themselves through their anxiousness. 

This frequently exacerbates the situation and tends to make the ENTJ feel like they are going to fail to do what is required.

INTPs

INTPs who suffer from social anxiety frequently try to keep their feelings obscured from others because they dislike revealing their emotions.

 INTPs prefer to keep their anxiety to themself instead of trying to share it with others. They frequently feel as if their views and deeds are being evaluated by everyone around them, and they place a lot of stress on themselves to behave. 

INTPs who suffer from social anxiety may find it difficult to start opening up to others and fear criticism and being labeled as flawed.

ENTPs

ENTPs who suffer from social anxiety have a tough time dealing with these emotions. They enjoy being around other people and want to be able to try new things. 

As they constantly second-guess their actions, ENTPs with social anxiety struggle to feel totally at ease with who and what they are. It is common for ENTPs to use subtle humor to distract themselves from their emotions, and this is exacerbated by social anxiety. They may struggle to hold deep discussions; instead, they turn almost everything into a laugh to distract themselves from how individuals truly feel.

ISTJs

ISTJs who suffer from social anxiety frequently struggle to step beyond their comfort zones. Most of the time, they might well remain silent to avoid causing themselves humiliation. 

They may even rehearse their words several times before talking in front of others. When the ISTJ suffers from social anxiety, they feel frustrated in the presence of others and will often seek to prevent being with people as much as possible.

ESTJ

The ESTJ with social phobia may isolate themselves for a period, but this is often extremely upsetting for them. They want to be able to relate with everyone and often feel strongest when they are regarded as a valuable member of their society. 

With social anxiety, the ESTJ frequently questions their every move but keeps trying hard to conceal this from others. They dislike expressing their emotions, so the last thing they would like is for others to notice how uneasy they have become in social environments.

ISFJs

ISFJs who suffer from social anxiety will undoubtedly give their best to conceal this aspect of their personality. They would also frequently appear timid and nervous, always wishing to satisfy others around them. 

The ISFJ will inquire about how others are feeling and will make every effort to assist them. At the same time, they frequently feel as if they are bothering others and are a burden in so many ways. The ISFJ with social anxiety continuously doubts their actions and finds it difficult to step far outside their bubble.

ESFJs

ESFJs who suffer from social anxiety frequently second-guess their actions and replay them in their heads. They are naturally sensitive to the feelings of others, which becomes even more difficult to manage when they have social anxiety. 

The ESFJ will most likely become burdened by the constant feelings of others and will proceed to do and say all the right things. 

As the ESFJ wants to make sure they seem to be doing everything correctly, they will repeatedly question people if they are alright or if they need anything.

ISTPs

ISTPs who suffer from social anxiety find it hard to manage, and it often allows them to feel, unlike themself. ISTPs prefer to be alone, and when they are socially awkward, they find it difficult to find reasons to interact with others. 

They frequently try to avoid meeting new people and prefer to avoid new stressful interactions entirely. Although being around people very quickly overwhelms the ISTP with social anxiety, they often try to hide it by remaining calm.

ESTP

The ESTP who suffers from social anxiety might very well continue to interact with others; they simply have a modicum of self. 

Even after they go home alone, the ESTP will find themselves speculating about their actions. They will go over things in their heads, convinced that they have induced others to despise them. They may even ask their family members if what they have done has upset them, making them appear needy even when they do not want to be.

ISFPs

ISFPs who suffer from social anxiety have a difficult time conversing with new members. The naturally cordial ISFP finds it difficult to feel at ease in social environments and appears to be quite shy. They frequently seek out someone with whom they have confidence and feel at ease, and they feel more competent in social contact with this person by their side. They may use them as a safety blanket, allowing them to be themselves even when they are nervous and uncomfortable.

ESFPs

ESFPs who suffer from social anxiety struggle with these negative emotions. As ESFPs are happiest when they are around others, experiencing anxiety is often one of the terrible things that can happen to them. 

They will still be connected to others, but they will keep questioning their actions. They may even rehearse conversations to get over them without second-guessing themselves.

What is social anxiety?

Individuals experiencing social anxiety might feel uncomfortable being in social situations to an extent that it hampers their daily functioning, it’s sometimes referred to as a social phobia.

Individuals consider public spaces as potential spaces of humiliation and embarrassment. Social anxiety affects how a person Interact with the world around them.

Social anxiety can be differentiated from shyness. In that shyness does not affect an individual’s daily life and functioning, moreover shyness is short-lived.

On the other hand, social anxiety is persistent and negatively impacts various aspects of an individual’s life like their ability to work productively or even develop or maintain close bonds with people outside their family.

What are the symptoms of social anxiety?

The symptoms of social anxiety can be both physical and psychological.

The most significant physical symptoms of social anxiety are:

• Nausea
• Excessive sweating
• Shaking or trembling
• Lightheadedness or feeling dizzy
• Increased heart rate

The psychological symptoms that individual experiences during a social anxiety attack are:

• Excessive and intensive worry about the social situation
• Worrying days or even weeks ahead of an important social event
•  Trying to camouflage themselves in the background or the need to avoid the social situation on a whole
•  The need for intoxication to face a social situation
•  The constant worry of being observed by others 

In addition to these individuals with social anxiety may avoid social interactions such as asking another person a question when in doubt, potential job interviews, shopping, using public services like transport or washrooms, carrying out activities in public such as speaking or even eating in that matter.

 How to manage social anxiety using self-help techniques?

Lifestyle changes

Apart from therapy and medication what works best to manage social anxiety is certain lifestyle changes. These may include:

•  Regular exercises
•  Having a balanced diet,
•  Socializing and talking to people about their anxiety,
•  Journal writing to express and understand one’s feelings and
• Avoiding alcohol or drugs.

Take control of your breathing

It is normal for anxiety to bring about changes in your body, for instance, increased breathing. these changes often make an individual feel uncomfortable.

One can take control of this discomfort by carrying out a few simple steps such as holding one’s breath for two seconds and slowly letting it out through their mouth.

Repeating this step several times until one feels relaxed. This is most effective when one sits down in a comfortable position with their back straight.

 

Carry out progressive muscle relaxation

Research indicates that certain activities such as walking, or jogging can help in killing anxiety. Another effective technique to kill anxiety is progressive muscle relaxation.

Progressive muscle relaxation involves flexing and releasing a group of muscles in one’s body which helps to maintain their attention on the feelings of this contraction and relaxation.

Prepare ahead of situations

It is best advised that people who experience social anxiety must plan ahead of these situations that make them nervous to increase their confidence.

Start small

to kill social anxiety people must start small. In that individuals must avoid big social situations and start with the situation that they are compatible with.

For instance, one can start by going for lunch with friends and family members rather than with a set of individuals that they’re not familiar or confident with.

Push back negative thoughts

One very effective way to kill social anxiety is to focus and work on one’s negative thoughts actively.

Think about the negative thoughts that one has about a particular situation and write them down. Following which the person is required to write down positive thoughts that challenge the negative ones.

Sensory awareness

One’s senses can help them calm down while they feel anxious in any situation. For some people trying to look at photographs that give them a sense of happiness or using a particular scent that can help to distract them from the negative thoughts and reconnect with more positive ones can help to kill the anxiety at the moment.

How to manage social anxiety using other methods?

Like other physical conditions, even social anxiety has different approaches for its management and treatment. Some people might only need a single type of treatment while others might require a combination of approaches.

Some of the ways to manage or treat social anxiety disorders are:

Cognitive-behavioural therapy

Cognitive-behavioural therapy helps an individual to control their anxiety by using strategies like relaxation and breathing. It works on the principles of replacing negative thoughts with positive ones.

Exposure therapy

Exposure therapy is a kind of therapy in which an individual is exposed to a particular situation that they usually fear in a graded manner.

It usually starts with exposing the individual to a situation that is least triggering when the individual gets comfortable with this situation introduced or exposed to them with each session individuals become comfortable with a real-life situation that is otherwise anxiety-provoking.

Group therapy

As the name suggests group therapy usually involves two or more individuals who are experiencing similar symptoms and problems.

It is based on the principle that when an individual interacts with other people who are suffering from the same condition or fears they might not feel left alone or isolated.

This kind of therapy also helps in developing and maintaining social skills or techniques to interact with people in other social settings.

 Prescribed medication

Social anxiety can also be treated with the help of medication prescribed by a health professional. There are different types of anxiety medications each with its benefits and side effects.

Online therapy 

Individuals with social anxiety can also seek therapy online. This would involve interacting with the therapist one-on-one over an audio or video call. 

Some individuals with social anxiety might be more comfortable seeking help through this mode than others while in a different case some might prefer face-to-face therapy sessions. 

Conclusion

Different personality types have different ways of dealing with their social anxieties. Some believe in facing them upfront while some try to avoid and escape them. 

However, individuals must try and resolve their social anxieties to avoid hampering their normal function and forming social bonds.

Frequently asked questions: How do individuals with different personality types on MBTI handle social anxiety?

Which MBTI type has the most social anxiety?

It is believed that personality Type D is associated with higher levels of social anxiety in the general population.

Are INTJs prone to social anxiety?

INTJs Find a challenging to get involved in social conversation due to social awkwardness making them more reserved.

What are INTJs scared of?

INTJs fear being unable to achieve their goals.

Citation

https://www.webmd.com/anxiety-panic/tips-for-living-with-social-anxiety

https://www.ourbetterworld.org/series/mental-health/support-toolkit/anxiety-schizophrenia-mental-health-conditions-explained?gclid=CjwKCAjwk6-LBhBZEiwAOUUDp-UzfypPfEgdAw2kWde-NTdqQRout3YeVuR6TR-zE1bjLWyq7kTEuhoCTSUQAvD_BwE

https://www.verywellmind.com/work-anxiety-4692762

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