Do INFPs have social anxiety?

Do INFPs have social anxiety?

Some INFPs deal with social anxiety. Those who experience social anxiety want to withdraw themselves from others to avoid any awkward situations and self-doubt themselves.

Anxiety is not something that they are unable to deal with. In some cases, it helps them to grow and become stronger through their experiences and challenges.

INFPs who are dealing with anxious feelings might seem to be on edge especially when they have external stress which makes the situation overwhelming.

INFPs are characterized as people with deep emotions and having to deal with something serious like social anxiety might be very hard for them at times.

Sometimes INFPs can experience anxiety due to the social environment they are in. when INFPs are around people who look at them as abnormal or don’t understand their complex emotions it can trigger anxious emotions in them.

Who are INFPs?

INFPs are someone who possesses the Introverted, Intuitive, Feeling, and Prospecting personality traits. These rare personality types tend to be quiet, open-minded, and imaginative, and they apply a caring and creative approach to everything they do.

What are the characteristics of INFPs?

Some key characteristics of INFPs are:

• They are shy, quiet, and reserved. They feel drained in social situations and choose to interact with certain groups of people. They enjoy being alone however this cannot be a synonym for their shyness. They believe in gaining energy from spending time alone.
• They strongly depend on their intuitions and are focused on the big picture rather than the small details. They can be very fastidious around things they truly care about or ventures they are working on but tend to disregard ordinary or boring points of interest.
• They place a high value on personal feelings and their decisions are influenced by these feelings rather than by objective details.
• They like keeping their options open while making decisions. They prefer taking their time while making decisions due to the uncertainty of situational factors. When they can make their decisions, they are usually based on personal values rather than logic.

How can INFPs deal with social anxiety?

For INFPs who deal with social anxiety, it can be a long and difficult process for them to cope with it.

When the anxious feelings are situation based INFPs often need some time doing something that makes them calm.

They are required to regain the trust within themselves and focus on their strengths instead of overthinking about factors that cause a sense of extreme pressure.

INFPs need to be in an environment that is accepting of their personality. They require people who accept them the way they are rather than expecting them to bring about changes in their behavior.

INFPs need a lot of patience and understanding when they experience feelings of anxiousness. sometimes spending time alone and reflecting on their thoughts can help them cope better with anxiety this can also include other distractions like reading their favorite book or spending time in the open air.

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 all we 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 other people
•  To avoid social contact an individual might also miss out on school or work.

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 call mom using public services like transport or washrooms, carrying out activities in public such as speaking or even eating in that matter.

How can INFPs 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 can INFPs 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 

Some INFPs deal with social anxiety. Those who experience social anxiety want to withdraw themselves from others to avoid any awkward situations and self-doubt themselves.

INFPs are equally vulnerable to social anxiety than any other personality. They do have their own set of challenges while dealing with their anxieties but do not look at it as impossible.

Frequently asked questions

Are INFPs likely to have anxiety?

INFP personality types tend to be vulnerable to stress and anxiety. This is mainly because they are sensitive and are likely to be affected more easily by criticism than others. They take critical feedback very personally and get upset or feel attacked.

What personality types are prone to anxiety?

Research indicates that people with certain personality types are more likely to experience anxiety than others. For instance, perfectionists tend to develop anxiety as early as in childhood due to a lack of self-esteem.

What is an unhealthy INFP like?

An unhealthy INFP can be domineering, controlling, and self-conscious. they view their ideals as the truth and any opinion against their ideals is taken as offensive. they tend to hide their problems and emotions to mask their vulnerability.

What is high trait anxiety?

People with high trait anxiety see the world as more unsafe and threatening than those with low trait anxiety.

Citations

personalitygrowth.com

https://www.verywellmind.com/infp-a-profile-of-the-idealist-personality-type-2795987

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