If an introvert tries so hard to become an extrovert, can it cause mental problems?

[Anonymous]

[236color]

I'm not a mental health professional, but my non-professional opinion is probably not. Trying really hard to become more social, at first, can be uncomfortable. You have to do things you've never done before, and that's scary. As you do each new thing, though, you gain confidence. When I was a young man, I considered myself an introvert. One summer I had a job at a summer camp, and I had bought myself a small white button with the grey letters spelling "introvert" on it and I wore it to the cafeteria one day. The joke being it was subtle and hard to read. My boss came up close to be able to read it. Once he did, he began laughing. I WAS an introvert, as in past tense. I had tried hard, experienced many new things and gained so much new confidence, it was in fact, no longer true. In my current job, I realized a couple of years ago, I am not only not introverted, I am popular. This is a truly amazing thing for someone that was so shy I would knock on the door of a professional office and wait for someone to open it, rather than walk in. My feeling is that you may be frightened of the new experience, but if you can force yourself to do it, it won't be damaging to your psyche. We're talking about things like talking to strangers here, not swimming with sharks. These experiences are frightening, not truly, physically dangerous. The only way to overcome intrvertion is to push though that fear. Remember, "Courage is not the absence of fear, it's the conquering of it.

[Astarlessnightsky]

Yes, pretending to be someone you are not is really stressfull and will cause problems.

[DoggyDude]

Usually someone whos introverted have some set of reasons causing or suggesting introversion.

I would say, that a true introvert cannot make themselves into an extrovert, but they can develop sets of behaviours that might allow them to pass for that.

We always tend to revert to form.

That said, challenging ourselves is the only way to grow. So I will say that anything can cause mental issues, because mental issues are just when the ways we think about stuff becomes harmful to ourslves or others.

[laly520]

yes possible