No, I’m not depressed, just introverted!

Introversion is often mislabeled as depression this is due to some pronounced similarities. It takes only true introverts to know their kind of personality. A psychologist could also be able to decipher if a person is really an introvert or depressed. Most people (especially extroverts) see introverts as being depressed, weird, antisocial and lonely simply because to them, it seems rather strange to prefer being alone than socializing with other people.

Although, adherents of the Big Five school of personality psychology (which argues that human personality can be boiled down to five primary traits) define introversion not in terms of a rich inner life but as a lack of qualities such as assertiveness and sociability. Introversion however is a personality trait that defines people who draws energy from being by themselves or from being in solitude.

Depression on the other hand is a mental disorder that can be characterized by having a constant feeling of sadness, self loathe and general loss of interest is activities one used to enjoy.

Looking from afar, there are few similar features between the two terms but one prominent feature is both their severe “rather be alone” nature which could be a good cause for an introvert because it allows them to create, reflect on things, focus on their thought rather than their external environment and this can help generating lots of creative ideas. It is however not advisable for one who is depressed to constantly be alone because depression creates a negative cycle where one can detach from everything happening around them, which makes them become isolated and creates an avenue in the mind that incubates negative thoughts and actions.

A lot of introvert start wondering if they are depressed especially when they start getting a numerous amount of “are you okay” or “why don’t you ever leave the house” from people.

In this short article, I will be telling you six signs that show that you are just an introvert and not depressed.

1. You enjoy your personal space and alway look forward to being alone.

Notice I use the word “enjoy”. This is because that word is what draws the line between depression and introversion. While a depressed person might choose to be alone because he/she feels isolated, an introvert will just rather be alone to energize themselves and just think.

2. You rather listen than speak

Although, introverts always have their own opinion on things, they will still rather listen than speak especially if the person talking sparks their interest. Don’t get me wrong, introverts speak a lot. In fact, if you bring up a topic that interests them or they are passionate about, they probably won’t stop talking about it. They are not rude, It is just always easier to listen to people’s opinion on things rather than contribute.

3. You demand space to yourself

A lot of people see this as being rude but it actually isn’t them trying to rude. As a matter of fact, this is very necessary for an introverts well being. Not being afraid to tell people you need your personal space and insisting on your self care takes a whole level of confidence.

4. You are extremely creative

There are some extrovert and ambivert that are also creative but introverts have been proven to be more creatively gifted than their other counterparts. Introvert have a rather introspective nature which makes it easier for them to access their creativity. Although to possess their creativity, it takes courage, confidence and knowing oneself which a lot of introverts lack. The inability to posses this traits hinders their creativity.

5. You value your friendship

Although it takes a while for introvert to connect or bond with new people majorly because they hate small talks and they are never in a hurry to pick their friends. However when they feel a Sense of connection with someone, the person has a place in their heart.

6. You hate suprises or people popping up unannounced

One thing introverts hate as much as socializing is being surprised. They hate people visiting unannounced. Recall that introverts love their personal space. So visiting without calling an introvert is as good as invading their personal space which they very much dislike.

Can one be an introvert and also be depressed?

This is very possible. We all know that no human can escape having dark days. Introverts love to keep to theirselves and as a result of this they harbor in a lot of emotion and thought that should be let out, this can eventually let them fall into depression.

Also, introverts love knowing things. When an introvert is kept in the dark or are not informed about a situation, they begin to overthink which can cause stress and eventually lead to depression.

There are lots of other ways an introvert may fall into depression but the good thing is they tend to easily decipher the depression symptoms and get help earlier than the extroverts or ambiverts who may fail to recognize it till they fall deep into it.