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Are you shy?

Are you shy?


  • Total voters
    134
I would not characterize myself as shy, though, I am somewhat introverted. A similar poll was done here about personality types.
 
So far we have 1 loudmouth, one kinda-sorta introvert, and a high strung introvert (me). Not really enough to come to any kind of conclusion yet.
 
I am not really shy but I am perfectly comfortable by myself. More of a hermit thing.
I do not care for crowds or big cities.

I am more of an introvert than any other definition.

Dan Bergman
 

Kev

Senior Member
I honestly don't know into which category I fit, especially at this point in my life. I can recall some shyness/awkwardness in my early youth - but it only presented during puberty - and I think that's typical of both extros and intros. Before that, I was sort of a natural leader... a young alpha male who had no idea what it meant. I don't recall being a loud mouth, or overly 'talkative', but given my generation/era, the strong, silent type were my role models, so who knows if I went that way via nurture or nature. I was a very pig headed young man, cocksure and convinced that I was right most of the time, till proven other wise. but I didn't force my beliefs, opinions or ideas on others. I dunno why..
Today, I'm totally comfortable in a crowd, whether long time friends or just met.
Yet, my work is now extremely solitary for the most part, but that's a result of my disease. I do miss working with others (the office parties now are a bust), and I love to partake in social settings, yet I feel no compunction to be at the center of attention. Like, I may be the first to tell a joke, but don't need to be the MC. Sort of my persona on here. I contribute where/when I feel like, even if my contribution isn't absolutely needed, but I don't need to contribute, nor do I feel compelled to have the final word. Does any of that fit one or the other?
 
I've always had anxiety around people I don't know very well. When I tried going back to school several years ago I know the anxiety affected my disease. I was anxious all the time. All the stress made me get sicker, which made me miss some school, then I became even more stressed trying to play catch-up. In the end I just quit.
 
I'm going to start a new job on Monday and the stress is making it almost impossible for me to function. I'm in remission now, but I'll probably make myself crazy and from stress and get sick again.

I'm wondering if it's possible that there could be different causes of this disease. Maybe in some people it is mental and caused by anxiety and in other people there are other causes. One thing that is interesting in that crohn's disease is on the rise. More and more cases are diagnosed each year and it keeps becoming more and more common. The only thing that's good about it becoming more common is that more of an effort will be made to cure it.
 
My opinion on the disease is Crohn's is the direct cause of some mental reactions.

I have a certain amount of anxiety in certain situations and had reoccurring bouts of depression. I have virtually eliminated the depression after 25+ years. It was by accident when treating for Crohn's disease with suppliments.

I believe the large doses of Turmeric I used changes something with the intestinal brain relationship of the neurotransmitter Serotonin. The intestinal tract has lots of Serotonin and if you can improve the function or reduce the inflammation it quite naturally works better and seems to correct some mental processes as well.

I am quite sure of this because as I mentioned, it was an unintended result of treating my Crohn's. No chance of Placebo effect. If I quit taking the Turmeric it is just a matter of time before I will experience the depression again. I am one of the last people who realize it, as it is a subtle change. My wife notices it before I do.

I think this is where a circular disease cycle can start. Your are anxious or depressed for a legit reason. This in turn makes the Crohn's worse to a degree, which in turn makes the depression and/or anxiety worse. Now the damage and reaction does not even require the original legit situation. It is now self feeding.

I believe this is why a diet that is gut friendly can help Crohn's and mental perceptions. It simply allows the intestinal tract to react more normally and that can improve many other symptoms and break the cycle of Crohn's. I do not use a special diet as such, but I do avoid foods that i know I have a hard time with.

I do not separate anxiety and depression. I think they are caused by the same problem, and are merely different manifestations of that problem. They are different conditions caused by the same problem. In Crohn's, I believe it all starts in the guts. And it starts in the gut because the original immune response is faulty by genetics to some degree.

Of course I could be completely wrong. But I doubt it.

Dan Bergman
 
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I am very shy person.Always have been. I cant talk to people face to face but I can via internet or writing it on paper.or text message. I sooner talk this way to thenin person. Must be my sign the crab

TAMMY
 
J

Jvstin

Guest
I now am not shy. when I was a 305lb pre crohnie, I was extremely shy and never spoke up about anything.
now I'm a 155lb and never shut up.
 
D Bergy said:
My opinion on the disease is Crohn's is the direct cause of some mental reactions.

I have a certain amount of anxiety in certain situations and had reoccurring bouts of depression. I have virtually eliminated the depression after 25+ years. It was by accident when treating for Crohn's disease with suppliments.

I believe the large doses of Turmeric I used changes something with the intestinal brain relationship of the neurotransmitter Serotonin. The intestinal tract has lots of Serotonin and if you can improve the function or reduce the inflammation it quite naturally works better and seems to correct some mental processes as well.

I am quite sure of this because as I mentioned, it was an unintended result of treating my Crohn's. No chance of Placebo effect. If I quit taking the Turmeric it is just a matter of time before I will experience the depression again. I am one of the last people who realize it, as it is a subtle change. My wife notices it before I do.

I think this is where a circular disease cycle can start. Your are anxious or depressed for a legit reason. This in turn makes the Crohn's worse to a degree, which in turn makes the depression and/or anxiety worse. Now the damage and reaction does not even require the original legit situation. It is now self feeding.

I believe this is why a diet that is gut friendly can help Crohn's and mental perceptions. It simply allows the intestinal tract to react more normally and that can improve many other symptoms and break the cycle of Crohn's. I do not use a special diet as such, but I do avoid foods that i know I have a hard time with.

I do not separate anxiety and depression. I think they are caused by the same problem, and are merely different manifestations of that problem. They are different conditions caused by the same problem. In Crohn's, I believe it all starts in the guts. And it starts in the gut because the original immune response is faulty by genetics to some degree.

Of course I could be completely wrong. But I doubt it.

Dan Bergman
How much Turmeric have you been taking? I'm wondering what is considered a "large dose" and also how long it takes to notice a difference?
 
I'm fairly quiet and prefer small groups to large, quiet conversation to wild parties (generally anyway). So in that sense perhaps slightly introverted and shy. However, I'm also a life model and quite happy to pose nude for an artist or art class. Make of that what you will - I certainly can't work it out!
 

tlc-x

Undiagnosed Teenager
Location
England
I'm not extrovert or introvert.

I'm not shy but not overly confident. It also depends on whether i've flared up or not.

Before the age of 12 I was really shy, until my mum got my to start a stage school. I was terrifyed.. as any shy person would be if they had to sing, dance and act on stage in front of hundreds. It worked though, it broke my shell and I became more confident.

I left stage school a few months ago, for good. I'm slowly losing the confidence and i'm in a flare up at the moment - worse than ever.
 

Angrybird

Moderator
Location
Hertfordshire
I used to be very shy bout my body - I was the typical fat kid at school. Crohns has really changed things for me, you only need to have a couple of rectal exams before any thought of hiding you body goes out the window :)
 
I'm not the least bit shy; I don't know a stranger. I also don't particularly worry what other people think. Not to say I'm obnoxious or deliberately offensive, I just don't embarrass easily. I'm a totaly klutz and if I knock something over or trip and fall, I don't care if people laugh or look at me, no biggie :)

I totally agree with Angrybird-having Crohn's and being under the constant threat of soiling yourself in public changes you; I know I changed for sure. I've had a few well-placed incidents in public because of it, with my poor husband as witness.

Oddly enough my best girl friend always worries what "people" will say; that "someone" will hear or is looking; or "everyone" will notice (fill in here). She is shy and I really feel for her because it seems to cause her alot of anxiety.
 
Years ago, at a university hospital, a doctor approached me, as a potential cronnie volunteer, with an experiment monitoring the psychosomatic responses of viewing cinema clips. I remember telling the doc I was too cynical, usually, to respond to movies emotionally. I'm more of an analytical person and perhaps introverted. However, I was busy and skipped out. Just wondering if others have been approached with similar psychosomatic/emotional studies?

Currently, there are many findings being published concerning the link between the living flora of the gut and behavioral abnormalities. Probiogenomics is also a current undertaking that will probably elucidate and map out the bacteria throughout the intestines and lead to new understandings of the gut/brain relationship.

After a cursory google, I've found just one, of many, suggestive links: http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2011/08/26/1102999108
An poignant excerpt explains: "Importantly, L. rhamnosus (JB-1) reduced stress-induced corticosterone and anxiety- and depression-related behavior."

I'm also reminded of the much misunderstood British Medical Journal's disinformation campaign against Andrew Wakefield. Essentially, as an academic gastroenterologist, Dr Wakefield drew a connection and reccomended further studies--which have yet to be done--exploring the link between gut inflammation, leading to autistic spectrum disorders, shortly following MMR vaccines. He simply published a paper of his findings concerning a pool of 12 autistic patients with active IBD symptoms, and he suggested more studies need to be done.

"This paper discussed "clinical findings in 12 children with an autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) occurring in association with a mild-to-moderate inflammation of the large intestine...accompanied by swelling of the lymph glands in the intestinal lining...predominantly in the last part of the small intestine". At the same time, parents of 9 (8 in the original paper) of the 12 ended up indicating that onset of ASD symptoms occurred following exposure to the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine." this is taken from a reviewers comments of Wakefield's book Callous Disregard, on amazon.com (August 21, 2010 By Erik Gfesser)

All I'm saying is this COULD be relevent, especially considering the fact that most Cronnies have symptoms at the terminal ileum and we're talking about possible behavioral symptoms.
 
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I can tell when i'm starting to get a flare up of Crohn's. i usually start having sad/distressing dreams, which are very vivid. I will wake up feeling very depressed. I focus alot on the negative of everything. I begin to feel more introverted and want to actually hide from people and the world. Nothing seems to make me happy and i see the sad in everything, like my cats and dogs will be loving and playful and all i can think of is that they are going to die one day and i'll be all alone.

I used to get eczema as a first symptom, then i started getting the eye infection but now i get pain and stiffness in my joints, flu like symptoms. i have no energy, black out when i stand up and prefer to lay down in the quiet with no stimulation. i can't watch any drama on tv, not that i watch very much, but i noticed drama made me stress out like crazy. Comedies didn't seem funny and i even complain about them and feel like everything is offending me.

Then comes the putrid smelling gas, extreme pain and cramping, cold chills, vomiting......it gets worse as you all know. But my very first clue is always the vivid, negative dreams that cause me distress, and wanting to push people away from me. I can act or say things that make people go away. I find people drain my energy and cause me alot of stress. I don't think i'm shy so much as i just want to be left alone.

When i'm not sick, i feel alot of energy and happier and more social. There is definitely a co-relation for my moods, energy and the illness.

Oh i forgot that i start washing my hands alot when i start getting sick. I get a real phobia of germs and wash my hands incessantly. I try to keep people away from me also because of the germ phobia that starts manifesting.

I have often wondered if I was a bit autistic and i now know after reading a bit that those symptoms are related to the onset of flareup. I almost want to scream, run and hide from people, i want to rock myself, I become introverted, I find only comfort in snuggling w my animals.

I do take probiotics, b complex vitamins, extra b 5 (pantothentic acid), and vitamin c (high doses), usually right away at first symptoms (if i remember that those nightmares are a precursor to worse symptoms). These things don't help though if i don't take them early enough and let my symptoms get to the stage of needing meds or hospitalization.
 
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I'm a very very very shy person until I get to know you then I can talk your head off. I'm not as bad as I used to be though, but when I was placed on prednisone when I was first diagnosed in 2001, my confidence level shot way down. ( was only In 7th grade at the time and kids are cruel!) I was never really an outgoing person though. Im defiantly better than I was years ago, when I first started my job, everything made me SO nervous. I couldn't look people in the eye, I was nervous about answering the phones, I used to pray the timing woulld never land where I would have to work in surgery( vet clinic) I was terrified at working the front desk, just everything I was sooo nervous for. Now I can talk to people easier looking them in the eye, phones don't bother me( still don't like them but I don't get nervous answering them), and now surgery is my favorite part of the job there!!

I can't ever see myself as an outgoing person that can just go up and dance in front of people and not care etc. I with I could be, maybe one day I will get there! But at least I'm not as bad as I was years ago!

ANd I have always said and it's soo true. A computer is a shy persons best friend! Here I can talk soo easily!
 
Lets not forget that half the population is taking prescribed drugs that would effectively reverse the outcome normally implied by such traits..

I.e.. OCD person, typically stressed, perhaps more prone to Crohn's. that same person taking Zoloft may be totally relaxed and carefree.

Inversely, an impulsive person on Ritalin etc may be totally stressed out and more flare prone.

In both cases, a respondent would tell you their biological phenotype, not that which results from the medication..
 
Being shy and being an introvert are two totally different things. You can be both, but they are not exclusive of each other.

This is a sore spot for me, as a previous employer insisted I was shy because I would not open up to her. I told her I was just particular about who I cared to share with.

I have never been shy, but I am an introvert.
 
Being shy and being an introvert are two totally different things. You can be both, but they are not exclusive of each other.

This is a sore spot for me, as a previous employer insisted I was shy because I would not open up to her. I told her I was just particular about who I cared to share with.

I have never been shy, but I am an introvert.
I need to read up but.. Im curious.. would that mean you are equally as hesitant to share info online as you are in person? Or does the delivery channel (in person, phone, email) still play a role in your openness?

Thanks for sharing your insight.

Cute username btw.
 
I need to read up but.. Im curious.. would that mean you are equally as hesitant to share info online as you are in person? Or does the delivery channel (in person, phone, email) still play a role in your openness?

Thanks for sharing your insight.

Cute username btw.
It is easier for me to share online because I get to choose the timing of it. For instance, I can read this post and answer it right away or I can wait a day or two and answer it when I feel like it. In a social setting, I much prefer watching people rather than interacting with people, not because I am shy, but rather because I don't have the drive to do it. When confronted, I don't have a problem making conversation, I just prefer the solitude.

http://loveashley.net/2012/12/02/10-myths-about-introverts/

I also think telephones are a form of torture....so invasive!!! :lol2:
 

Cat-a-Tonic

Super Moderator
I'm a massive introvert, socially awkward, shy, you name it. Social situations do make my guts get riled up - from the time I was a child, I can recall having stomach issues whenever I'd go to a party. I figured it was just nervous tummy, coupled with the fact that I never really drank soda except for in social situations (I assumed the carbonation was making me extra gassy, ha ha). I didn't develop this IBD or whatever it is until just before I turned 30, so I have no idea if the social anxiety and tummy issues are linked or not.
 
Location
Missouri
I am shy and much more quiet until I feel comfortable with the people I am around. THEN....I am more the loud, the person who makes everyone laugh, lol! The clown, even. I loved being in plays and such, because I could ANYONE but me, if that makes sense.
 
Thread from 2007? Interesting.

I think most people have elements of both personality types, and very few are pure introverts or extroverts. I enjoy a good amount of alone time, but when around others, am far from shy.
 

nogutsnoglory

Moderator
This sure is an old thread but worth discussing.

I am definitely an extrovert when I'm not sick and in pain. I am the life of the party type who makes people laugh but also is a shoulder to cry on.

I didn't read the study but I wonder if its not so much shyness that contributes to illness but that extroverted people are more likely to be living a more fulfilling life. We all need human interaction and maybe those people are just getting more of that and spending more time doing fun things.
 
I'd rather keep my mouth shut and be thought a fool than to open it and remove all doubt. That said, I'm a strong type-A personality and not shy. I don't believe in astrology but I'm also a typical Scorpio.
 
I'm shy and a introvert. I never speak to people typically unless spoken too. When it comes to business I have an easy time talking to people because I can easily interact with customers or people that are in the same business as I. If I talk too long though or feel bombarded with conversation I usually need some quiet alone time to recharge.
 

Artisan105

Yondaime
I'm shy and a introvert. I never speak to people typically unless spoken too. When it comes to business I have an easy time talking to people because I can easily interact with customers or people that are in the same business as I. If I talk too long though or feel bombarded with conversation I usually need some quiet alone time to recharge.
I am totally the same way. I usually keep things to myself especially in a new environment. But when I am around my friends I talk a lot. :) Or when I am in a business meeting, I am forced to be social so I talk a lot. However, I am the type to listen most of the time and talk when I have to, getting to the main point.
 
I am totally the same way. I usually keep things to myself especially in a new environment. But when I am around my friends I talk a lot. :) Or when I am in a business meeting, I am forced to be social so I talk a lot. However, I am the type to listen most of the time and talk when I have to, getting to the main point.
Yeah I think introverts are a little miss understood. I'm definitely not very engaging in conversation with a stranger so for me to talk to someone I need a point where to start a conversation. If someone comes up with a point to talk to me I can usually reciprocate pretty well. And hey! Listening is great when coming to business convo, you can gather a lot of information and pinpoint peoples techniques or ways they perceive or figure things out.
 
I am not shy or quiet in social situations but definitely need some time on my own to recharge. I'd say I am introverted at heart
 
I wasn't around this site in 2007, so I guess I'll chip in my 2 cents worth (especially since our govt' is getting rid of them!)

I used to be painfully shy. Figured that if I continued that way, the chances of me settling down and having a family were severely limited. I actually took up refereeing hockey to shake myself out of that mould. One good thing crohn's did for me was give me a little more resolve to change things that I could in life to make it better. Wish I had done it sooner.
 
I am an introvert, but I think my Crohn's has a lot to do with that. When I am sick I will hide from the world. People do not understand the disease and are usually mean and judgmental, and that type of stress makes me even sicker.

Being diagnosed at 12, as far as I can remember my crohn's has affected my social life.
 
Yeah, I feel like having Crohn's can actually make you act more introverted. For the longest time I thought I was an introvert, but then I discovered I love going out socialising/clubbing etc. but it's just the fact that when you have Crohn's doing that sorta stuff regularly can be hard to do, so you kinda lean more towards introverted behaviour e.g staying in at the weekend to watch a movie/read a book or whatever. At least that's how it is with me. If I didn't have Crohn's my social life would be FAR superior to what it is now, I fully believe that 100%.

Also dunno if it's been said before cos I haven't read the thread, but shy =/= introvert. Two different things. Being introverted just means you're comfortable being in your own company or with 1 or 2 close friends, watching a movie or going for dinner or whatever. Being extraverted means you thrive on socialising and being around people/meeting new people.
 

Cross-stitch gal

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Vancouver,
It kind of depends on the situation with me. At my work, I work in a grocery store so I don't have time to be shy because I have no choice and have to talk to all kinds of customers all day.

If it's someone I know well outside of work then I'm not quiet at all. But, if it's someone I don't know, sometimes it takes a bit for me to warm up. However, my husband is a total extravert and a bit loud so he kind of makes up for my quietness.
 
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