How to overcome extreme introversion with cognitive-behavioral therapy?

This is how the cognitive-behavioral model works with very introverted people.

Introversion is a personality trait with very interesting particularities, and people who develop it live life in a very special way. However, when this tendency towards introversion is very extreme, this fact can give rise to some problems unless the person develops certain skills of emotional management and handling of personal relationships.

In this article we will see briefly in what can consist these problems by excess of introversion and how they are approached from the cognitive-behavioral psychological therapy..

What do we understand by introversion?

Introversion is a psychological trait contemplated in several of the most important personality classification systems, such as the Big Five Model, developed by Raymond Cattell and other researchers.

It can be defined as the predisposition to show great interest in internal psychological processes, i.e., a propensity to focus on the processes linked to introspectionIt can be defined as a predisposition to show great interest in internal psychological processes, i.e., a propensity to focus on processes related to introspection: reflection, recalling past experiences, recreating imaginary situations, etc.

Thus, introversion is conceptualized as the opposite of extraversion. While introverted people highly value being able to dedicate time and concentration capacity to experience private psychological processes, extraverted people tend to seek experiences that provide them with external sources of stimulation: meeting new people, practicing sports, traveling, etc.

Evidently there are not only introverted or only extraverted people, but two poles of personality between which there is a wide gray scale.Rather, they are two poles of personality between which there is a wide scale of grays. Therefore, in practice, all people with a marked tendency to extraversion need to have moments of solitude and relative lack of external stimulation, and all very introverted people need to participate in social activities or activities that involve making changes in their environment.

What problems can excessive introversion generate?

Although in many societies introversion may be considered something negative, it does not have to be; it is a form of personality with its advantages and disadvantages, like any other. Moreover, in some cultures, introversion is more highly valued than extraversion, although this is not the case in the hegemonic Western culture in much of the world today. That said, when a personality trait is extremely pronounced, this can lead to common problems..

As introversion is one of the most structural elements of the personality, its effects on the introverted person's life can be manifested in many different ways; and for this very reason, when someone has an excess of introversion, this is usually reflected in a Wide range of problems.

However, within this wide range of negative consequences derived from an extreme tendency to introversion, the following are among the most frequent. Keep in mind that not all introverted people need not experience these difficulties or sources of discomfort.In general terms, however, these are the most important.

• Communication problems due to not engaging in active listening behaviors.
• Predisposition to enter into a lifestyle linked to excessive social isolation.
• Predisposition to suffer stress or anxiety in complex social interactions.
• Predisposition to suffer stress or anxiety in social interactions with people they do not know
• Lack of initiative in situations where a leadership role is required on their part.

The cognitive-behavioral model to the problems of introversion

The model of cognitive-behavioral psychological intervention aims to help people to promote positive transformations. both in the management of their emotions and cognitions (i.e., in the private psychological processes linked to our thoughts and our affective side) and in the management of observable behavioral patterns (the way they communicate, the management of their daily routines, time management, etc.).

In the case of intervention in the face of problems due to excessive introversion, these processes of improving the person's skills stand out:

1. Training in active listening practices

Active listening helps not only to lead to more meaningful conversations, but also to avoid misunderstandings and misunderstandings. help to avoid misunderstandings and conflicts. The tendency to extreme introversion often makes people who talk to these people feel ignored or belittled.

2. Working on anxiety management in social situations.

Although introversion and shyness are not the same thing, they often overlap because one leads to the other. That is why, in therapy, it is common to help very shy people to confront their fears related to their their fears linked to their way of behaving in front of unknown or semi unknown people, through ways such as improving their self-confidence and self-confidence.The use of relaxation techniques at key moments, visualization techniques of socially complex situations (training in imagination) and more.

3. Social skills training

Sometimes, very introverted people find themselves in situations where they notice that their circle of friendships has become too small and limited to friends from many years ago. To "open up" more and make friends in their current age group (something that in these cases may be somewhat unfamiliar to that person, relating only with childhood friends), in therapy can help you to socialize by understanding the unspoken codes of communication.

Looking for professional psychological support?

If you are interested in having psychological assistance to overcome the emotional imbalances arising from personal relationships and to adopt new patterns of behavior more adaptive and useful to face the day to day, contact me.

I am an expert psychologist in the cognitive-behavioral model, and I work helping adults and adolescents as well as companies and teams both in face-to-face psychology sessions and online via video call.