Beyond Irritated: Friday Rant
4 May
For the heck of it I typed Introverts.com into Firefox just to see what would come up (No, I won’t even give them the courtesy of a hyperlink.). To my irritation this is what I see:
Most Relevant Link: Mental Health
Anti Depressant
Chronic Depression
Clinical Depression
Counseling
Depression
Depression Help
Depression Medication
Drug For Depression
Health And Wellness
Mental Health
Mental Health Treatment
Mental Performance
Mental Power
Psychiatry Jobs
Psychology
Psychotherapy
Seasonal Affective Disorders
Granted it’s one of those websites geared towards Google Adsense and affiliate links, but still. GIVE ME A BREAK.
As I pointed out in my May 1st post, introverts are constantly labeled, by the extroverts of the world, often based upon the actions of a few. The vast majority of introverts are not mentally ill, mentally unstable nor suffer from clinical depression. These disorders exist, but are proven to be evenly spaced amongst personality types. These labels are GARBAGE, I tell ya!
Introvert Solutions
One of the best books available on the market about introverts is The Introvert Advantage by Marti Olsen Laney. This is a fabulous resource, created by an introvert for an introvert. Read it, absorb it and educate those around you. Together we can dispel the myths about introversion.
If I may add, I suffered from severe chronic depression for quite awhile. The only thing that lifted that feeling was accepting my introversion. For years I had tried to be like the majority; an extrovert. To make a long story short, this was exhausting and left me time after time, feeling hopeless. I often get the feeling that we as humans, think we can be exactly what we want to be. While with hard work and effort a person can achieve set goals, avoiding/denying what comes natural can be disastrous.
Paul
P.S. Becky, I enjoyed your site!
That irritates me as well, that us introverts are portrayed as being disabled or mentally ill in some cases.
I totally agree with Paul, we must embrace our true selves and play to our strengths rather then are perceived weaknesses.