Depression: Help for Introverts

Depression is more than just a day or two of feeling blue, and roughly 9.5 percent of American adults suffer from some form of mild to severe depression in any given year. All forms of depression are treatable, and the prognosis is generally good, but for people who are introverted, reaching out for help with depression may be difficult.

Introversion

• In her book, "The Introvert Advantage," Marti Olsen Laney says that the term "introvert" is often used mistakenly to describe someone who is shy, standoffish, or who seems to be socially inept. In truth, introverts are often very adept at social situations and may not be shy in the slightest, just like their extroverted counterparts. Introverts tend toward being quieter and more solitary than extroverted people, and have smaller circles of friends by choice, preferring deep friendships with few, rather than spreading their time and energy over many friendships.

  Sometimes, people who don't understand what introversion means will mistake an introvert's quiet demeanor for being sad, lonely or depressed. While these feelings don't go hand in hand with being introverted, depression in an introvert is certainly possible, as introverts suffer the same types of depressive disorders as others in the general population.

Is Depression Connected to Being Introverted?

• Being an introvert does not predispose a person to becoming depressed. But being introverted may hamper recovery from depression. The reason for this is that introverted people often prefer to work their problems out themselves, and introverts generally have a smaller circle of trusted friends. The support circle of an introvert is made of fewer people, and introverts hesitate to share deeply personal information about themselves with anyone, except the most trusted family members or friends. This is not a cause of depression, but it can perpetuate depression, and hinder recovery.

  There is another depression scenario that could be confusing when it comes to introversion. Often when people become depressed, they withdraw from activities that were once enjoyable. This happens to both introverted and extroverted people, so others may assume that the depressed person is introverted because she is not being social. The truth is that she is being less social because she is depressed.

Helping Introverts get Help for Depression

• The key to helping an introvert with depression is to encourage him to seek help in a way that honors his personality style. Group therapy won't be an introverts first choice, but one to one therapy with a counselor will work if a trusting relationship is developed. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) works well for depressed people who are introverted, because according to Dr. Greg Mulhauser of Counseling Resource, CBT requires introspection and self-exploration, something that most introverts are very good at. Other effective treatments for depression that may work well for introverts are light therapy and antidepressant medications.

  To help a depressed introvert, it's very important to respect his desire for solitude and quiet alone time, while encouraging him to reach out to others who can help and support him. This is necessary to an introvert's psychological and physiological well being, and will greatly improve the chances of easing depression.