ArtFriend

My natural state is introverted. But when I drank I turned into motor mouth.

What are you?

strongandsober

Same. I'm told friends can tell when I've been drinking because I start to talk very fast.

Lance40

Free online tests based on Briggs-Myers put me at 100% introverted. I have also recently had the actual Briggs-Myers assessment professionally administered through work and am a strongly introverted INFJ.

PurpleKnight

Briggs-Myers tests always puts me at introverted!!

gettingsmarter

Def introvert. I'm fine if I know the people. It's the new people I have trouble with.

Aellyce

Every psychological assessment I've done (including self-assessments) addressing this have always put me in the "introverted" area of the spectrum. But not extremely. Like many others especially nowadays, I view this as what I said: a spectrum that has some solid inborn components, but is not entirely stable. The way my introversion manifests has fluctuated in a broad variety of ways, including how much social interaction I need (or can tolerate) at a given time.

For me, I am actually much more social and extroverted sober than as a heavy drinker. Nothing has ever made me more withdrawn and isolated than alcoholic drinking. I think I'm the kind of "introvert" in the classic, psych sense of the term: not shy, but I need my space, alone time, and I like to spend a lot of time with both mental and physical activities that are done in solo. Very interested in exploring my inner world also. However, I also tend to suffer greatly if I don't have 1-2 close relationships in my life at a given time. Also, I have experienced many different kinds of anxiety throughout my life but, interestingly, social anxiety has probably been the lowest and rarest among them.

The way alcohol dysinhibited me was more like losing my sense of responsibility, being careless and distracting myself with everything but what I truly needed, and expressing a lot of my fantasy world that is normally best kept to myself or perhaps max to a therapist. Stress can also affect me this way actually.

site1Q84

I'm exactly the same as you, ArtFriend!

least

I am both. I like spending time by myself and am comfortable doing so, but get along with others and don't mind meeting new people.

ArtFriend

Yes, I am the same. There is a tipping point where I go from the life of the party to morose and miserable. But I almost would have to drink to black-out levels to get like that "cry in your beer" state.

greens

This pole should reflect the spectrum of introversion to extroversion and should have a choice for ambiverts!
It seems to mostly be introverts on here , I wonder if we r just more drawn to the Internet and forums like these. I've read some interesting opinions and blogs online about people's experience with recovery groups and feeling like the groups are better suited for extraverts . (Like most things in western society )

PurpleKnight

It's those new people, you have to keep an eye on!!

Aellyce

Some maybe relevant experiences I recall from my youth (mostly my teen years when I partied a lot). I think I had a lower than average level of tolerance to alcohol than most of my peers around me, at start. I would drink with them before or in the first phase of the party, be cheerful and fun, but I often did not catch the point when my drinking reached my tolerance level. Very annoying: why am I always the one who spends the second half of the party hugging a toilet? So, many experiences having great start of parties, and somewhere halfway things went downhill: I either got sick or just extremely tired and wanted nothing but be at home alone. Also many experiences going home in the wee hours after a party, or even with friends at an after-party, falling asleep constantly and wanting to be away from it all. This was mostly in my teens and I had a long break with drinking very little and rarely in my 20's. Then really getting into the habit in my early 30's, but it had nothing to do with social life or with peer pressure, much more my wanting to escape by myself.

KaleGrrl

Online tests put at a slight preference of introversion over extroversion, which sounds right. I love being around people and am not shy, but cherish my alone time as well after a lot of people time. That's the sober me. The me that drank spent more time alone, holed up or wanting to avoid people

ArtFriend

Here is a test based on the Myers Briggs

Personality test based on C. Jung and I. Briggs Myers type theory

According to the test I am an INTJ

INTJ

Introvert(89%) iNtuitive(25%) Thinking(6%) Judging(56%)

You have strong preference of Introversion over Extraversion (89%)
You have moderate preference of Intuition over Sensing (25%)
You have slight preference of Thinking over Feeling (6%)
You have moderate preference of Judging over Perceiving (56%)

Aellyce

Me, too I've taken many versions of this test, both publicly available and professional. INTP/J. The tests administered in my job today always peg me INTJ, but in some ways I identify with the INTP thing more.

I loved these tests a few years ago (at least something that can explain!), and guess what, I spent a lot of time on INTJ and INTP message boards. I'll say, take it with a grain of salt. The most important "salt" for me with this was that it's so easy to get hooked up on projective identification. And then we cultivate it as a sort of "elite society". Well, INTP/Js definitely are famous for doing that "elite society" thing, in my experience.

Change4good

I am an ENFP. Off the charts extroverted. But feeling very alone at the moment.

least

Coldfusion

I'm introverted, and it seems many members tend that way also. Here's another poll on a similar topic:

http://www.soberrecovery.com/forums/...rs-briggs.html

PurpleKnight

INTJ is usually my type!!

I just did the test there a moment ago and got INTJ, but on occasion fluctuate to INTP!!

TroyW

An introvert, who is too old to care what anyone thinks of him, hence is happy to be himself around others. Does that make any sense?

When I meet people, I'm still the quiet, shy, respectful guy I've always been, but I'm no longer nervous being that guy like I was in my younger days. And if I have something to say, I have no problem saying it, but I'm furthest thing from a loud mouth.

As for Myers-Brigg, when I was younger I always scored INFP. Now I always score INTJ. :shrug: