I am too. I hate to stand out or be noticed.

I 'm very introverted.

Although I am considered talkative.... I am by nature introverted as well. I even went so far as to have a small intimate wedding as I did not want to walk down the aisle with all eyes on me!

I am an utter and complete introvert.

It's hard to be extroverted when you're constantly in pain, and your life and what you do always revolves around how you are feeling.

I am definitely an introvert!

I'm shy but friendly quite at first but I tend to open up given time. I agree it's awfully hard to out yourself out there when RA is the cruel dictator in your life. I often avoid outings even with friends and family because I know how it will go and I will wind up embarrassed.

Definitely an introvert. My husband was just saying I've gotten so bad lately, I'm not even answering my phone calls, that he thinks I have social anxiety & need to see someone about it.

Definitely an introvert. When I was working, I was a teacher and I could be extroverted in front of children. But with adults, I retreat back into myself. It's a llama characteristic!

yeah last night I said no to a comedy club in the north end because the group in question would have made a HUGE deal about one person pacing with me or alternatively i could have drugged up and tried to hide and pace them. fatigued anyway, ,I bagged out. so i am involuntary introvert - I use the skype and phone WAY more than I did 6 years ago

if you mean our response to the disease, interesting question - i think everyone's different coping skills are fascinating and I love hearing how other folks with RA keep true to the core of their personality - the part that gives them joy. I seldom am interested in how the disease drags them down. I am not shallow, or cold, or unfeeling, it's just that if I center on that I'll give up and the disease gives us all shit all the time. That's our common denominator. What is more interesting is how you get joy out of the crud. I hope that makes sense. I have not had coffee yet.

i don't think RA'ers own any one personality response.

I have always been introverted, very shy all my life. Most people take that for snobbishness too, but once given the chance to know me I open up quite a bit. It doesn't mean I've never said what is on my mind, I've always expressed myself very well. This disease runs on my Dad's side of the family so I don't think being a little on the shy side had anything to do with me getting it.

This is only a tiny sampling of us, but the majority do consider themselves introverts. For some reason, I am not surprised.

The reason I asked is because I know that I am an introvert and as strange as it sounds, I was wondering if there could be a common thread to the lifestyle choices of introverts that would make us more vulnerable to RA. I do not think there is a causal relationship, just (possibly) a correlation. (No, depotblue, I wasnt thinking about how we respond to the disease, as I firmly believe we are essentially introverts or extroverts by nature from birth.) Here is a fabulous TED talk on introverts (i.e., not a negative thing to be): http://www.ted.com/talks/susan_cain_the_power_of_introverts?language=en

I can also appreciate what Sally says (always) about the need to find relationships and connections.

I watched that TED on Friday! Trying to figure out how best to teach the many introverts in my class. As an extrovert myself- yep, I guess I'm the oddball here- I needed some ideas! Depot, I love your idea of staying in the solution, although, I do understand the need to vent! I hope you all have a great day!

Since being hit with chronic pain & then RA yes. I'm simply to tired.
Always an observer, shy when I was young.
Actually love to laugh & am the one to pull antics so miss the old me.
Interesting thought though.
I'd ask the same of those who constantly worry.
Stress is a huge down fall. Take a life time of it & I'm sure it can open the door for problems. Now stress has dominated my life for years. Seems I've taken care of others who were or are sick the majority of my life.
The human body never ceases to amaze me.
Sammy

Nope. I'm an extrovert. I have a friend with RA who is very extroverted. And I have another friend with Lupus who is extroverted.