I am an introvert, like so many others (25-50 percent of the population, depending on what you consult). A quick recap if you're not familiar with the term: unlike extroverts, who feel most energetic when spending time with other people, introverts need time alone or in the company of a few close friends in order to recharge. Some people are far to one side of the spectrum, some on the other, or a mixture of the two, or somewhere in between. In each case, it is a simple matter of natural personality—though it can lead to friction between different types.

I am an introvert who also has anxiety, meaning that on top of the fact that spending too much time with people I don't know well feels awfully draining, I tend to feel anxious about it as well. Or anxious about one-on-one interactions with most people. Or anxious about pretty much anything that part of my brain can get its figurative hands on. This creates plenty of difficulties for me, and probably for people around me as well.

So I want to take a moment to say thank you.

Thank you to my friends, who let me drag them along to events that have nothing to do with them because I can't bear to go alone. Who understand when I would rather curl up on the lumpy dorm futon and watch Netflix than go out somewhere on a Friday night. Who commiserate with me when facing an obligation to attend an event that will involve—say it isn't so!—mingling.

Thank you to the coworkers whose friendly comments pull me out of an anxious spiral when I didn't realize I was about to have one, or who step up to do an intimidating task when I'm not up to it.

Thank you to my housemates, who let me have time alone in my quiet room to relax after a particularly stressful day and understand that when I'm less than talkative, it isn't because of something they did.

Thank you to the classmates who make it easy to keep up the small talk I usually find tedious, if not challenging. Thank you to the professors who understand that my not participating in class discussion every day does not mean I don't care about the class, and to the ones who call on me when they know I have something important to say but haven't yet worked up the courage. Thank you for encouraging me to push against my boundaries and challenging me to try things that make me uncomfortable.

Thank you to my family for comforting me when the anxiety is bad and I'm more scared of something than I need to be.

To everyone who has understood my not saying hello to you doesn't mean I don't like you, but that somewhere inside of me I'm afraid you don't like me; to everyone who realizes that it's not that I don't want to talk, but I can't figure out the best thing to say; to everyone who knows that sometimes my silence means not that I'm upset but that I'm comfortable enough with you to not feel forced to chat about something like the weather: thank you.

To everyone who is bored by time alone, adores big parties, or has never experienced more than the usual amount of anxiety but has taken the time to understand the point of view of an anxious introvert like me: you're a blessing, and I am so grateful for you.