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[Fantastic Name]

Generally speaking, my limit is whenever my aspie brain just gives up and decides it's done for the day.

[YamiCake]

It really depends on the day.

[sageq]

yes also depends on lots of factors for me too. like how much prep time I have, how many other people , do i have to interact with those people , but more than people is noise and space. if I have space and not too much noise i'm fine or if I can drown out the noise with headphones that works too. But also just depends on the day sometimes and a lot of other factors (like with my PTSD if something triggers me, my tolerance level goes way down) . I had a period of my life when I was able t o tolerate a lot more but because my physical condition no longer allows me to get out of my home much it's sort of reinforced my introvert tendencies so now my tolerance levels are incredibly low. 

[Phoenix09]

For me, it really depends on the situation. Last week at work there was a planned training meeting(which is no big deal) but the trainer decided to have the entirety of the training group, like 8 people(which I was not part of) go behind the counter(where I was) for hands on training. The space behind the counter feels crowded with five people and while they were spread out this was now a space with thirteen people. I lasted for 5 minuets and after that i was basically anxiety. I just WAS anxiety. Just thinking back to it gives me anxiety all over again. 

 It’s the enclosed areas with a lot of people that get to me. If it’s more spread out(like the store, or mall, or something) that’s better(until it’s not) but like I said, it depends

[Rosendust]

Personally, my limit is my classes(which are three hours long from Monday-Wednesday) and sometimes during appointments or when my friends can get too much/Same goes for conventions as well. Sometimes, my friends understand and support me, but other times they think I'm strange. In a perfect world, I'd be able to visit my favorite yoga studio everyday because that's where I feel the most at home!

[Yatogami]

It varies by day, and situation. I tend to use up most of my social energy at work. By the time I go out, I am already on my last dregs of energy. 

 

A party will consume my energy for a whole month. 

 

A single outing with a friend consumes my energy for a week. 

 

If I am depressed, I don't leave the house apart from work and sleep too much.

[Grumpy Alien]

It doesn’t take much at all for me.

 

How much I can take:

An 8 hour shift at work (more like 5 hours but I can stick it out for the full shift), about 2-4 hours of my partner’s family get togethers, 2-3 hours of friends, 15-60 minutes of anyone else (eg friends of friends or partner’s friends) depending on how obnoxious I find them. Then I really need to crawl up in bed and sleep for a long time. Only my mom and partner are exempt. Everyone else just exhausts the hell out of me.

 

How it affects me:

I don’t go to parties but I can’t handle having more than one thing per day in my calendar and not having gaps. If I have a doctor appointment Wednesday and I’m going to the cinema Thursday and Friday, I’m meeting up with friends... that’s simply too much for me. I get frazzled and exhausted and anxious. I can’t enjoy anything. I just feel like crying until I’ve had an entire day or two to just rest at home. For a single get together, I just need a long and good night’s sleep. For more than two days of “things” (anything more than going to the supermarket) I need days of rest and alone time.

[caffeine]

I don't think there's a set limit for me but there are certain situations that drain me more than others. Say a semi-formal dinner with semi-casual friends is more exhausting than a night out in a club or something similar. 3 hours of said dinner will drain me dry while in the right circumstances I can last all night at a club. I think it mostly matters how well I can avoid being an object of attention and being attentive? 

[RoseGoesToYale]

Depends on the situation...

Regular school day: two classes, then I need to go be by myself

Dances or weddings: 1-hour intervals followed by bathroom retreats

Dinner parties: 15 minutes and I'm done

Family reunions: 20 minutes and I'm done

Out with good friends: The sky's the limit

[blueheroness]

If I am dancing I can go for hours. Anything else I shut down after three hours. If its with ppl I don't like or am not having a good time its a LOT sooner.

[Ceebs]

Two to three hours direct interaction, maybe a full afternoon or evening of just being out in public without interacting closely.

[TerrysAwake]

Being an introvert, friends, maybe an hour. People I don't know, about 15 minutes

[paladude]

I can usually handle about 2-3 hours of social interaction within classes or among large groups of people before I become completely exhausted. I became extremely fatigued when I'm around people for longer than my limit, I think the longest I've gone before completely shutting down from exhaustion was about 4-4.25 hours, but those are rare occasions that don't happen very often. 

[hey_it's_me]

It depends for me because depending on where I am going, who I am with and how much I plan things. I currently go to school and I cope fine there but after I am very drained from all the interaction (especially after having a Spanish class because of the talking). But when it comes with going places I like to go places by myself and I ride my bike to most place (close by), I plan them and I go to less busy places (if I go to a shopping centre I look at where the shops are so I know where I am going) but these trips are so tiring for me. I know this sounds weird but when I have to go some where on like a train for somethings (like school or an event) I go there the weekend before the thing so I know where I am going because on the day it is so draining because when I do these things the travel is usually in peak time and that's just stressful. When I get there I probably look so tired and I have only just started. When I am home I don't really want to talk to anyone in person. I just need to recharge. 

 

Sorry for this being so long.

[Grimalkin]

At work, I'm burned out in two hours. But that's work.

 

At a voluntary social outing with my friends, I can go all day, as long as I have a few hours in the evening to recover.

[Dark Heart]

For me, there are three main factors to consider - proximity of the other people, sound level of the environment, and what is going on.

 

I can't stand loud sounds or people standing too close to me (either for more than 5 mins is enough to make me start to shut down). However, if I am properly distracted, then I could go for several hours. It also helps if I can take short breathers between interactions.

 

Example:

• Busy buffet style restaurant: Hell No!
• Working as wait staff at a standing-room-only party: Bring it on!
• At a social gathering (ie. mingling/small talk) with strangers: Why would you do this to me? (I'll just find a wall and become a flower.)
• Game Night with that same group: Okay
• Friends or family: all day

[Rosendust]

For me, I usually set my limit at six hours, especially if it's class/D&D night, and other misc. activities I do. I've found that when I go to conventions & cosplay, I find my limit sweet spot increases to about an hour per day when I'm at a con, esp. If the panels/guests interest me. Also, given that conventions only last 2-3 days for me, I think that's a fair trade.

[Ammy]

My limits? As long as it's not loud. As long as I'm not expected to be interacting with every stranger. As long as it's not too large of a group. As long as it's good friends that I am comfortable with.

 

I'm fairly introverted, but I also really need social interaction... two traits which really don't play well with each other. I get very depressed very quickly if I don't get to socialize, but finding people I can comfortably socialize with is so hard.

 

I hate family gatherings; I don't even really care about most of those people. I'd probably love to go to a meetup with some of the people on here someday, but only if it's all people that I've known and interacted with for a while and who I like, which will probably never happen because everyone lives so far.

 

I'd also spend days on end hanging out with a good friend and I'd never get tired of it, but if I'm gonna be hanging out with a close friend, it needs to feel mutual and personal; if we're in a big group, then I'm basically just a number, and it doesn't feel the same. My limit would probably be two friends at once, and only if the three of us are all very good mutual friends.

 

Hypothetically-speaking, if I were to end up at a big meetup like that where I knew a close friend would be present, I'd probably seek to pull apart from the group with them so we could hang out with each other alone, without the rest of the group, but realistically-speaking, that friend is probably there to meet and hang out with everyone else, so they would probably not feel the same way and would likely rather stick with the group.

[MasteringTheArt]

I can stay with my close friends for maybe like 10 hours? But with a stranger about 2 hours or 4 max and I'm done 😂 it also depends on how the conversation is going. I really REALLY dislike people that question everything I'm doing or saying so if I hang out with someone like that I'd say I'd be drained in max an hour 

[Guest Deus Ex Infinity]

On 2/17/2018 at 2:07 AM, Jade Cross said:

Fellow introverts, what is the limit for you? How much can you tolerate people before you shut down or desperately need to get away to recharge?

 

 

 

They should just stay away from me...as far as possible. Being on a bus or subway during rush hour is the worst thing EVER ☠️

[SweetTart]

It really depends on the situation.

I can usually tolerate six to eight hours of being around other people in a typical day, but I need to be able to unwind by myself at the end of the day.

I used to go on chorus trips during high school; they were usually over two or three days, and while I enjoyed it I would always end up drained and tense by the time I got home. I was stuck in a room with four other girls every night, usually sharing a bed with one.

That's when I really realized just how much being able to just sleep and hangout in my own room did for me, and how much I needed that recuperation time. 

[Ivory__]

.

[Flamered]

for me i have almost always felt invisible, so it would take a little awhile to be overwhelmed.  & that would be either be from talking to someone too long, or feeling since no one has noticed me i should just leave.

 

at festivals & large gatherings i always make sure i have an out.

[Madao]

With people whom I don't know at all, the breaking point is 5 minutes. With people who I know, it's about 30 minutes. When it comes to people I am close with, it's something between 5-6 hours. I spend about 8-9 hours with my family daily. I have no problem spending time with them. 

[Red99]

Honestly I push myself beyond my limits and then I need to isolate myself for days to recover. It's probably super unhealthy buutttttt oh well

[Larkaloke]

Depends on the environment and how I'm feeling. Anywhere that's loud and bright is going to wear me out quickly anyhow, doubly so if it's full of people, so my tolerance for things like festivals, sporting events, and such is low already. Generally speaking I can tolerate crowds reasonably well so long as I can avoid actually interacting with them (sitting in an auditorium/grand stand with people I know on either side is fine, for example, while working my way through a crowd isn't). Theatres are generally better because they're not as bright or as loud (although there seems to be a disturbing trend of louder volumes for music and sound effects lately).

 

In what I'd consider normal social situations, though, featuring only a handful of people that I know, I'm fine for a whole day or so... but I may want to hide for the rest of the next week. The more comfortable with the people and the situation, the longer I can tolerate being around people and interacting with them. I only need an hour or two of time alone from my family, and I can go a couple of days with the asme level of interaction with my closest friends. After that, I'd say the limit is about six hours a day, assuming I'm not otherwise stressed out.

[daveb]

7 minutes ago, Remmirath said:

(although there seems to be a disturbing trend of louder volumes for music and sound effects lately)

That's why I started taking earplugs to wear when I go out to see a movie.  

[Larkaloke]

2 hours ago, daveb said:

That's why I started taking earplugs to wear when I go out to see a movie.  

I was actually talking about live theatre -- I keep forgetting that movie theatres are the default! -- but that's a really good idea for both, especially movie theatres, which I always find painfully loud.

[Frogster]

Lately between 5 and 30 minutes. Sometimes I can do a couple of hours.

[CandleGirl]

It depends if I have to talk or not...

For exemple, I tolerate social interactions when it is focused on a precise activity (seeing a movie, playing a game), but quickly get drained if I have to stay focused on a conversation...