Yea I think you’re getting close. I enjoy social interactions, but even the most enjoyable ones drain me, even though once I recharge, I end up seeking them out despite.
Sometimes the negative emphasis of the word “drain” makes it tricky to understand
Yeah, agreed. I could be with my best friends doing my favorite activity at a pace that I chose and still be completely drained by the end of it, needing time to recoup.
I imagine that, just like how it is impossible for me to empathize with someone that gets re-energized from social interaction, it is nearly impossible for an extrovert to understand how introverts feel.
There are negative social interactions, and they frequently leave me drained, or seeking solitude.
There are busy interactions where lots of people require my time and attention even though I have other things to do - they can also leave me drained.
There are also positive interactions, with friends or maybe places where people are gathered with a common interest that leave me buoyant and full of energy and enthusiasm.
Even online interactions might count as interactions, and fill my day with various effects on my energy.
Pet interactions are generally pretty positive. I often wonder if some people use pets as proxies for human interaction (may be healthy or unhealthy)