Mental Health lack of facial expressions

Im 21 and id say i lean towards being an introvert, however growing up in a very hostile home for years (my family used me as scapegoat, also emotionally abusive) i feel like it caused me to be shy and passive as a kid/teen.

In high school, i didnt make any friends for a # of reasons. 1. I didnt feel like i could relate to anyone 2. I was dealing with a lot athome

Anyways, aince high school i moved out on my own and worked for the past three years. Ive become less shy and more confident with myself however, i still dont have many friends and some people who dont rly ubderstand me think im too cold or quiet, when rly there are many situations where i just dont know what to talk about. Small talk doesnt come to me natutally because talking about nothing feels ingenuine to me. I also dont have a very expressive face lol i try to be mpre expressive or make my face seem more positively animate sonetimes but i feel fake lol sometimes when ppl tell megood news, im excited for tbem but my expression doesnt translate it well.

these days ive just learned to play off on my supposed "stone cold " face by making dry/sarcastic humor my thing and msot people seem to like it. But is there something wrong with me for not being so expressive especially with my face? i dont have a problem expressing things verbally.. is this like a form of social anxiety or what?

I think this is pretty common with introverts. You're concentrating so hard on what you're hearing/how you should respond that you fail to react naturally to what you hear. I've noticed myself and people that work around me doing the same thing.

Personally I don't like how it feels talking to someone that gives the blank/deadpan look so I try to default to smiling any time someone starts a conversation with me. I don't think there's anything wrong with you though, if you're OK with the way people perceive you then you don't really need to change anything.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with you. I am sorry to hear how you were treated as a child. Being introverted is not at all a problem in my experience. I started out life as an extreme introvert and have become now extroverted. I am one of the few people I have ever met that has this experience (the only other person being my oldest son!) but it does give me a window on both experiences. One general misconception that I notice is that introverted people feel they are dealing with more anxiety and self doubt that extroverted people. This is not the case. Both groups have individuals that experience anxiety, shyness and self doubt and both groups have people for whom this is minimal. No matter what your nature and personality is like, the best thing that you can do to connect meaningfully with others is to work at becoming a truly authentic listener. People who are experiencing anxiety or shyness and either feel overwhelmed and being silent or cope by being overly noisy are both experiencing the same thing: they are so wrapped up in their own discomfort that they often cannot stop and truly hear what another person is really saying. (And sometimes "small talk" is simply a way for a person to go out on a limb and say "I am trying to connect with you; are you receptive?")

It sounds like you have come up with a good coping strategy. Learning to like yourself when you have been emotionally abused as a child is a horrendous task. Congratulate yourself for what you have done in that regard and keep working on self acceptance on deeper and deeper levels. Self accepting people make others feel more comfortable with themselves and thus the world is better for everyone.

If you don't feel comfortable smiling or otherwise reacting, at least make eye contact. Nodding to show you understand someone is usually enough. My best friend is my best friend because she doesn't say a word usually when I am venting or upset or just needing to express something--she listens deeply and that is a rare gift.

i am sorry to hear about your rough childhood. i had a not so great childhood also, but i feel like it's made me into a stronger person that i am today. i know you can be that too.

i tend to lack facial expressions and also the ability to show excitement. sadness i've mastered, but not facial expressions or showing excitement. it's VERY rare for me to outwardly show excitement about things. usually i have a pretty stoic look on my face, unless i'm smiling for a picture or genuinely happy. there is nothing wrong with being an introvert. i am one too. it's just our makeup. don't let anyone make you feel badly for how you are.