I have a lot of social anxiety, which makes daily life quite difficult to execute like normal people do.
You see, I’m always worried about social interactions, being in large crowds, or having any attention directed my way.
These afflictions make it so complicated to do simple tasks like going to the grocery store, attending job interviews, and going to social gatherings. That’s why I really dread the holiday season, when there’s no way to avoid all the seasonal parties you receive invitations to. Every party is awkward and uncomfortable for me already, so it’s especially bad when the indoor air temperature is also less than ideal. This is exactly what happened last weekend, when I attended a formal party with my husband and the HVAC system was entirely on the fritz. We walked into the galla and everything was pristine; however, the temperature was ridiculously high. The heater seemed to be running on full blast, and it was scalding hot inside the reception hall. Within ten minutes we were drenched in sweat, fanning ourselves, and anxiously pulling on our collars trying to breath. It felt as if we were trapped inside an oil furnace. Every time I was introduced to a new human I had to turn around and mop the perspiration off my forehead before wiping my sweaty palms on my dress so I could shake their hand properly. The heat was so overbearing that we left the party within half an hour. My husband was disappointed, but honestly, this was the best case scenario for me.