Been here over 20 years and this is the first time my sister has invited me to hers. In two minds about it. Sis is ok though we are not particularly close ,but her husband is the typical British public school type that caused me distress when I was younger. He looks down on both my brother and I.
I am not good going away from home and to add to the doubts her brother in law and his wife may also be turning up for Christmas lunch. That’s set my social anxiety alarm bells off.
I am very conscious of embarrassing myself. If it was just sister and nieces would be ok but her husband wouldn’t hesitate to pick up on any faux pas.
@firemonkey Christmas is such a stressful time of year, if only because we feel forced to spend time with people who make us uncomfortable.
We try to avoid Christmas with family whenever possible. But it doesn’t work. We end up having to see people before Christmas and having a whole bunch of mini Christmas do’s. It’s just the actual day we get to chill out and do nothing together.
I like Christmas shopping (online, I hate being at the shops this time of year), and I like having a Christmas tree (although tiggy keeps trying to eat it so we had to put it away). But I really don’t like Christmas.
It’s so hard deciding. I don’t want her to feel I’m snubbing her,as she means well, but the thought of having to socialise possibly with two complete strangers, ie her brother and law and his wife, is very daunting.
It doesn’t help that within the social anxiety a whole heap of self stigma is probably going on. A large part of me thinks “Tim, you’re a freak,social misfit”,call it what you will, and that other people can pick up on it.
