I feel like people seldom warm up to me. Never seem to find acceptance in any community. What’s with that?
I drive people away. I don’t blame them for not wanting to be around me. I’m impossible.
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@animalmineral we love you in this forum, you can feel at home here.
You are not just accepted but respected and even admired.
The same goes for you @crimby.
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Try warning up to other people first, most people gravitate to open minded, friendly folks, and leave the “Cold fish” where they lay.
Think of it like you want to adopt a cat.You meet a bunch of potentials, but they just lay there, uninterested, or maybe they look your direction, but don’t move an inch towards you.
All of them.
Which one would you take home?
None.
Then say, your walking home, and here comes this fluffy ball of fur dashing towards you, trying to jump up your leg to greet you, meowing loudly, looking at you with pleading eyes to feed it and take it home.
You pick it up, it purrs happily and playfully nips at your fingers, wanting more petting from you.
Who’s your best friend?
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With my previous college cohort I had a good relationship with them until I got sick and had to drop out of school for a semester. Ever since then they viewed me differently and stayed distant.
Well, if they aren’t comfortable around you, their loss. Don’t write them off entirely, it helps to keep an open mind in case they realize you aren’t going to hurt them and come back around.
In the mean time, find new friends.
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Story of my life! I feel like I’m either invisible sometimes or have a mark of some kind that lets people know I’m “off”.
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Same here, people ignore me or don’t engage further unless they’re creeping on me.
My friends and family are exceptions however, but beyond them, usually I have very little to converse about with most people and some times I attract creepy people due to my timid/awkward aura.
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Flat affect probably. That’s my problem.
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Thank you @Erez_Shmerling, I really appreciate that. 
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Yeah… I think flat affect is a big part of it. I’m not exactly expressive.
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I wish I had that effect on normies… despite my best effort they still feel the need to talk to me…which would be fine but I usually get the this is my problems talks…like im supposed to know how to fix it… if I could fix all these problems why the hell do I have so many of my own… I usually can fix their problems though… maybe I should be a life coach who needs his own life coach… lol
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I was just thinking this today too. I almost feel cursed…for a looong time now I’ve typically been an outcast in most social groups. I am friendly but I am strange, and people I feel typically pick up on that. Before my mental illness started getting serious I did not have this issue. I was adored and highly popular as a child.
Luckily I do have good friends now, but sometimes issues related to my symptoms do get me in trouble with them.
I feel like I repel people too, have since I was a kid. It can be depressing sometimes
I never really fit in despite my best efforts to get along and be friendly. I just stood out. Unfortunately rather than just repel me, people chose to target me, bully me and harass me. It’s better now that I am older and blend in better. My personality is the same (warm and friendly) and people respond better than they used to.
This is what I’ve called the ostrakon.
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Me too.
I never fit in with people it seems.
Not any group etc
Buuut in spirit I might but not in person.
I was bullied n hated and don’t seem to connect with most etc
I am in exile by choice. I can’t be hurt again.
Operated on this level for a 2.5 hour workshop today where everyone was fantastic and i was such a beginner. instead of just concentrating on learning I was extremely down on myself
isn’t it all internalised stigma?
People can be really nice to my face but I can still seem to feel like a freak. For me it’s more about the delusion making me feel this way then what is really going on in my life. I have actually been the one to repel some people because I chose to abandon my friends because of this MI. Now, since I have done this my condition has gotten worse and the voices have started to make me feel like a freak which translates to making me feel like one around people.
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