When I was younger I used to take eating out in stride, but now I feel more reactive in that kind of a place. Do you like restaurants, dislike them, have any tips on how to remain comfortable in all the hubbub, enjoy a meal?
I get uncomfortable in restaurants, it’s too much of a social thing. But, if I can get past that I love a chinese buffet.
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I have not gone to restaurants in many years. When I lived in America and traveled in the world, I went to many Chinese, Mexican, Indian and other restaurants. General Tzu Chicken was one of my favorite meals. Often I also ordered some pizzas and so on. Nowadays, the prices in restaurants are too high for me and this makes me to make food by myself. At the price of one McDonald’s meal I can make quite good meals in my little rental kitchen.
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if i go to a cafe i always sit outside or near a window and always away from people, i don’t look at any one, i don’t acknowledge anyone, and i always go to places that i feel comfortable , i check them out weeks before i would actually go there.
that way it cuts down the unexpected .
take care
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The sound of dishes clanging really irritates me. 
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When I go to restraunts, i first make sure the place is not too busy. Then I sit in a chair or booth with the back to a wall facing the doors. That way I can see everything that is going on. I do not like it when people are behind me. That is how I cope with it anyway.
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I don’t usually go to posh restaurants and if i do not on my own. I don’t like it when places are very busy .I get very self conscious and the babble of a lot of people talking can be hard to take.
Normally i stick to one down to earth café serving basic fare. It is not usually very busy.
I go there with people from the rehab team and a couple of times on my own.
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It’s intense going out to eat. I always sit facing out or if I’m at a table that is perpendicular to the wall I sit on the inside by the wall. I like to go inbetween the busy times, I really don’t like trying to concentrate on what I’m saying with people talking at the same time as me. Ill have to stop talking for a sec to get my bearings.
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Going to restaurants is a big issue for me, I have a lot of food - paranoid fears and I have a lot of anxiety.
I don’t like crowded or social settings. I have made some improvements as I will go pick up the food at times from a restaurant and manage to eat it at home, but I don’t stay and eat.
It has taken me a long time to work up to restaurants. I do a lot of “take away” and go hide in the park. My sis and I rock the picnic basket a lot. Just put the food in the cozy basket and we go to the park or eat it in the car. In summer I never seem to eat inside the restaurant. It’s always picnic time.
The few times I do have to eat inside, I also check the place out. There are three places here that are in walking distance and they are really tiny. I go during the off times. I sit inside, back facing the wall. I also can NOT stand people behind me.
I also sit in back with my back to the wall of my class room. I don’t mind the basic people chatter, but screaming babies? No. I can not handle screaming babies in a restaurant. I have to leave right then.
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Thank you everyone for your replies. Our reactions seem to be pretty much the same. There are some ideas here I hadn’t thought of and I’ll try them out!
Tom
I have to sit in a booth to feel comfortable. Out in the open at a table is just too much being in the center of everything. I only go to restaurants with girls, and like I said, I always ask for “a booth out of the way” and they usually fix me up with a booth in the back or out of the way of the middle of things. I eat at home and drive though chikfila (a southern chicken fast food restaurant) or panda express (chinese drive through next to the gym).
Restaurants generally make me uncomfortable. I tend to avoid them.
Ok pull the last 5 mins of type!
Are you asking for some of your posts to be deleted?
I mostly go to these roadhouse type of restaurants where you can sit outside in your car or under the trees or pergolas. If I go to an indoor restuarant I normally go during off peak times and I would sit next to an open window also with my back to the wall. I also do the drive through take away thing quite often.
It’s the laughter that gets me in those places, it’s become what it really is and sounds just awful.
i love going out to eat. i don’t mind if it’s busy or not at all. doesn’t bother me in the slightest. i like good food and good company.
I go during off peak hours as well. 80% of the time I dine alone and I feel more comfortable if the restaurant is not packed with customers. But then again, I went to Chik-fil a today and it was packed. Also if I see solo diners at the restaurant I feel I can blend in a bit more.
We used to drive to L.A. To Knotts Berry Farm, eat dinner, grab a bucket of chicken, buscuits, and a boysenberry pie to go, then drive back home to Northern CA. Was about an 8 hour drive one way.
Yeah, it was that good.
I used to take it in stride too. Now, it’s little more of an effort. I just go out to eat occasionally with my sisters and we go out to crowded places.