There is this joke about an Italian man and a Brit. When they talk the Italian man always moves closer and closer to the Brit, and the Brit moves back and away in response. So it looks like the Italian man is somehow attacking or invading the privacy of the British man.

This is just because the Italians have one expectation of the appropriate distance between the conversation partners and the Brits have another expectation.

That said, since you are THAT uncomfortable, you might want to consider other alternatives as playedout59 has suggested earlier.