[stieg]

A couple of months ago i went to bartender school because i was interested and with work and responsibility i graduated. So this week i received a birthday party invitation via facebook from my bartender teacher celebrating her birthday next weekend. Now here's where i cut to the chase. I suffer from anxiety and possibly social anxiety dissorder and being there at the party i might feel scared, shocked and even paralyzed and thinking why i'm here in this place. Even in some rare moments it makes me difficult to talk to people not knowing what to say and maybe the don't want to listen to me. I feel that i don't belong in this group. I do want to go but with this problem i'm suffering it's possible that i might skip this invitation.

Originally Posted by stieg

A couple of months ago i went to bartender school because i was interested and with work and responsibility i graduated. So this week i received a birthday party invitation via facebook from my bartender teacher celebrating her birthday next weekend. Now here's where i cut to the chase. I suffer from anxiety and possibly social anxiety dissorder and being there at the party i might feel scared, shocked and even paralyzed and thinking why i'm here in this place. Even in some rare moments it makes me difficult to talk to people not knowing what to say and maybe the don't want to listen to me. I feel that i don't belong in this group. I do want to go but with this problem i'm suffering it's possible that i might skip this invitation.

Dearest Stieg- 'You do want to go to this party'. It is just the thought of the WHAT IF's and the UNKNOWINGS.....
BUT - you attended school for this and I believe this will be a very good opener for you....
Drive yourself there, social with whom you feel comfortable with and if you feel you have taken in as much as possible - then make your pleasant good -byes and thanx and PAT YOUR SELF ON THE BACK.
Bartending School - and your First experience being in the kind of surroundings you will be working in

[ECHOES]

Go to wish her a happy birthday, which is what this social event is about.

You are letting your thoughts override reality. The reality is you won't know how this particular event will feel until you go. And you can go while having those anxious thoughts and see how they compare to the actual experience.

What you have in common with all attendees is knowing the hostess who is celebrating her birthday.So you will have that to talk about. Maybe you have complimentary things to say about her teaching skills, or a particularly fun or funny class.

Remember that these feelings aren't visible, and many others there may be feeling the same way. So you could go to be the person who talks with them to help ease their anxiety and help them feel like they belong.

You can go and leave whenever you want to. You have to leave because you have other plans. (--the other plans are leaving if you feel too uncomfortable to stay )

I think you do want to go and I hope you will allow yourself the experience to see how the reality of it compares to how you are imaging it. Don't let the feelings stand in your way. We do many things while feeling axious at the same time, and you can do this!