[vesseloflove]

This past weekend, I was invited to hang out with a group of people that I have mixed relationships with. Some of the people I am currently good friends with, some I used to be friends with, and some are people that have disliked me for a long time (I honestly don't know why, it's just always seemed to be this way). Although I didn't really want to go, I forced myself to in hopes that I could maybe bridge some relational gaps. Contrarily, this blend of people actually caused me a lot of anxiety, leading me to have a panic attack and then holding back tears the entire rest of the night. I would have left but I felt stuck in the situation, as I had already paid for the activity.

While I normally don't hang out with this group recreationally, they are involved in multiple areas of my life so they are essentially unavoidable. They also monopolize the social arena, so I want to be able to interact with them without freaking out. I always feel anxious around them. Any tips on how to handle future interactions?

Thanks in advance.

Why do they make you feel anxious?

[vesseloflove]

I generally feel anxious around them because they have hurt me and my friends in the past with gossip, excluding others, and lying. I also used to be close with some of them, but our friendship kind of died off. So I just feel like I'm going to get hurt again, and also like I don't belong.