Social Antics: Oh dear goodness I'm awful with stress

[Pyre_The_Kitsune]

Subway: Eat Petrified.

So I'm terrible at ordering food anywhere unless I know the people working at the establishment. I need a warning about going out for food so I can prepare like a hungover college student on finals; frantically swearing and repeating as much of what I know I'll want as I can. I wasn't given any warning about popping in to, at the time, a local Subway restaurant. My family was on their way to a Lent service (which I refuse to attend by the rights of my own religious freedoms.) and just decided to grab some dinner. I. Freak. Out. My heart races as I attempt to compose myself long enough to enter the Subway, order, and leave. I walk in and thankfully there's a line so I get extra time to prepare. I had it all planned out: "A toasted flatbread with ham, american cheese, mayonnaise, and light lettuce." I'm repeating internally when all of the sudden comes; "May I help you?" In the most annoyed tone I've heard. I. Freak. Out. AGAIN. I botched my order but somehow get something close to what I ordered. I get to the end of the line, watching my sandwich being built by questionably hygienic and probably underpaid workers. When my sub arrives, it's only a six inch. I stammered that I wanted a foot long. "sigh Ya're gonna have to go back to the start of the line and order another six inch then." I was flipping out. I go back through the line staggering and slurring my speech which sounded like Arnold Schwarzenegger getting beat up. So I finally get my second half of my order and go back with my parents. "Hey kid, you forgot your drink." I thought I had left a drink up there (but I got a bottled drink earlier, stress makes you forget stuff) and go back to retrieve it. Realising my mistake I quickly grab a napkin and spin quickly and go back to my seat. Probably the most normal thing I've done since I got out the car. As we finish up our meals everyone else head for the car and then to the church. As I was walking out I realised I lost my hat. I started looking around for it and found it in the hands of a toddler. I ask for my hat back and the kid starts crying like I slapped him. I hear a big deep voice, like the stereotypical black guy named "Bubba" behind me say: "Are you trying to hurt my son punk?!" I turn around to a big. Black. Man. Oh dear mother of goodness I almost wore brown pants right then and there. Luckily a woman in another booth explained what happened while I was whiter than usual and shaking like a dog holding its bladder. I got my hat back and very quickly walked out of the Subway, leaving my drink inside. I go back, AGAIN. Finally I leave the Subway for good and I sprinted two miles to my friends house so I could spend half an hour puking my guts up (and then some) due to how much stress I was under.

If anyone both reads this and can relate to this; I'd be more than happy and sympathetic to read all about it.

[AnnaLandin]

I never get THIS anxious about ordering meals, but I do suffer quite a bit of anxiety regarding going to new places and doing new things. Stuff like riding a busline I've never been on before (i.e: not knowing where the stops are) will seriously freak me out - likewise, attending a con I've never been to before and not knowing where to go to get my registration sorted out, etc.

I rarely get nauseous, but I do get stressed enough that I can't sleep properly and/or start crying at the slightest thing - and it is difficult to deal with, because it limits me and what I WANT to do, and that sucks.

I've been getting a little better at it lately, mostly by repeating to myself that people don't care about my mistakes as much as I do. They really don't. What seems like a huge and significant and scary thing to me is just a funny anecdote in theirs. That Subway you were at probably deals with dozens messed up orders every day, so yours probably won't even be remembered by the end of the week. The feeling that I've maybe made trouble for someone else is TERRIBLE - like, what if they hate me now? What if they go home and they complain to their family+friends about what a horrible person I've been? etc., etc. - and is probably a fear I will never quite get over, but realising that the staff of a restaurant (or whatever other place you're visiting) is there to help you will go a long way. Asking for help won't make them dislike you. That Subway-person sounding annoyed was in all likelihood NOT directed at you - but at some other customer.

And rest assured - as long as you are polite and don't raise your voice at people, you're going to be a significantly less annoying customer than a good number of people they deal with every day.

[zelkats]

.................... I know that what you went through totally sucked, but I had a blast reading this (the Arnold Schwarzenegger getting up beat part slayed me).

But seriously, yeah, I can relate to this.

OOT: Do you write or draw comics? I'd like to see your work, lol.

[Pyre_The_Kitsune]

I've got one series that's dead in the water for now. It's pretty bad right now.

[winglesscomic]

i can relate op. i've never made myself lunch and i would starve myself because it was easier than speaking to anyone to order food. the worst part is when they have an accent and you can't understand them, or that feeling of your stomach dropping when they ask you to repeat what you said.

when I become a regular and the people working there start noticing me, that's the worst. I don't want senpai to notice me. They start trying to have small talk and conversations with you. I just want to run away and hide. I don't want to talk to you. I just want to eat my food alone.

[SpavVy]

Ah I used to have that problem >.<

[Peej]

Yep, I can totally relate to this.
I would probably starve rather than ask for food at an eatery.
After reading the posts above this one, I realised that you all get as far as going into the places before the panic sets in. I don't even get THAT far! I wouldn't get to a con on my own, let alone have a stand. I rehearse what I want from a local shop and even then it comes out of my mouth all wrong or I can still manage to have a mind blank half way through speaking the request.

I can't travel in taxis (cabs) on my own for fear of having a chatty driver!

They call it flight or fight. I pretty much always go with flight!

[DruidPeter]

Sorry to here that, @Pyre_The_Kitsune. I'm currently in the same boat with my epilogues series.

[Pyre_The_Kitsune]

What's wrong is the way I have to add text to each panel. I have to hand write it with a cheap rubber dome stylus and it looks as bad as it sounds. What's worse is that simply getting a solid tip stylus won't help, so I'm looking into importing each image to my laptop to finish editing, then uploading or getting a tablet with a larger display. Since I don't have a job, it's looking like a game of pong with my files. Other than that I don't feel like I can get decent results without a pencil and paper. But to do that, I'd have to scan in each image and color from either my tablet or laptop, with the laptop being the optimal choice. Not to mention rather than having the time to figure this seemingly simple issue I'm trying to live three lives at once. But sometime I'll actually get it going again. Best of luck with your epilouge @mitzeigreuenshaeden!