[Dave_D]

Hello - I have a meal coming up :mum

and im very very worried - theres gonna be like me, my mum, three brothers, my brothers girlfriend, my grandma, auntie and 3 cousins

and sitting round a table with a group of people is BY FAR the worst situation for me ever - i go red, dont know where to put my eyes, cant really think of anything to say - you know the score here :hide

HOWEVER - im going to face it square on - im going to that meal - and im going to leave my SA behind :banana - its on Saturday (now its Tuesday)
so ill report back and let you know how it went!!!
Thanks. Dave
:thanks

 

[fiendly]

Good luck. And remember just because you blush a lot or look self-conscious doesn't mean you failed. (been there) That's good exposure practice.

 

[Rico]

Oh yes, the eating situations had always been a problem for me too. Usually meals are only difficult in public places eating alone, or if I'm eating with a bunch of people I don't know very well. Things always seem more comfortable (to me at least) if I'm with one good friend who I feel I can comfortably carry on a conversation with. Not sure if that's an option for you during the meal event or not, though. Sometimes the accustics of a room can add to the discomfort level too. For instance some rooms make it so that when one person even barely whispers, everyone can hear exactly what is said, while in other rooms everyone can be carrying different conversations, and you have to shout across the room just to hear anybody else. Also any practice you can do to enhance eye contact will help you hold onto some more confidence during the meal. For some reason I feel like I can draw more strength by looking right into the eyes of people I do not fear (like young children or siblings), and by avoiding everyone's eyes, it only cowers me even more.

 

[Dave_D]

Its getting close now :fall

hope i dont run away from saturday (done that before!!)

im feeling a l;ittle bit confident this time though - mainly coz of this site :banana