So it’s Christmas time and the mandatory gatherings of “family” that don’t bother to communicate with you for all 364 other days of the year. The comments on your appearance, your job and pretty much everything you don’t want to talk about. I’m particularly not looking forward to the comments on my weight gain😕, behind my back and to my face without ever stopping to consider what the cause is or why they think it’s ok to humiliate me. No I don’t eat lots and no I’m not lazy. I have health issues and medications for these issues and the weight gain is a side effect. I don’t comment on how much they drink, what they eat or in general pass judgements on their lives. The unwanted and humiliating advice, the “why don’t you try this?” And “Why don’t you exercise?”. Yep didn’t think of that!
If I had a Christmas wish then I would really like not to be made to feel like I am inferior and not good enough to be there. They have no idea how much it takes to get me to work through my anxiety just to get in the car and drive there, to take those steps into the gathering and having to mentally prepare for the instantaneous judgement as all eyes see me and the judgement that comes as they scan me up and down and then it goes from there. The glances exchanged across the table between people because you have food on your plate. Please, please don’t judge someone on weight gain or anything else...you have no idea how much it took to show up and how many tears were cried knowing that day is coming. #SocialAnxiety #Anxiety #weightgain #MentalHealth #Judgement #ManyTearsCried