Feeling socially awkward/isolated
in Psychology ·
I completely hear where you're coming from; I’m cut from the exact same cloth when it comes to this. The only real issue is that most people just don't get it.
Back in high school, my friends used to pressure me to head out every single Friday night. They were incredibly persistent, but I always turned them down because that whole scene of drinking in some random backyard or alleyway never really appealed to me. To this day, they still occasionally invite me to join them, which honestly surprises me since I feel like I've said no a million times already. At first, I’d come up with all sorts of excuses, but eventually, I just had to be blunt and say, "Look, forget it, I simply don't want to go out with you guys; it's not my idea of fun," and leave it at that.
That said, I have a good social circle and we have plenty of fun at college, so there seems to be this automatic assumption that I should also have an active nightlife.
I realize that to most people who live for the party scene, my stance might sound a bit freaky or even abnormal, but from my perspective, it isn't like that at all.
It's not as if I avoided going out because I didn't know what it was like. In fact, I’ve been wasted several times—drunk and high on both cigarettes and weed—and I’ve even dragged myself to clubs (which I generally can't stand, but I went along with it once or twice). My friends considered those nights the absolute peak of entertainment, and even though I acted like I was having a blast, the truth is I didn't have any fun
whatsoever. All of it feels hollow and meaningless to me, and I never actually feel good or happy when I'm intoxicated. If anything, I just become more passive, even when I'm trying to stay engaged. It's even worse if I happen to be sober while everyone else is drunk, so I’ve completely walked away from that lifestyle. There is zero appeal in it for me. And don't even get me started on the hangover the next day; when I do drink, I feel like I have to get completely hammered just to make everything seem remotely enjoyable.
Back in high school, my friends used to pressure me to head out every single Friday night. They were incredibly persistent, but I always turned them down because that whole scene of drinking in some random backyard or alleyway never really appealed to me. To this day, they still occasionally invite me to join them, which honestly surprises me since I feel like I've said no a million times already. At first, I’d come up with all sorts of excuses, but eventually, I just had to be blunt and say, "Look, forget it, I simply don't want to go out with you guys; it's not my idea of fun," and leave it at that.
That said, I have a good social circle and we have plenty of fun at college, so there seems to be this automatic assumption that I should also have an active nightlife.
I realize that to most people who live for the party scene, my stance might sound a bit freaky or even abnormal, but from my perspective, it isn't like that at all.
It's not as if I avoided going out because I didn't know what it was like. In fact, I’ve been wasted several times—drunk and high on both cigarettes and weed—and I’ve even dragged myself to clubs (which I generally can't stand, but I went along with it once or twice). My friends considered those nights the absolute peak of entertainment, and even though I acted like I was having a blast, the truth is I didn't have any fun
whatsoever. All of it feels hollow and meaningless to me, and I never actually feel good or happy when I'm intoxicated. If anything, I just become more passive, even when I'm trying to stay engaged. It's even worse if I happen to be sober while everyone else is drunk, so I’ve completely walked away from that lifestyle. There is zero appeal in it for me. And don't even get me started on the hangover the next day; when I do drink, I feel like I have to get completely hammered just to make everything seem remotely enjoyable.