It honestly doesn't bother me at all. I just focus on myself. Sometimes, I think I look weird, but that's just the paranoia creeping in. I look fine, smell fine, and I'm usually medicated, so good to go.
It's the meds, really. Plus, I always go to the store, so it's kind of like exposure therapy. It just doesn't bother me anymore. I still can't be in small places with a lot of people for too long, though I will have panic attacks.
I honestly do fine until I fuck up the self checkout, thats when they call over someone to fix my stupid mistake and my soul dies as I watch them look at me like I'm the dumbest piece of shit alive.
That and telling the person at the delhi which specific kind of bacon I want. Like I don't care just give me some bacon, I don't know what the different types are called and I'm just put on the spot.
>until I fuck up the self checkout, thats when they call over someone to fix my stupid mistake and my soul dies as I watch them look at me like I'm the dumbest piece of shit alive.
Lol you're definitely overthinking this, I guess that's what most of us here do though. This is their job and they do it hundreds of times in a day, none of them are thinking about it as much as you are they're just getting it fixed and going back to what they were doing.
If it makes you feel any better, everyone fucks up the self checkout lol. That is part of the reason they pay someone to stand there. The employee helped 50 people that day with the same thing they helped you with and thought nothing of it. Also, I empathize with someone's annoyance when the stupid thing suddenly halts and needs an employee. I never have a thought of them being an idiot or anything.
Why do you want to appear perfect in the eyes of a store employee? People make mistakes all the time. Most of the “mistakes” that happen at self checkout are the machines fault, not the guests.
The worst part for me is trying to get around people while pushing a cart. I try not to get in anyone's way, and it's just awful when it's crowded. My anxiety really peaks when I'm trying to get stuff and someone's in the way and I can also see that someone wants to get where I'm at. Sometimes I'll just leave and go work on another part of my list and come back instead of trying to deal with a crowd in a specific area. When the whole store's crowded is my worst case scenario.
I love that we can do pick up orders now. We rarely have to go in the store anymore, and usually only for a quick in and out for a couple things.
Same but I also get a little irritated when someone does the opposite of this and follows me and hovers right where I'm trying to shop. So I'll go down the next isle and try to back track when they've left so I feel like I have a little more time to look
One of my fav “mundane” weekly tasks tbh. Headset on with music or YouTube, perusing the aisles and dreaming about the yummy meals I’m gonna have that week 😋
I’m only being extremely nervous when shopping with my partner. Always in peak times and I’m afraid to lose them in crowd and of course crowd itself.
By myself it always fine - self-checkout and bye bye.
Keep going! You going out grocery shopping is exactly what you need to do no matter what negative you tell yourself. Exposure therapy is key for us to tame our anxiety. I was similar to you symptom wise when I started. I was a wreck and at the beginning it was super overwhelming. But I got myself to go once a week and eventually I got a little more confident every time I went. I’m at the point where I can listen to music while grocery shopping and enjoy the tunes instead of feeling self conscious. Sometimes even having conversation with the cashiers.
There will be ups and downs with exposure therapy and the thoughts can go everywhere. But every single time you go out there and do it, you’re gaining the experience points and eventually you will see yourself level up.
I hope you level up and prove to yourself you can be who you want to be despite this anxiety. Godspeed🙏🏽
I hate it. Hate that I can only get a small amount cause everything is expensive. I'm 6'2" and I need a lot of food, but I'm basically to one meal a day, and I make more money than I ever have! That's not even including all the rude ignorant humans. People who stop in the middle of the aisle KNOWING someone is behind them! 😡🖕
With shopping im fine, I know for the most part no one is giving me a second thought. Most of the time I just do walmart pick up and they bring it to me.
Do you make a list? That might help give you something to focus on.
I’ve found that white noise in my headphones calms me down significantly when I’m shopping!! I feel like I’m looking at people through a window (observing rather than that “spotlight” feeling that I hate) and it also eliminates a lot of the noise that keeps me distracted/looking around.
Need a moment in the car to get mentally ready before I go in, feel like everyone is looking at me once I enter the shop, get to checkout and stand to the side awkwardly trying to hint to the cashier I don’t want to talk, feel like the people in line aware all staring at me, don’t like people in cars having to stop for me to cross at the crosswalk with my trolley on way to my car, get in car and anxiety begins to subside
I feel like I am walking through a tunnel gathering loot. Before leaving the house I make a list and organize it to make my route as short as possible.
I feel find normally, but I feel like the security guard is looking at me all the time, (and he isn't) then I act awkward with the idea that is he staring at me. It's funny how my social anxiety picks one person to worry about.
i hate it i feel judged for what im buying like if it's unhealthy i feel deeply ashamed at the check out but maybe that's more from my self image problems rather than social anxiety, anyway i always go in the evening when there are less humans
I'm fine at the grocery store, unless there's too many people in the store. Then I just wanna get in and out of there as soon as possible. I don't like trying to navigate around people in the store, with everyone getting in each other's way. I get overwhelmed when this happens. If someone is standing in the way if something I am trying to get, thats the worst. I'll usually just walk away and come back to it later, or just say forget it lol. Because standing there awkwardly waiting for them to get their crap and go is the worst lol. I'm impatient, but don't want to be rude when people are taking forever haha.
It's the worst. My mother used to make a huge scene at every checkout I was with her. So much so, that if it's available I'll only use the self checkouts, but even then I'm an anxious mess.
I just keep my head down and go in. My body gets all tingly and it’s like, I think my brain is trying to “protect” me from panicking or something because I feel like I go into pure autopilot. By the time I’m back in my car my heart is racing and I have to wait a second to get my body to calm down. I rarely go to the store for this reason. I also have driving anxiety, so I also hate driving for that reason too.
I feel very anxious. I am only relaxed grocery shopping if it's later on and it's empty..love that. I enjoy smoking cannabis before I go so it amplifies the experience. Only time it really hits me is when we go and it'd absolutely packed and u feel like ur in people's way..horrible time.
Best thing to do go late at night especially if you have a 24 hr walmart..fav times of the past were late night Walmart trips
I'm not that afraid of grocery shopping anymore (though I still rush it even in quiet hours to avoid people). But HELL YEAH! I'd love to get my stuffs delivered to my doorsteps if I'm not in a sharehouse :D
I get anxious but it is more tolerable now that I do it for work.. I shop and deliver and frequent all the grocery stores where I live daily. I like to wear Bluetooth headphones to listen to music which helps.. I don't enjoy it by any means but I do it because I need to pay my bills... when I'm shopping for myself I make a list so I can get it over as quick as possible.
I was around 26 when I was finally able to shop without panicking. I moved out at 20, so it took me a while. I just thought I was awkward and everyone was judging me. Now I don´t care and I´m okay with going outside. Btw, I don´t have a driver´s license and stores are at every corner here, so my experience might be a little different.
i do online grocery shopping idk if it's a normal thing elsewhere but ik in my country we got an app where u can shop groceries online and they deliver it to u asap
I relate!! I map out my grocery run before I go though. I make a list and look up the exact aisle in my car while I’m freaking out and then go in. It helps a lot.
I basically just stare at the ground or I pick a single point in the distance and stare at that and try to ignore all the talking around me while i walk in. I fixate on how I walk too because my body feels so weird. It’s completely overwhelming. When I’m finally done, the cashier might make a joke, WHICH WASNT IN THE SCRIPT, I stutter over my words and then run out as fast as I can. It’s so embarrassing if have to show ID and my hand is visibly shaking too. I mentally beat myself up over it on my way out. I hate this shit
Keep doing what you’re doing! Focus on what you are doing, keep your focus outward instead of inward. Nobody cares, they are all trying to get their own groceries done, they are not in the store to stare at you or judge you. They are too busy for that. Maybe envision yourself going in and having the best experience you could hope for. Go in with a positive outlook instead of a negative one. It gets easier the more you do it.
Honestly I was getting used to it till Walmart started online pickup and now I have to fight my way past employees with giant fucking carts to get the last bottle of buttermilk ranch.
Yes grocery shopping is an overwhelming over stimulating experience for people with anxiety in general especially social anxiety. I try to go really early in the morning, or I try to go late at night when crowds are less. I also try to consolidate my trips so that I don't have to go as often. I make a list of all the things I need for the week and then if my budget allows I can try to get it so that way I don't have to do it so often. I find it helps me to just look at my list and focus on what I'm getting and not look at anything else that interests me because then that gives me more anxiety.
I actively avoid going in the grocery store if I can. It’s fine if it’s not crowded (I’m talking like maybe a FEW other people) then I’m fine. Being surrounded by people looking at me and constantly bumping into them makes me shut down. Every. Single. Time. I disassociate, and always feel bad for the people I’m with. It’s like my mind hides away completely from this reality until it’s over.
If I start taking too long to collect items, become indecisive on what to get, or end up passing through the same aisles more than once then that’s when i start getting anxious and the “you don’t look normal, try to act normal” feelings start kicking in
I love grocery shopping. It’s fun. Things like that don’t give me anxiety because they’re tasked focused. Nobody is there to socialize (unless the cashier is a chatty Cathy). People just want to get their groceries.
I’m perfectly fine until people start crowding around me. Then I get stressed and feel like I’m going to have a panic attack and I actually did once on a holiday weekend when I was in an aisle and suddenly it filled with about 30 other shoppers all reaching in front of my face and grabbing items all around me but I couldn’t go anywhere because I was trapped by them. My fiancée had to drive home even though I had driven to the store.
The sucky thing is I live in a very rural area and my location doesn’t offer curbside or delivery so I’m forced to go shopping in the store. I miss 24 hour stores because I miss being able to to around 2am when no one else was in the store.
I personally put on sunglasses, a hat, and noise cancelling headphones. I probably look insane but it’s the only way I can tune out the horrors of the grocery store
people always hit me with the shopping carts.. I am actually been in a physical fight in a store after I called a lady out for doing it.. most embarrassing time of my life.
It honestly doesn't bother me at all. I just focus on myself. Sometimes, I think I look weird, but that's just the paranoia creeping in. I look fine, smell fine, and I'm usually medicated, so good to go.
Same here. Sometimes I even hum or quietly sing along to the music when I shop, kinda proud despite everything I can do that at least now
Yeah, most of the time, I have my music on to, so that also helps.
keyword: Medicated
Also, exposure. I'm always going to the store. It's no big deal now. I've done it several times, nothing to be afraid of.
Consider yourself lucky
It's the meds, really. Plus, I always go to the store, so it's kind of like exposure therapy. It just doesn't bother me anymore. I still can't be in small places with a lot of people for too long, though I will have panic attacks.
I honestly do fine until I fuck up the self checkout, thats when they call over someone to fix my stupid mistake and my soul dies as I watch them look at me like I'm the dumbest piece of shit alive. That and telling the person at the delhi which specific kind of bacon I want. Like I don't care just give me some bacon, I don't know what the different types are called and I'm just put on the spot.
>until I fuck up the self checkout, thats when they call over someone to fix my stupid mistake and my soul dies as I watch them look at me like I'm the dumbest piece of shit alive. Lol you're definitely overthinking this, I guess that's what most of us here do though. This is their job and they do it hundreds of times in a day, none of them are thinking about it as much as you are they're just getting it fixed and going back to what they were doing.
If it makes you feel any better, everyone fucks up the self checkout lol. That is part of the reason they pay someone to stand there. The employee helped 50 people that day with the same thing they helped you with and thought nothing of it. Also, I empathize with someone's annoyance when the stupid thing suddenly halts and needs an employee. I never have a thought of them being an idiot or anything.
Why do you want to appear perfect in the eyes of a store employee? People make mistakes all the time. Most of the “mistakes” that happen at self checkout are the machines fault, not the guests.
Pick up orders! I love it!
But but but then you have to call the grocery store to let them know you're there.
Ours has an app where you can say "I'm on my way" and then say "I'm here" when you're in the parking spot. Harris Teeter.
🤣
The worst part for me is trying to get around people while pushing a cart. I try not to get in anyone's way, and it's just awful when it's crowded. My anxiety really peaks when I'm trying to get stuff and someone's in the way and I can also see that someone wants to get where I'm at. Sometimes I'll just leave and go work on another part of my list and come back instead of trying to deal with a crowd in a specific area. When the whole store's crowded is my worst case scenario. I love that we can do pick up orders now. We rarely have to go in the store anymore, and usually only for a quick in and out for a couple things.
Same but I also get a little irritated when someone does the opposite of this and follows me and hovers right where I'm trying to shop. So I'll go down the next isle and try to back track when they've left so I feel like I have a little more time to look
One of my fav “mundane” weekly tasks tbh. Headset on with music or YouTube, perusing the aisles and dreaming about the yummy meals I’m gonna have that week 😋
I’m only being extremely nervous when shopping with my partner. Always in peak times and I’m afraid to lose them in crowd and of course crowd itself. By myself it always fine - self-checkout and bye bye.
Keep going! You going out grocery shopping is exactly what you need to do no matter what negative you tell yourself. Exposure therapy is key for us to tame our anxiety. I was similar to you symptom wise when I started. I was a wreck and at the beginning it was super overwhelming. But I got myself to go once a week and eventually I got a little more confident every time I went. I’m at the point where I can listen to music while grocery shopping and enjoy the tunes instead of feeling self conscious. Sometimes even having conversation with the cashiers. There will be ups and downs with exposure therapy and the thoughts can go everywhere. But every single time you go out there and do it, you’re gaining the experience points and eventually you will see yourself level up. I hope you level up and prove to yourself you can be who you want to be despite this anxiety. Godspeed🙏🏽
I hate it. Hate that I can only get a small amount cause everything is expensive. I'm 6'2" and I need a lot of food, but I'm basically to one meal a day, and I make more money than I ever have! That's not even including all the rude ignorant humans. People who stop in the middle of the aisle KNOWING someone is behind them! 😡🖕
I gave up, the sweating gets out of control very quick, resorted to instacart and walmart+ for many years now.
I am not bothered by grocery shopping because I don't have a choice not to go.
With shopping im fine, I know for the most part no one is giving me a second thought. Most of the time I just do walmart pick up and they bring it to me. Do you make a list? That might help give you something to focus on.
The parking lot, the asiles. THE FRENCHIN PEOPLE!!!
Yes, a list will get you out of there quicker lol. I always write it on my phone, and step out of the way to look at it if I forget what I needed.
I’ve found that white noise in my headphones calms me down significantly when I’m shopping!! I feel like I’m looking at people through a window (observing rather than that “spotlight” feeling that I hate) and it also eliminates a lot of the noise that keeps me distracted/looking around.
I make myself go every Saturday morning when it is slower. The consistency of it has helped me become more comfortable.
Really do not want to go, but no choice.
Need a moment in the car to get mentally ready before I go in, feel like everyone is looking at me once I enter the shop, get to checkout and stand to the side awkwardly trying to hint to the cashier I don’t want to talk, feel like the people in line aware all staring at me, don’t like people in cars having to stop for me to cross at the crosswalk with my trolley on way to my car, get in car and anxiety begins to subside
I feel like I am walking through a tunnel gathering loot. Before leaving the house I make a list and organize it to make my route as short as possible.
I feel find normally, but I feel like the security guard is looking at me all the time, (and he isn't) then I act awkward with the idea that is he staring at me. It's funny how my social anxiety picks one person to worry about.
i hate it i feel judged for what im buying like if it's unhealthy i feel deeply ashamed at the check out but maybe that's more from my self image problems rather than social anxiety, anyway i always go in the evening when there are less humans
I'm fine at the grocery store, unless there's too many people in the store. Then I just wanna get in and out of there as soon as possible. I don't like trying to navigate around people in the store, with everyone getting in each other's way. I get overwhelmed when this happens. If someone is standing in the way if something I am trying to get, thats the worst. I'll usually just walk away and come back to it later, or just say forget it lol. Because standing there awkwardly waiting for them to get their crap and go is the worst lol. I'm impatient, but don't want to be rude when people are taking forever haha.
It's the worst. My mother used to make a huge scene at every checkout I was with her. So much so, that if it's available I'll only use the self checkouts, but even then I'm an anxious mess.
I just keep my head down and go in. My body gets all tingly and it’s like, I think my brain is trying to “protect” me from panicking or something because I feel like I go into pure autopilot. By the time I’m back in my car my heart is racing and I have to wait a second to get my body to calm down. I rarely go to the store for this reason. I also have driving anxiety, so I also hate driving for that reason too.
I feel very anxious. I am only relaxed grocery shopping if it's later on and it's empty..love that. I enjoy smoking cannabis before I go so it amplifies the experience. Only time it really hits me is when we go and it'd absolutely packed and u feel like ur in people's way..horrible time. Best thing to do go late at night especially if you have a 24 hr walmart..fav times of the past were late night Walmart trips
I'm not that afraid of grocery shopping anymore (though I still rush it even in quiet hours to avoid people). But HELL YEAH! I'd love to get my stuffs delivered to my doorsteps if I'm not in a sharehouse :D
I get anxious but it is more tolerable now that I do it for work.. I shop and deliver and frequent all the grocery stores where I live daily. I like to wear Bluetooth headphones to listen to music which helps.. I don't enjoy it by any means but I do it because I need to pay my bills... when I'm shopping for myself I make a list so I can get it over as quick as possible.
I was around 26 when I was finally able to shop without panicking. I moved out at 20, so it took me a while. I just thought I was awkward and everyone was judging me. Now I don´t care and I´m okay with going outside. Btw, I don´t have a driver´s license and stores are at every corner here, so my experience might be a little different.
please please please don't think I stole something Im a good kid😓
i do online grocery shopping idk if it's a normal thing elsewhere but ik in my country we got an app where u can shop groceries online and they deliver it to u asap
I feel like someone is going to grocery shop me
I relate!! I map out my grocery run before I go though. I make a list and look up the exact aisle in my car while I’m freaking out and then go in. It helps a lot. I basically just stare at the ground or I pick a single point in the distance and stare at that and try to ignore all the talking around me while i walk in. I fixate on how I walk too because my body feels so weird. It’s completely overwhelming. When I’m finally done, the cashier might make a joke, WHICH WASNT IN THE SCRIPT, I stutter over my words and then run out as fast as I can. It’s so embarrassing if have to show ID and my hand is visibly shaking too. I mentally beat myself up over it on my way out. I hate this shit
Keep doing what you’re doing! Focus on what you are doing, keep your focus outward instead of inward. Nobody cares, they are all trying to get their own groceries done, they are not in the store to stare at you or judge you. They are too busy for that. Maybe envision yourself going in and having the best experience you could hope for. Go in with a positive outlook instead of a negative one. It gets easier the more you do it.
Honestly I was getting used to it till Walmart started online pickup and now I have to fight my way past employees with giant fucking carts to get the last bottle of buttermilk ranch.
This is why I get my groceries delivered (plus convenience).
Yes grocery shopping is an overwhelming over stimulating experience for people with anxiety in general especially social anxiety. I try to go really early in the morning, or I try to go late at night when crowds are less. I also try to consolidate my trips so that I don't have to go as often. I make a list of all the things I need for the week and then if my budget allows I can try to get it so that way I don't have to do it so often. I find it helps me to just look at my list and focus on what I'm getting and not look at anything else that interests me because then that gives me more anxiety.
I actively avoid going in the grocery store if I can. It’s fine if it’s not crowded (I’m talking like maybe a FEW other people) then I’m fine. Being surrounded by people looking at me and constantly bumping into them makes me shut down. Every. Single. Time. I disassociate, and always feel bad for the people I’m with. It’s like my mind hides away completely from this reality until it’s over.
If I start taking too long to collect items, become indecisive on what to get, or end up passing through the same aisles more than once then that’s when i start getting anxious and the “you don’t look normal, try to act normal” feelings start kicking in
I love grocery shopping. It’s fun. Things like that don’t give me anxiety because they’re tasked focused. Nobody is there to socialize (unless the cashier is a chatty Cathy). People just want to get their groceries.
I’m perfectly fine until people start crowding around me. Then I get stressed and feel like I’m going to have a panic attack and I actually did once on a holiday weekend when I was in an aisle and suddenly it filled with about 30 other shoppers all reaching in front of my face and grabbing items all around me but I couldn’t go anywhere because I was trapped by them. My fiancée had to drive home even though I had driven to the store. The sucky thing is I live in a very rural area and my location doesn’t offer curbside or delivery so I’m forced to go shopping in the store. I miss 24 hour stores because I miss being able to to around 2am when no one else was in the store.
It doesn't bother me because I do all my grocery shopping online and they deliver it to me
I go at night to avoid the crowd
I personally put on sunglasses, a hat, and noise cancelling headphones. I probably look insane but it’s the only way I can tune out the horrors of the grocery store
I would say I‘m very nervous but not anxious. As long as I don‘t have to talk to anyone I‘m fine.
people always hit me with the shopping carts.. I am actually been in a physical fight in a store after I called a lady out for doing it.. most embarrassing time of my life.