Today, I decided to work on my social anxiety by ordering some food. I waited in line, practicing my order in my head all the way. When I got to the front, I said my order with no mistakes. The cashier just stared blankly at me until I mumbled, "Never mind..." and left. FML
Collection
Fall
Dead leaves, the first cold of the season and an umbrella flipped inside out: fall, the season of grace.
Today, I was standing in line at a burger joint, facing my social anxiety and practicing my order in my head so I wouldn’t mess it up. When it was finally my turn, I panicked and said, “One large confidence, please.” The cashier just handed me a straw. FML
Today, I was exhausted after a long day at work and didn't feel like cooking so I went to a drive thru. I placed my order, went to the window and paid. I then drove off without my food and didn't realize it for a couple of blocks. I was too embarrassed to go back and get it. FML
Today, my friend asked me to order take out for him because he gets nervous on phones. I called a Chinese restaurant, only to get nervous, and hang up. FML
Today, I ordered fries at a drive-thru, then drove away without paying. Realizing my mistake, I panicked and circled back, only to drive past the window again. The worker just stared at me as if I was pulling off the slowest robbery in history. FML
Today, I went to a Mexican restaurant with my family. I got stuck trying to decide whether I should get the fajitas or the tacos. I ended up getting the tacos because I didn't want the fajitas to come in sizzling, and I didn't want to "make a scene". My social anxiety has hit a new low. FML
Today, at work, I was trying to repeat an order back to this guy, when his drunk girlfriend started to interrupt me. Whenever I would open my mouth, she would say "Blah blah blah." Literally. Eventually, I gave up. I got his order wrong, and got yelled at by my manager for not repeating his order. FML
Today, I got up the courage to go to a nice place for lunch alone. I wasn't expecting the Tilapia I ordered to be the whole fish, so I asked the waiter for a box because, "I forgot about an appointment in 20 minutes," just so he wouldn't think I was an idiot who didn't know what I was ordering. FML
Today, while at a store, my stuttering problem became so bad the poor store clerk had to supply my own words for me. FML
Today, whilst working at Subway, I took an order for 6 footlongs. The entire process took 15 minutes due to the customer's hesitant and glacial pace. When it came to paying, he pulled out his wallet, looked inside, looked at me, and walked quickly out of the store. FML
Today, I ordered enough takeout for 3 people. When the delivery guy smiled and asked, "Family dinner?" I panicked and said, "They're parking." Even though I know that the delivery guy doesn't really give a shit, I stood outside my apartment for 5 minutes pretending to wait for imaginary relatives before going back inside alone. FML
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Top comments
ScratchCatPower 32
Aww. I know it's really difficult to do something like that with social anxiety. Keep at it! You can do it. You should be proud of yourself for trying and getting that far!
H4H 15
Hey, you still went up and talked to the guy? That's something to be pretty proud of in my opinion, congrats OP
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Comments (71)
JADsen 11
Aaaawwww honey
fsr1967 9
EyesOfStone, as many others have said here, you did great getting out there and doing it - be proud of yourself! Are you getting professional help for your anxiety? There are great therapeutic techniques and meds that can work very well for anxiety. I'm not a doctor (and haven't ever played one on TV), but I suffer from anxiety (among other things), and have found a combination of therapy and meds to be very helpful.
creativityisnt 19
A+ for effort, OP. Anxiety is a hard thing to work with. Keep trying! Don't let some dumb fast food worker (but not all of them are dumb!) keep you from trying to make yourself a better person
kansmich 8
I have bad anxiety too so when I'm having bad days I'll text myself what I'm going to order so when I get to the front of the line I just pretend I'm ordering for a friend and read it. it's keeps me distracted so I don't feel the pressure of them staring at me and I don't feel silly for reading it.
ImZakki 15
That's a really good idea
caggybandicoot 34
I'm gonna start using that, fab idea!
metalcrazed 21
You were very brave in my opinion one of my friends faces the same problem. Cashiers and resteraunt workers not paying attention or being rude just piss me off.
kbecks87 16
I mean, I get what your saying, and it's fantastic that OP is trying to better themselves but it's not a cashiers job to cater to people's idiosyncrasies. You have no idea what the cashiers day has been like or how OP delivered the order. It could have come out too fast and jumbled and the cashier was thinking they'd realize and repeat themselves. Especially since we have no way of knowing how much time passed between the order and 'never mind' the 'state' could have lasted less than a couple seconds.
metalcrazed 21
I worked in food service as a teenager,yeah it's stressful but people in food service need to realize that customers have stressful jobs,partners or whatever too the last thing a person needs after a long annoying day is someone making it worse. As for the staring the person should have just asked them to repeat themselves staring is rude.
losersgirl 9
I actually used to have really bad anxiety like you! Obviously it hits me everyday but in smaller doses now. Especially socially. Cashiers were my worst nightmare. Something I read somewhere was try and make the other person feel comfortable and after some practice you'll forget about how they are making you feel and focus outward which feels easier to me.
blackmater12 6
what a bitch? sorry for ya OP
Minion99 1
Probably asked for a burger at chick fil et
Zmanryan3 9
It all in your head. Stop being weird. Man up and grow a pair.
ambitiousnerd 16
You obviously don't understand how debilitating anxiety can be. It's a disease like diabetes is. You can't just tell someone to snap out of it.
Zmanryan3 9
I'm sorry I can't talk I have anxiety I'm a big loser and I am going to starve because I can't walk into a restaurant and order food for myself I have to be a mute point to what I want to eat.
NostalgiaFreak9 43
Typical, an internet tough guy who tries to act smart and tough, but is too stupid and ignorant to understand how anxiety works. I think you have issues of your own that I recommend getting checked out if you take pleasure in telling somebody with anxiety to man up and grow a pair, because people who have a brain and are also mentally sane understand that anxiety doesn't work like that. Yes, there are people who fake having anxiety just for attention, but anxiety is actually real and it's nothing to joke about.
ambitiousnerd 16
I have social anxiety and have to rehurse things in my head too because I don't want to make any mistakes and embarrass myself. Phone calls are the worst for me. I'm on meds and it's doing wonders for me. So there is hope!!