I'm currently staying with my parents for a few weeks and today a friend of theirs is throwing a party which is going to be attended by people I've known all my life; people I would refer to as family friends is suppose, but in reality I am not close to any of them. The thought of having to sit at a table for hours, awkwardly, feeling like an outsider was causing me to be anxious since yesterday! I don't know why interacting with people I know causes me so much more anxiety than meeting new people? Does anyone else experience this? I mean meeting new people is terrifying enough, but not as much as meeting people you already know? Idk.

Anyway, with this party just a few hours away, I was basically in tears, not only because I'd have to attend but because I was feeling anxious about it. I FINALLY told my mother that I don't like going to these parties because I feel left out, uncomfortable and anxious and surprisingly she was cool about it. She called my father at work and told him on my behalf (because I'm not comfortable talking to my dad about mental health stuff) and he said it was ok but now I'm dreading having a talk with him when he comes back. He's always telling me to "talk to people, go out, interact" but he doesn't really realise it's not easy when you have severe, debilitating social anxiety.

Lemme know how you would handle this whole situation (idek if it's a "situation") with my dad. He feels really bad when I don't want to go out with him to social events.