someone tweeted about how icebreaker activities can actually really hurt some ND people and so many people are getting mad about it saying that he’s “just looking for ways to be oppressed” and it’s so frustrating to me because as an avoidant, it just feels like a huge reminder of how many people don’t take the things i struggle with seriously.

there’s so many people saying things like “wow some people really think that being asked to do basic socialization is an attack on them” and, like, idk how to break this to them but my brain literally interprets attention from other people as a threat to my safety and reacts accordingly so yeah, it does cause me a lot of distress and exhaust me and degrade my mental health when i’m constantly being put on the spot and told to talk about myself to people without any chance to opt out.

i’ve had to leave classes on multiple occasions to go have a panic attack in the bathroom as a direct result of the “fun little icebreakers” we were told to do, because my brain does not know how to handle being forced into doing something where i could so easily say the wrong thing and embarrass myself in front of that many people.

it just. would be nice to be able to see someone talk about something that actually affects me without having to immediately see a barrage of people talking about how it’s a silly thing that no one would actually struggle with.