anxiety during big get togethers

[tdawgg123]

During big dinner ( like thanksgiving, Christmas etc) I always tend to have to attend these big dinner parties. I get all worked up about going and whenever I'm there I'm always In a state of anxiousness, especially when sitting around the table, I get sweaty, strange feelings in my head and almost a choking sensation or lump in the throat which makes it hard to swallow my food. I have had this happen for years ( even in resteraunts ) but other than that my anxiety has been fairly manageable and minimal for the past year. I don't know what causes this. Any ideas out there? Is it like social anxiety? Ive only been diagnosed with GAD

[C-K-J]

I don't have social anxiety but being in situations like that gives me the same feelings as well!

[tdawgg123 in reply to C-K-J]

It's so weird! I don't low what it stems from

[C-K-J in reply to tdawgg123]

Probably just our tired and overly anxious brains! 🙄

[Goldfish_]

This is all pretty common and nothing to worry about. Social anxiety was a term invented by a drug company to promote one of their products, but this is just another manifestation of an anxious personality or gad, so please don't add this to your worries.

[tdawgg123 in reply to Goldfish_]

Thank you! It doesn't necessarily worry me so much as annoys me I just don't quite understand why this happens every time. It's been happening since I was a child from what I remember ( now 27 )

[Agora1 in reply to tdawgg123]

Me too tdawgg123, I just get excited about everything, even happy occasions. Try to enjoy it. As the years go by, the people around that table will be less and less. These are the good times. x

[Goldfish_ in reply to tdawgg123]

Well there certainly isn't any point in getting annoyed about it as its part of who you are and should be quite understandable if you have a diagnosis of gad.