É por isso que a minha ansiedade me faz parecer uma cabra

Muitas pessoas vêem-me como uma cabra ou uma inadaptada. Acham que sou convencida e arrogante. Dizem todo o tipo de coisas sobre mim sem saberem a verdade.

My anxiety has a huge impact on my social life. I don’t really reach out to people.

The truth is, I’m anxious about starting a conversation, especially with someone new. I am even too nervous to reply to people’s messages, and that’s why it takes me so long to write back. I don’t want to ignore you or play hard. It’s not true that I don’t care.

Posso parecer uma cabra to you because I find it difficult to talk, fake a smile, and follow all the other social conventions. I’m not doing it on purpose, it’s just hard for me to fit in.

I know you don’t notice this because I am trying to suppress my anxiety and hide its physical ‘symptoms’. I don’t want to talk about it. I feel labeled as ‘the crazy one’, and it hurts so much.

A interação social é algo que as outras pessoas fazem naturalmente, mas para mim é um campo de batalha. Tenho de lutar comigo próprio para sobreviver. Sei que posso parecer frio, distante e desinteressado.

I tend to avoid eye contact and I end up staring at something else while you talk to me. I’m not ignoring you, I’m paying attention to every single word you say. I’m just not good at having normal conversations and it makes me feel like a bad person, a lousy friend, a cold bitch.

I’m not good at small talk. I’m the quiet one. People despise me because they believe I’m just sitting there, judging them for everything they say and do. But in fact, I’m just terrified because I can’t communicate with such ease like them.

They seem so connected, even when they are leading discussions and having arguments. Taking part in a discussion or fighting with someone freaks me out. I don’t feel human sometimes, I feel like a plant.

People are not aware of my anxiety. They just think I’m a bitch, an asshole, ‘the quiet one’, ‘the shy one’.

I hate drawing attention to myself and that’s why I’m careful with every move I make. My insecurities eat me up, and that’s why I might seem distant. It’s not that I want to act like an asshole.

A minha ansiedade faz-me ficar calado mesmo quando tenho algo importante para dizer, quando quero desesperadamente participar numa discussão e quando sinto a necessidade de fazer parte de um grupo.

I want to belong somewhere. I don’t want to hate myself anymore. I don’t want to turn down opportunities that I know I would enjoy. I don’t want you to call me names and whisper what a bitch I am.

I’m just someone who needs to try extra hard to achieve something that other people already have.

Antes de me chamarem nomes, tentem compreender-me.
Antes de me rotularem de cabra, tentem pôr-se no meu lugar.
Antes de me rejeitarem, tentem dar-me uma segunda oportunidade.

I know I can be awkward, but if you get to know me a little bit better, you’d know I’m completely different than the picture of me that you have in your head.