I know it is common for people (Aspies and social phobics especially) to walk into a room full of people, but has anyone felt anxious about walking out of a room full of people? I don't really mean strangers, I just mean like in the canteen at work, etc. I always worry and feel self-conscious that if I'm having my lunch in the staff canteen with other people, and I perhaps got there first and so will be one of the first to leave the room once my 30 minutes is up, that they might start talking about me as soon as I leave the room. I don't feel like that with everyone at work, but I do more with other youngsters that work there. One or two of the youngsters there can be critical, and I'm probably one of the first types they would critically comment about. I do try to avoid being the first one in and the first out, but sometimes it's not always easy.
Anyway, does anyone else feel self-conscious like that? The reason being for me is I have often been in a room full of people and someone has walked out of the room and then everybody still in the room starts talking about that person. That's why when I leave the room I don't hang around near the room, because I would feel worse if I actually heard people talking about me as soon as I leave the room. No wonder they say ignorance is bliss.
Complimenting me when I have left a room, however, is a different story. That would boost my self-esteem, because there's nothing more flattering than hearing people saying really nice things about you when they don't know that you are within earshot.
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Female