I work in a grocery store and I've been having some social anxiety issues. I have a therapist who says that I have a very strong will to be able to work with the public while I am dealing with some admittedly crippling anxiety. I was told today that I had to train a new cashier, just for an hour, and two of my coworkers kept telling me it would be okay. I went to take a break and I was sitting in the break room doing my deep breathing and Progressive Muscle Relaxation exercises and my boss walked in. He asked me what was wrong because I was visibly trembling but when I told him I have social anxiety disorder and was freaking out over training the new cashier he laughed at me. Just threw his head back and gave this great big belly laugh and exclaimed how can you have anxiety issues if you work with the public? Even with my direct supervisor saying something about it, he still didn't get it.

Then a couple of hours later I was heading back to work from lunch and my tire blew out. Now thankfully I didn't get hurt or cause a wreck and I was able to get to a safe place to try to change my tire. I get my tire changed with the help of a good customer from the store who is actually our security provider and my spare tire is almost flat. So I had to go back home (thankfully less than a mile) and air up the spare. But finally I made it back to work and one of my coworkers tried to make me feel better but honestly I just want to curl up in a ball and cry my eyes out.

I know if you put these incidents together it doesn't seem like very much but I just can't catch a break today. :(

Ah man, I'm sorry you've had such a bad day :( I have social anxiety as well, and while it's gotten a lot better through working in places where I have to deal with people and interacting more at school, there are still days where it just gets to be too much and I have to have some downtime to recover. It's terrible that your boss just laughed at you :/ I know a lot of people don't really understand it, but ideally it would have been nice if he had understood how much effort you put into doing your job well despite your anxiety.

I hope you feel better soon though!

I have social anxiety and work in retail too so I kind of know how you feel, though my anxiety sounds a lot more mild than yours, admittedly. Either way, your boss sounds like an ass and you might want to make an anonymous call to HR about getting him some well-needed sensitivity training..

I do feel better now that I've had several hours to calm down. Thank you!

I can't help but feel that nothing would get done about him even if I called HR. We had one coworker several years ago who was literally making a few of the other cashiers scared because she would threaten them and nothing was done about her until she went on mental health leave!

Hmm...well, just keep in mind that if this harassment keeps up, there is such a thing as the Americans with Disability Act to protect you.

I'm impressed that you have the strength to go out and face your anxieties. That's a wonderful thing right there and for all the insensitive people in your life, at least remember there are more that DO care about you, and of course us random people on Subeta here.

hugs I'm glad to hear that you're feeling better. Sometimes it just helps to vent things out.

Thank you! Subeta really does have the best userbase online!

huggles you tightly

Why the hell laugh at someone who has a disorder for their disability? Fucking hell!

That is terrible!! I know I'm a bit late but I had to say something.

I have pretty bad general anxiety too that I am on medication for. No one ever used to believe me because the only jobs I could ever get were cashier jobs (no college degree, no experience, etc.). I would come home and cry after almost every shift just to let out all the stress. I even left early a few times when I was having a particularly bad day.

So, speaking as someone with similar difficulties, I know how hard it can be and I think you are a very strong person to be able to deal with all that. Hope you're still feeling okay!

Oh man, I really do feel for you! I know just how hard it is to be in that situation. Social anxiety can make the most simple of tasks a crippling ordeal.

Some people will never understand what it means to deal with social anxiety, and that's okay. It sounds like you have some really nice people in your corner at work and that's what matters most, that you have someone there who understands what you're going through.

I can tell you the best way to work through social anxiety is to continually push yourself to do things that make you uncomfortable, because that is the only way you'll be able to overcome it. Take baby steps and always remember to practice your breathing exercises and know where your limit is, it's okay to say no when you're feeling overwhelmed or anxious. My anxiety used to be so crippling that I couldn't order food, talk on the phone, be in crowded places or alone with strangers. I've come a really long way with my anxiety and I can now say that I can 100% handle it and it doesn't affect my life NEARLY as much as it did, but some days are more of a struggle than others. Just remember you're capable of doing anything and to push yourself past your comfort zone, but be mindful of your limit and take care of yourself.

I hope this week was better for you, keep your head up!

Thanks so much guys! ;.; The outpouring of support from y'all has made me feel much better! This week has been a lot better simply because my boss is on vacation. I do intend to have a discussion with him once he gets back about respect though!

Glad this week has been better for you. :)

I'm super shy with people too and used to work in a cafe. Was way too quiet and nervous, and my coworkers didn't think I'd last long. By the end of a couple years I absolutely loved it, especially when the nicer customers I recognized came in. The job really helped, as long as you're developing yourself and continue to create a healthier perspective of people around you.

That said, it's a lot harder to want to do better when you have a boss who sounds like a pig. You could be a total angel and look past it, remembering the people who do matter, but keep in mind you could always look for a cashier job elsewhere on the d/l.