I’ve struggled with social anxiety since childhood. It has worsened since I’ve become an adult. Meeting people makes me nervous. I didn’t have many friends in school. Cerebral Palsy made it difficult to fit in at school. In high school, I didn’t go to prom or play sports.
It is challenging to meet new people when I can’t drive or get into their houses. Family events are also difficult when they are hosted at my family member’s homes that are inaccessible.
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, I was more social than ever before. I went to the arcade and out to eat with my friends. We went to MASS MoCA and a Boston Bruins game together as well. I had fun with my friends nearly every weekend.
Since the pandemic began, I’ve felt isolated and lonely. Leaving my apartment makes me anxious. The thought of getting COVID-19 makes me nervous. The CDC has loosened guidelines which makes me more nervous than before. People aren’t wearing masks much anymore. I don’t like going to restaurants or the movie theater anymore. I enjoy being by myself. I am delighted to watch TV or read a book by myself. I don’t enjoy going to concerts, bars, or clubs.
I begin college classes on Wednesday. I don’t want to go back to school. I’ve never felt this way before. I am having difficulty understanding why I don’t want to go to college. I’m nervous and don’t think I’m going to do well. My greatest fear is that I won’t be engaged in my classes. When I started college in 2018, I wanted to make new friends. I wrote for the newspaper, but I had trouble overcoming my social anxiety.
Having a disability can be lonely sometimes. Events should be accessible to everyone. At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, virtual events made attractions more accessible. I was able to visit The Louvre and The Shedd Aquarium. Disabled people want to go to concerts, museums, and restaurants. We should be able to go anywhere we want.
Sources:
Anthes, Emily. “C.D.C. Eases COVID Guidelines, Noting Virus Is ‘Here to Stay’.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 11 Aug. 2022, https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/11/health/virus-cdc-guidelines.html.
Zahn, Max. “New COVID Guidelines Ease in-Person Work but Won’t Spur Return to Office, Experts Say.” ABC News, ABC News Network, 18 Aug. 2022, https://abcnews.go.com/Business/covid-guidelines-ease-person-work-spur-return-office/story?id=88441400.