c/self-esteem·Posted by u/jordan_hale·1h ago

How do I stop needing proof that people actually want me in the room?

I got invited to a Friday dinner. I said yes. Then I spent Thursday night checking if the group chat had gone quiet, if anyone had liked my last message, if the host was just being polite because we sit near each other at work. At the restaurant I kept offering to move down so there would be space, like I was a plus-one who hadn't been counted. Nobody asked me to leave. Nobody even looked annoyed. I still waited for a sign that I was allowed to order. I need receipts: a follow-up text, a "glad you came," something I can hold. Without it I go home and decide I was tolerated. How do you sit in a room you were invited to and believe the invitation?

Peer discussion on askDr.app. Not therapy and not a substitute for professional care.