Help Do you feel exhausted and upset by just the thought of expecting guests?

[Kit1]

I am expecting about 10-12 of my husband's relatives to visit within the next hour and they will probably stay for about 4 hours. Since I found out a couple of days ago, I have been dreading their visit - this happens every time when they come. They are okay. I am just not a very socialable person and masking tires me out - though people will never be able to tell how I am feeling. Is it normal to feel like this? Does it takes days to get over that exhaustion?

 

[WAITING TO DIE]

Oh god yes !
I'm very socially isolated these days, yet in the past I always dreaded any kind of social gatherings and would always try and avoid them as best I could.
I'm a shy, quiet and reserved kind of person and socialising just wears me out big time.
It's difficult putting on a happy face and pretending to be gregarious, when all you want to do is the complete opposite.
I've heard it said that extroverts need people around them to recharge their batteries, while introverts have their batteries drained by people.
It's definitely normal to feel this way if you are a natural introvert, loner, or depressed.

 

[viljalauss]

yes and yes
i find it hard to leave my room even when other people have guests over and i need to pass them to do something.
and for some reason i feel like expecting guests, as in waiting for them, feels different and i would say harder than them actually being there. like it's kind of agonising
for me it tends to be made ok if someone else goes in to see them with me, like i'm a parasite hanging on to a social anchor of sorts, but otherwise it's scary as hell. goes for larger social gatherings, and even just like one or two new people in a group of familiar friends. and it's not even like i have coherent fearful thoughts like 'they're gonna judge me' or 'i'm gonna mess up speaking' - maybe they are there, but latent? - it's literally just fear
and for social exhaustion yea it can take me days, or hours, to get over depending, and usually involves isolating for a while unfortunately.