Every year we have one part of my family that comes round that live quite distanced from the rest of the family. We invite them and only them for boxing day buffet eapecially aince now their family has grown to 5 kids ages from 7-1years old and then the 2 parents. Usually i get really overstimulated and go to my room to recharge my social battery or just to take a break, last year i went upstairs because a panic attack came on from being overwhelmed and one of my cats that rarely go outside was nowhere to be seen for the whole day. We do games which i usually decided to opt out of. One ia a colouring game for the kids, one was chopping up chocolate with a knife and fork if you rolled 6 on a dice and one was maltester hungry hippos styled game. Last year the second game ended up with kids throwing up everywhere which im glad i wasnt downstairs for because i have massive emetophobia (fear of sick and/or being ill) and im a huge germaphobe which links to my health anxiety and can trigger panic attacks. I also didnt go to the living room for about 2 weeks after that to make sure i wouldnt get any "illness", i had an intrusive thought that if i went downstairs or talked to anyone i would get ill and die and that is one that usually comes back to my mind. This year, all the kids have a bad cough that their parents said "isnt contagious" and that they "arent ill". I dont believe that one bit. my parents have decided the same games, smaller amounts of chocolate but it still makes me anxious so im currently upstairs, once again calming down my cats and trying to calm down a bit, so far ive grounded myself to where my dpdr has settled down quite a bit and so has my heart rate. So my wins today have been staying downstairs longer than previous years and gettong somewhat involved in a conversation
