Paranoid Thoughts Everyone Has At Parties

If you have intense social anxiety, then this video is for you. Buzzfeed's "Paranoid Thoughts You Have At A Party" tells the story of a Woody Allen-esque, thinking-way-too-much-all-the-time-but-in-a-way-that-the-world-revolves-around-me protagonist who is afraid to go to a party because of the things that might happen there which could effect the way people perceive her. From her initial reluctance to go, she worries that once she's arrived, all eyes will be on her, judging her, tearing her to shreds. If you've had such fears before, the video will allay them, as it becomes clear everyone at the party is super nice, and no one is being mean at all. Once the girl in the video actually arrives, she is greeted with warmth by her friend, and a stranger getting her a drink. As it is with most social anxiety, the vast bulk of the threat exists only in your head.

As the party progresses, the paranoia doesn't dissipate, and while going to a party when you're so paranoid seems like an entirely horrible activity, the video continues to persevere with the notion that those anxieties are all personal fictions. I haven't been to a party in someone's apartment in a really long time (which I feel like is the most unrealistic part of this video; Who still has parties at their own apartment?). Since I'm usually going out somewhere, the biggest social anxiety I have involves whether or not there will be "youths" at the bar I'm going to (hopefully not), and whether or not the music be played at a moderate volume so that I can still have a conversation (hopefully yes). But my advice to anyone suffering so greatly about parties that their every thought is consumed with panic and worry is JUST DON'T GO. There's way more fun stuff you can do than parties, like growing your own herb garden and binge watching Fargo (what I did all weekend). People who go to parties when they don't actually want to are the lame ones, not you.

And you know, for all your anxiety about parties, it really could be much, much worse:

Images: YouTube; Giphy