/r/Explainlikeimscared
Basic, detailed, step by step guides to daily tasks for people with anxiety disorders, social phobias, aspergers, or regular folk doing something brand new.
Basic, detailed, step by step guides for daily tasks for people with anxiety disorders, social phobias, Aspergers etc.
If you have ever found yourself in the situation of just being to afraid to do a certain thing, of not knowing how to behave in a bar, how to get a book from a libary or trying to call in late for work, but just can't overcome your fear, then this is for you.
You are also very welcome to write guides for tasks you mastered, places you know or situations you are comortable with.
Don't be rude!
No need to joke about other peoples worries
Please start your posts with ELIS: when you search for advice
ELIS: How to buy a car?
[GUIDE] How to go to a club alone.
This subreddit is inspired by this comment and by /r/explainlikeimfive
Australia
If you have any other suggestions message the moderators of /r/ExplainLikeImScared using the message the moderators button above the list of moderators.
/r/Explainlikeimscared
I need to see a dermatologist (health concerns, not cosmetic). I do not have a primary care doc and any that take uninsured I am having trouble getting in with. I do not have any form of insurance nor do I have a job. The health concern is currently not an emergency but is concerning, so "wait months to finally get into a pcp who can then refer me to another place" is not a good option. How do I find a dermatologist.
well we're more like acquaintances but still. the girl who sits next to me in one of my classes the other day made me really uncomfortable by pestering me about my sex life and then expressing...not so nice political opinions.
i was nice to her about it in the moment because it caught me off guard, but how do i get her to stop talking to me without causing any problems in class or with her friends? i'm pretty widely disliked in my school already so i'm afraid of making it worse...
What do I say when I want to register to make an appointment to the dentist? I checked some of the other posts so I get the somewhat of the idea, but I still want to hear how to do it. But i also have a problem where I know i need to get a root canal, but do i ask for consultation first and mention that I need a root canal, just in case it's really bad and I'd need to get something else done since it hurts etc.?
Also would the conversation go something like mentioning what you need and those details? and then just answering the questions? Also would it be rude to ask for how much will it cost?
Another thing, I don't quite know where the place is, I checked the maps and I know the address and that it's like on a certain floor, but I have never been there and I'm afraid that I won't be able to find the place, since it's a private clinic I think. I was thinking that maybe if I don't find it maybe I'd just call them, but I'm afraid I'll just sound dumb.
Also if I do register etc. what do i do when i come there for the first time? Do i come up to some sort of receptionist and say something? Or would I be called? or is this like situation different for these kind of places.
And in general, I'm really afraid, I'm scared that what if they are rude, or maybe they can't fix my issues since it's been few years and they judge me for it
I have a credit card that has a little icon for tap to pay. I’ve never used it because I don’t know how. I had an experience at target several years ago the first time I ever used the chip on my card to pay and now I’m like, I’m never doing that again !!
At Target I inserted the chip part of the card correctly but then I took it right out again like I was swiping it. I did this a few times and the machine kept beeping at me so the woman in line behind me yelled at me “Leave it in the machine or we’ll be here ALL DAY!!!” Hence my hesitation to try the tap to pay thingy.
Can someone help walk me through it?
I dont really know if this is exactly the right place to say this but Ive heard people are very kind here. I am a young adult with alot of social anxiety and im very likely neurodivergent (ive done my own research and ive been peer reviewed as it too from other ND people.) I talk here and there online in groups of people, but when it comes to DMing someone I always get really scared about it. Im scared that im going to say something weird or wrong and I dont know how to combat it. I also never really know what to talk about? I freeze up when I try to talk about my interests or I just cant articulate how I want to say or talk about something without kinda sounding dry.
Ive always been pretty socially awkward, I think and it got worse as I got older. I know its probably some form of masking I suppose? I didnt even actually start TALKING to people online until a couple years ago and before that I never really messaged my friends from school either, I just didnt know whhat to talk about. The one time I was in a group chat with the two of them and some of thier other friends I didnt talk much and when I did, I made things awkward. The group chat didnt last that long, maybe a few months.
Ive gotten told that I can message people anytime to talk but its like im stuck on what exactly to talk about and the not being able to articulate what exactly. I tell people to DM me, I really dont mind it, truly, I am just horrid at talking is all, but they never do :(. I have started a few times but then it doesnt really go anywhere and I just feel even more awkward. There are people id like to be closer too, even the people who I am close too I dont or rarely DM. I dont understand why one of my friends calls me thier best friend because its not like we talk super often anymore, even in the group. We just like ALOT of the same things, very similar.
I keep telling myself every year, im gonna talk more im gonna talk more and DM people but I just cant. I want to be able to do it especially to build a closer community/bond with others now more than ever. I want to reconnect with a irl friend and make more irl friends but I am unable to leave the house much and id never know what to talk about again anyways. I really want to get over this but I dont know where to start.
Hi, I was driving my partner to get vaccinated and I hit a nasty pothole and my tire exploded. I didn't know until we got to the pharmacy and parked -- and now I'm really not sure what to do :( I've never had a flat tire before and I just bought these tires a few months ago.
I really didn't want to post asking here but desperate measures I guess.
*Note, this is in Europe, iirc it's different from how it's done in the states (only thing I know tbh)
Context: I (23M) have been struggling with anxiety, social anxiety, autism, and maybe some past experiences that left me with a bad feeling, so I don't really go outside, much less in crowded areas like cities and the like.
However, there's a movie I really want to watch, and I don't want to suck it up and not go like I always do. On top of that I just really want to get more exposure to the world and gain back some of that courage, be able to "take myself on dates" all that stuff.
Problem is, I don't know how. Last time I went was in like 2017 and I do know the theater has these ticket machines, kinda like the ones in McDonald's where you make your order? Which is good because I don't need to ask employees at the counter, especially given that the movie I wanna watch is an animated one and it could be awkward, but I also don't want to stand there like an idiot trying to figure out the machine and where to go and stuff?
On top of that I need to see if the movie will still be in theaters next week, since it's probably about to get taken down and I don't know when this stuff refreshes really (probably Wednesdays, probably Thursdays I think? It just cuts there on the website) and I'm just really anxious and I wanna be able to plan this stuff because that's how I am.
Sorry if most of this sounds like nonsense I'm already getting nervous just feel free to ask anything, and thanks in advance
I think I need to go but I have horrible social anxiety and I've never done it before and that fear is holding me back
My wife just had a baby so we're in the hospital for a few days. She can call down to the cafeteria for all of her meals--they have a menu to choose from and order seemingly as much as you want? What is the ettiquette or protocol for how much you can order? She is ordering enough food for herself, but, like, could she order three entrees at once?
Not trying to cheat the system to get myself a meal too--I actually have meal vouchers so that I can "dine in" with her, and they deliver my meal along with hers.
Right now both of us are ordering, for example, a salad or small app, an entree with a side, and a dessert. Where is the limit, though? A few times they have remarked that our orders are small, so I assume people order much more. I just don't understand where the line is and I have too much anxiety to test that line. I'm rather rigid on rules even if I'm not sure of the exact rule, and I often end up missing out because I didn't want to seem impolite.
Realistically I am just wondering if I can order, say, eggs, toast, pancakes, a bagel, fruit, and juice in the morning or if that is too many things and they'll tell me "UM SIR? You can't order all of that!" over the phone and I'll get all rejection sensitive dysphoric about it.
I could use some advice from the "adultier" adults here.
I (24F) had a rough childhood and my family taught me almost no skills to enter the adult world with. I've just been teaching myself stuff and trying to do my best since I graduated. I still feel so behind and a lot of things are still a bit confusing for me. I'm learning how to manage my money better, though it's definitely a work in progress to hone my financial literacy skills. Trying to get my credit score up (also a work in progress). Trying to figure out how the heck health insurance works and how to get some sort of really cheap insurance (everything here that I've seen is so expensive, wtf!). I've decided that I no longer want to stay in the state I live in, so I've been trying to research what all I need to do to move to another state outside of just being able to cover moving costs.
I am truly overwhelmed by the amount of stuff I need to know that I just don't or still don't understand fully.
Literally any "adulting" advice would help. I've been going into life pretty much entirely alone since I was a kid and I don't have parents around that can help me or teach me. I have pretty much no support system to turn to for advice.
Thank you in advance for any wisdom or advice you can pass on.
For context I 30(M) am recently divorced and have struggled with OLD, I had some success long distance but never far enough to actually make anything deep, just sort of starting to fizzle out unfortunately. So I asked one of my managers (this is a somewhat candid working environment as long as everyone’s respectful we tend to get along like family) to set me up with someone she thought might be a good match. Well at the end of my shift today she showed me pictures of a coworker from her second job… cute girl, also recently divorced, apparently a tool bag Ex. Supposed to be taking a picture in my best outfit (but it’s also the only one I can imagine working if she wants a nice dinner date) and waiting back for a response from my Manager tomorrow…… Help?
I just got my COVID and flu boosters at a small, family-run pharmacy. I'm in Canada and in my province most vaccines are given at pharmacies.
My health anxiety is out of whack lately and I'm really scared that the pharmacist might have messed up and reused a needle, and now I'm at risk for HIV or Hep C.
I didn't see her open the needle packages, but I did see her dispose of the needles into a sharps bin right away after each shot.
Can someone please reassure me a little? I'm doing irrational things like looking up how long I need to wait before testing for HIV and thinking about going back to the pharmacy and asking them to walk me through the steps they used. It's all a huge waste of time and I would feel awful going back and implying that I don't trust the pharmacist.
I know seeking reassurance is a maladaptive response, trust me, but I just need a little help calming down right now. I'm starting ERP as soon as possible to start getting over this in the long term.
hi, fellow scared folks!
so i (19) basically was a recluse in high school due to a lot of unchecked mental illness and paranoia. but now that im in college, i want to start branching out— going to parties and generally doing social stuff. the problem is that i don’t know how to do that!! im really bummed that im going to be spending my first ‘real adult’ Halloween alone :(
how do you branch out and find social events and stuff like that?
I just started working for the first time in retail and i desperately need new shoes. The ones I have right now aren’t sold by the company and are just falling apart and now causing me pain. I know that we don’t have my size in the store of shoes I have been thinking about getting and they would need to order. We get a 60% off discount that we can only use at that specific store in person so getting a pair there that will last me and help my chronic pain is the best choice. I’ve been working there for only a month and have been nervous to ask about it since I haven’t been trained in that area yet. Would it be weird of me to go today on my day off ?
I (29m, European) was in therapy for anxiety and depression over the past couple of years. My status quo lets me go out for work and hobbies again, but therapy is no substitute for private relationships.
My school years were a disappointment. I was usually deeply infatuated by some girl and rejected everyone else, only for myself to get rejected as well. Was stupid in hindsight. The last time there was anything akin to romance in my life was 5 years ago at university. I'd even say she rushed things a bit too much for my comfort, but nothing came of it either, because she suddenly stopped showing up to university for good one day and we hadn't exchanged contacts.
I had two friendships with women from other countries via online games, but those were platonic and fizzled out over the years. 8 years ago I tried online dating and it was horrible, like a dystopian case study of a human population with only 10% women. I don't think I'll find anyone over the internet.
Many years later and I'm not a student anymore, didn't make any lasting friendships and every place I frequent for hobbies (sports clubs, game stores, game events) is entirely devoid of women, aside from a few staff members, moms in their 50s and those who accompany their husbands/boyfriends. I certainly won't find someone special through my pastimes and my workplace isn't a dating platform either.
So I'll have to step out of my comfort zone, but I can't even imagine what single women of my age do in their free time, clearly they don't spend it the way I do at all.
Should I manage to find a place where I am comfortable and could meet someone, that doesn't mean I'll be able to. I would be out of my field of expertise and we would have little in common. It all seems very difficult and, from the perspective of my anxiety, a risk to my privacy and therapy progress. From the depression-perspective, it might not even be worth trying. Feels a bit hopeless honestly.
hi, autism spectrum girlie here, i need help with something. It's very silly typing it out but.. Why do people say "I'm so sorry" to you when you explain something bad that happened that's not their fault in the slightest??? like, I'd say my day is going terrible and my cat is sick, and someone would just say "oh, im so sorry :(" WHAT DO THEY MEAN. it's not their fault and never could be. so recently I've tried using it in the same way and whenever i do it, ppl just go "why are you apologising?" but ppl do it all the time???? i don't understand.
Hi all, I have ASD and I really want to do something about the horrid loud beeping of our air fryer - everything I’ve looked up says to disable it/take out the beeper but I am scared to break it or do something silly and get hurt or something. Is there any other method for going about this?
I’m not very skilled or knowledgeable in electronics ect. either unfortunately, and can’t find anything in the manual about it, it’s a Russel Hobbs air fryer. Thank you guys for the help : )
Edit: add the part about the manual
I just moved out to college and am pretty openly gay. And there is this one guy that I think is straight but he’s always taking me out to dinner and random adventures. I wanna know if he’s gay but don’t wanna ruin the friendship. What do I do?
im a student in a woodworking class and we’re supposed to buy wood for our project from a lumber yard, what do I say? how do I purchase what I need?
Edit: Thanks everyone for the help! I went and did it and it wasnt too bad. ❤️🙏🎉
I (18F) have a date with a girl (also 18) tomorrow. I have social anxiety disorder and I've only ever been on one date, which wasn't very successful. So far we've only been messaging on Instagram for a couple of days (although we go to the same school, so we vaguely know each other, we just don't share any classes) and tomorrow we're meeting up to go on a walk together.
I actually mentioned my diagnosis to her after she mentioned that she's anxious about meeting new people, which seemed to calm us both down a bit, so I'm less worried about appearing anxious now.
So two anxious introverts who barely know each other are now going on a three hour long date in nature, lol. How do I keep the conversation flowing? How much should I dress up? Do people really hold hands and kiss on the first date? Which questions should I ask her? (I have an irrational fear of asking people questions, because even asking how they're doing seems too personal for some reason). If I start freaking out should I tell her or try to hide it?
Sorry if this is too confusing, I'm freaking out even thinking about it, lol. I'll be grateful for any advice, I really like her and don't want to mess up
Update: thank you all so much! I just got home, it went great and she just told me she hopes there will be a second date!!!
Gonna preface this by saying I'm 19 and autistic and I've never had a job before but have volunteered in a couple of places.
I see people saying they've applied for like 30, 40 jobs and I just don't know how they do it. I've applied for maybe 6 or 7 over the past two weeks. Every time I apply for a job it takes me like three hours and they're all like "why do you want to work for us" and its like idk man I just want a job and I match your list of requirements but obviously I can't put that. Like "why do you want to work at ALDI" I don't care about aldi I've tried 3 other supermarkets already and they were chosen in order of how close they were to my house. I can use a mop, you need someone who can use a mop, hire me. I know I should probably make some stuff up or smth but I straight up don't know how.
The guy at the job centre said I should be applying to two jobs per day but I've run out of jobs I can feasibly do. Am I supposed to apply for jobs I'm not qualified for? Or jobs that are too far away? I don't get it. I'm pretty sure my parents think I'm lazy or useless but I really am trying I just don't understand what's going on here at all. My dad had a go at me for not applying at another supermarket and I said that the job they offered required me to have previous experience in customer service and I don't have that and he got really pissed and said I was just making excuses to not get a job so what am I just supposed to lie?? I'm sorry this is so messy but I'm panicking because I straight up don't get what I'm supposed to be doing here and I don't want to get in trouble with the job centre for not applying to enough jobs.
Hello all, as the title suggest, I want to learn atleast these stuff.
tldr, I am in my late twenties[M], as someone with views to do right, just and be honest. Was in a burnout rut for over a decade and was a shut in, but got myself a job in big company. The corporate world I joined was not something I was expecting at all, cunning strategies and tactics are at play just to make certain people look good and others look bad, powerplay, etc. Even the ones I considered as friends had used to for their own advantage and boost their own ego, yet being someone with low confidence and timid, I am unable to do anything and just stay silent. I accepted this job with barely making above minimum wages while handing stuff at jobs and becoming unofficial supervisor and scapegoat for my team who are making way more than me while doing way less than me. I am unofficially made to do overtime everyday including most of the sundays while not being paid overtime premium and what not. Old friends specifically mentioned that I am not made for the corporate at all.
How do I learn to atleast tackle these cunning tactics while being gentle and respectful and to see things through? How do I also assess my self worth and upskill and negotiate inorder to get a better paying stuff?
I have lived my whole life in one city and I have never traveled anywhere else on my own. I don't have a car, so I can only use public transport. The city I need to go to has a direct bus and train route, however I don't know how to travel/orient myself anywhere.
I am capable of getting lost in my own city if l'm on my own. How do people just travel to other cities/countries and don't get lost? I'm worried I'lll get lost and won't be able to make it back home. But I desperately need to travel for healthcare.
Do you have any tips/guides on what to do? How to prepare and how to not get lost, or if I do get lost how to find my way again? Or what things I should have with me at all times?
I really hate phone calls. Idk why, but I do.
Last year I was referred to an endodontist for a root canal. At the appointment he determined I didn’t need it right that moment. I paid a copay amount and left. About a week later I received a bill from that office. I assumed it wasn’t covered as it was a consultation or something and just paid it even though it was around $300.
The tooth started to hurt again. I contacted my dentist, who sent me the referral again. It’s the one form last year, but the receptionist told me it should still be good. The endodontist receptionist still had me on file. I made the new appointment, confirmed my new insurance information, and waited.
When I went to the appointment they didn’t say anything to me about insurance. I paid about $830 as my “estimated cost.” Now, a week later, I’m getting a bill for $1500. On the bill there is a claim number that’s saying $0 covered.
It’s a PPO plan but the endodontist is out of network, but so is my dentist and they’ve been covering everything, just at a lower rate.
When I tried to make my appointment with my dentist to get the crown put on, that receptionist said she’s not seeing a claim or anything put in for the root canal.
All that background to say: I need to call sun life and figure out what’s going on, but I don’t know what department to call or what to say or what information I need to have on hand.
Help. I should know how to do this but I’ve never needed to. My dentist receptionist has always handled all the care they do for me, so I assumed the endodontist one would too, but I’m wondering if maybe she didn’t put in a pre authorization or whatever.
Hello, I'm basically an adult now. I don't know if it's about me being neurodivergent or that I've been spoiled since I was a kid, but I've been told that I'm selfish.
But i simply do not think about other people unless I'm reminded of something, I don't go out of my way to do things for them. My mom is a very good mom and i think I've gotten away with a lot of bad behavior because she's so kind. But i never learnt from my mistakes, or became aware of what I did wrong.for example, she comes to the first floor to get me my early morning tea everyday before I go to work - I don't set an alarm or try to make my own beverage because she insists on doing it.
Or I don't like to cook, because everytime I do she says it doesn't taste like a meal and that it should be perfect, and i just drop it then. It feels like ok, she has got things covered on her own already and i don't think about picking up her chores and doing it. And she gets angry then because I should do chores on my own.
I just feel very confused about how to not be selfish? I know some of it stems from my Audhd (I'm not saying that neurodivergent people are selfish) but what am I supposed to do?
I feel like I'm so caught up in my own thoughts all the time that i pay passive attention to everything else. Like I lack awareness. And I do appreciate people doing good things for me but I feel bad that I don't return those gestures or that I'm lazy?
I know I sound like an ass right now. But can someone share clear instructions with me on how to be a good person?
Context: I've never smoked tabacco before in any capacity, or chewed it, or have any smoking friends or family. I have smoked w**d(legal where I live in the US) and know it's not entirely comparable to cigarettes. I'm also autistic and have issues with intense smell and taste sensory experiences. For example- smoking weed took a month to figure out due to me straight up not inhaling enough because I was worried about the taste.
I have no desire to start a habit of smoking cigarettes and also have no substance abuse issues of any kind. I'm purely curious and want to know what it's like before I smoke one. The internet says I might puke or the physical feeling will be intensely unpleasant.
So: I bought a pack of menthol Marlboro 100s from a gas station. They've been open for like 2 weeks because I wanted to smell them but I haven't touched them otherwise and keep the lid closed in a drawer.
Not looking for folks to advise against me trying one, I know it's a controversial topic and I agree that I shouldn't make a habit of smoking. I'm also not looking to buy a different pack if the one I bought won't be easy for my first smoke. I like mint a lot so I thought menthol would be a decent choice.
Thank you for any help!
Hi, our family recently got a dishwasher and we have never owned one before, my sisters and I struggle with ASD and adhd ect. So would really appreciate a run down oh what to do and when. Also I don’t think we have been putting in the powder properly either … Thanks : )
Hi hi, I started an Etsy art shop earlier this year and I've really loved doing it, though I've only shipped domestically up to this point. (I'm in the US.) I've tried to look into international shipping several times over the past few months, but every time I do I find absolutely nothing concrete, it feels like a bunch of vague bulletpoints...I think I get the main gist of it all, and especially with Etsy's help in calculated shipping labels I think it wouldn't be very hard in practice. But I'm extremely anxious about messing something up I didn't know about and ruining the order; like the package being held when it gets to the location, customer having to pay extra fees, choosing the wrong shipping service, differing policies depending on where it's being shipped, etc.
This has already happened, actually. I got a message requesting I open shipping to the EU so someone could buy a sticker; after asking around Discord servers I decided on USPS First-Class Mail International stamps, since it was very cost effective. After receiving the sticker order and ordering the stamps myself, I then found out it was illegal to ship merchandise internationally with those stamps... extremely embarrassing. (The person I had asked turned out to have outdated info & I couldn't find anything about it unless I directly searched "can you ship merchandise with first class mail international". Might've been stupid of me not to do that, but I trusted them and thought I had things really figured out. orz)
TL;DR basically what I'm asking: Anyone experienced in shipping internationally, is there anything about it that you wish you knew? Like, any mistakes that are easy to make if you're a little too careless or don't do thorough enough research. I've tried doing research but most of it isn't very helpful and they're the same couple general points regurgitated over and over, nothing specific.
By the way, everything I'm shipping is small, like keychains and pins.
I(20) have never used makeup in my life. I don't know what to get if I want to start wearing it casually, and looking it up just got overwhelming. I know of a few basics(but don't own any) and that some depend on skin tone or need certain brushes/applicators, but don't know if I need anything else. I can look up tutorials on how to apply it later and advice on shades or whatever in store, I just would like some advice on what tools and specific things to ask for if I went into a makeup store. If you have brand recs, that would be fine too. I'm pretty nervous at the idea of looking stupid just going into somewhere blind, so I appreciate any help!
I can only afford ~$800 a month and have no equity. Where do I start? (Asking for my elderly aunt.)