I recently realised that I might be slightly agoraphobic, because every time I think about going outside e.g. to go shopping or to the library to study, I get this vague sense of dread. I can overcome it, but it usually causes me to spend most of my day inside until the very last minute when I can force myself to go outside. This really isn't good for me mentally and doesn't help me to be productive because I can't concentrate as well in my dorm.
I know that all I need to do to solve this problem is just to throw on some clothes and a pair of shoes and go, but my brain tells me that everyone is going to judge what I'm wearing and think I look broke because I don't own anything branded. Idk why this happens but its probably to do with the fact that in year 7 I was bullied for my dress sense, and just for everything about me really. I know that I've made a lot of progress in my social standing since those days, but my mind has the mentality of once a loser, always a loser.
What do I do? Maybe I should just forget about what other people think about me entirely, but when I try to do that the fear of creeps in again. Because if I forget for a second, I might accidentally break a social norm. Or I might wear something 'unacceptable' for the standards of teenage girl fashion. I just wanna know what its like to be a popular girl, but maybe all I can do is grieve the loss of an experience I'll never have.
I might make a follow up post about my past experiences once I've given myself some time to reflect. Let me know if I should.