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Accidentally giving off the wrong impression
Anyone else have the problem of accidentally giving off the wrong impression? I seem to have this problem and don't know how to rectify it. For example, when I was in college, I would express so much happiness about being there due to my disliking of living at home with my parents. I hate living at home and hated it when the school year came to a end. Graduating was extremely tough for me since that meant moving back home.
Unfortunately, somehow this backfired because people just simply assumed I was obsessed with the college. A couple people told me they thought I was obsessed with the campus when in fact, I was just overly joyful about being independent. I was not obsessed about the particular college at all. In fact, if I could do it all over again, I would probably pick somewhere that has a little more stuff to do and a school that is a bit bigger.
I had to reassure them that I was not obsessed with the campus or anything like that. Also one person asked me in private if I had some sort of goal or some real big reason for being so happy to be on campus, or if I had some kind of mission. I said no and just briefly stated I just didn't like being home and being on campus was my way of getting away and being independent. I still hate being home but I wouldn't go back, I want to get an apartment especially when I go to grad school.
Also a couple times when I personally mentioned to someone that I was so happy to be back, a couple other people looked at me like there was something wrong with me or I was "special" or something. Other times when it comes to social situations, I feel like people mistake my shyness or anxiety about taking the initiative first for me not wanting to talk to anyone or appearing off and just different.
As I probably mentioned before in other threads, I feel like I bother people when I take the initiative to talk to others so I just keep to myself and if someone really does want to talk to me, I'm there ready to talk. Feel like it is safer that way. But I get the sense that I give off the wrong impression that I don't want to talk to anyone even though I still appear upbeat and just overall ready to meet someone, rather than awkwardly standing in a corner with my arms crossed.
From what I hear, just standing and watching from a corner during a social event can easily come off as unintentionally creepy so I make sure I don't do that. I will admit even I've been on the receiving end of that kind of situation. I may be eating or something alone, or in the rare chance, maybe even talking to someone when I realize that someone is just staring at everyone from a distance, and not looking happy about it. From that point of view, I can see how it could come off as different or creepy to certain people so I know not to do that.
I just worry that I give off the wrong impression about stuff which makes people think there is something wrong with me. I do have a slight paralysis on my face and also am hearing impaired so I don't know if those are contributing factors to people assuming that I am different or something. Same goes for my excitement towards things, anything to be honest. People share their excitements all the time and no one thinks twice about it, but when I do it, it is as if there is something wrong.
Just not sure what I could be doing. Also it is the same way, if I share something that is bothering me, people act like I'm just about to fall apart even if I am perfectly fine. Like a couple people thought I was going to off myself after graduating, which is something I would never do. And I have no reason to do that after graduating. Everyone goes through it, not just me. But apparently to some others, I came off as extremely depressed about it. Just don't know why people get the wrong impression. Is there a way to rectify this? Anyone else have this issue?
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