Anxiety asking for orders at restaurants?

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CanisMajor, that can be tough when it comes to restaurants with your dietary issues, and especially when you find it hard to ask for exactly what you want aswell.

I'd rather go to a buffet place where I can just help myself. Sometimes they have those at Pizza Hut, so when the waitress comes round I usually just ask for the buffet choice, and then I can go and get what I want in my own time. I am a fussy-eater, some foods make me feel sick like certain mayonaise or something, but I usually help myself to a lot of pasta on my plate because I can't go wrong with pasta, and just pick out sauces that I like and also I like to add some crisps.

But I have trouble with buffets if I haven't been in the specific restaurant before, because I never know where the buffet stand is. I have severe object blindness, and part of it comes from social phobia too because I feel panicky walking about when there are loads of people sitting, and I feel stupid asking someone where the buffet stand is because who can really miss a great big huge buffet stand? But yes, I can, because of object blindness and social phobia.

Ohh, problems all around with me!

I get this all the time, I hate going to resturants with my family etc because of it in fact. It feels like all the attention has switched to me suddenly and I get really uncomfortable.

I get the same sort of thing being served in shops too. Its just something you have to work on managing. It does suck though.

I hope there is no female version of me, it would be hard to overlook the mountain man beard.

YES... So annoying.

I have 4 different personalities.

Yes, I have difficulty ordering food anywhere.
When I order I either can't get the words out, they come out in the wrong order, or too quietly.
Which of course makes the person ask again ... which makes my difficulties even worse ... so they ask again ... aaaaaaarrrrrrghhhhhhhhh!

If I am on my own, I have been known to give up and leave.
If I am with my husband, he will order for both of us (after giving me the chance to try).
If I am with someone else, I always make sure they know what I want so if I mess up they can clarify the order on my behalf.

I hate ordering food, but it's more because I worry that the person serving me will think, "What is she ordering that for? She doesn't deserve to eat that, she's way too fat." It's the same reason I hate buying clothes or getting a haircut - I'm paranoid that people will think I'm ugly and laugh at me for trying to look "normal".

Yeah, I do although it's not as bad as before. I always have to keep looking at the menu because I always forget what I'm having and I make sure that if the meal comes with any side orders I'm prepared and choose those beforehand, also I come up with a Plan B just in case the restaurant doesn't have what I want. I used to be horrible with ordering for myself. I'd get my mum to order for me until I was about 16 years old. I usually have this thing where I don't like looking the waiter in the eye for some reason and I hate it when they come back to ask if everything is going alright.

More or less, I've noticed the simple act of talking in unknown scenarios evokes a measure of anxiety that I've never put my finger on, other than a "shyness" explanation. I manage to keep it well hid. Sometimes when my functioning level wanes, I feel like I'm going nuts here with this, and miss things or make mistakes. Lo and behold with my "luck," someone I know happens to know and find me (in such a fast food joint) during this and finds me in my weakest moment. *Weird* exudes.

I hate going into fast food places alone. First I get worried that there won't be a free seat (preferably away from other people)...then I get to the counter and just freeze.

I went to Burger King last week and stood at the counter for about a minute, saying "uhhh" with the girl behind the counter obviously getting irritated. Then I panicked and just ordered a Whopper...which I don't really like.

A few days later, I did the same in Subway and ended up with some really weird combination on my sandwich. =/

Oh, yes. I stopped going to my local Chinese when they put the buffet behind a counter and forced you to ask for every single item. I usually avoid restaurants with over friendly staff.

never had it