Getting paranoid a few months in...It's my pattern

Post Reply New Topic

I have this new job. I am just starting to get the hang of things and I even like it. All the people are super nice. I have had many jobs and I know that it is hard to find a place with great bosses and coworkers that respect each other. This is a good place to be.
Here is my problem. People like me and I'm not that uncomfortable in the beginning. I'm very polite and work hard all the time. Once I have been there for a while though, people start to realize that I'm a little different. I get uncomfortable around people a lot and that makes people uncomfortable. I don't try to, but I get awkward when people joke around and stuff around me. No one has been rude or mean to me, but they all seem like they walk on eggshells with me and talk to me kinda like I'm a little kid. It makes me sad because I don't want to ruin everyone's fun just by being there. Now its been a few months and it is becoming clear to me again that this is still me even here. It makes me sick to have to go in and face my coworkers because I am pretty sure they would rather I wasn't there.

I hopped around to different jobs a lot when I was younger. It was before the housing crisis, jobs were everywhere. I had people to help me out, and no kids. It was so easy just to quit and go elsewhere for a while until that got weird and repeat.

Now I am a single mom with a mortgage. It's just hard