If you are introverted like myself and you do better with one or two friends than a whole crowd you might gravitate towards the food or disappear into the bathroom for long periods.
If you arrive at a party solo, as is frequently the case for me, you hope you will meet at least one person who can converse about trivial matters, such as holiday food or favourite holiday traditions or the best holiday drinks. You do not hope for a true meetings of the minds as that would be tempting fate.
Actually in my case, most of my holiday parties I will attend this year will be church or family functions and that introduces a wrinkle. How much of your truth do you put out there? If there's someone who hasn't seen you in months and they casually ask how you are what should you say? The standard "fine, thank you" seems inadequate but the complete explanation seems burdensome.
Chances are this won't happen very often this year as my family, church family in various churches, and extended family are all mostly aware of my story. There are still run-ins with acquaintances who haven't got wind of the circumstances of my life.
In my experience, people generally thank you for your vulnerability in admitting to mental health issues and but occasionally will over-praise you for addressing the stigma or cause you to wonder if you have over-shared. Sharing what you have gone through is a right and a privilege, but it is not a duty. You don't have to be a wall-flower, but neither do you have to be the life of the party. You can share yourself in small doses to people who can tolerate the mixture of sweet and salty and you can answer briefly to those who are only casual acquaintances.
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