this post was submitted on 27 Mar 2026
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Ask Lemmy

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Anyone else just not like looking at faces (lemmy.zip)
submitted 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) by hodgepodgin@lemmy.zip to c/asklemmy@sh.itjust.works
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Sometimes I just don’t want to look at faces. Sometimes not even my own— I have to force myself to meet my own eyes. In public it’s either no eye contact or just a furtive glance. At work I catch myself accidentally drifting my eyes somewhere else like the floor or a random tool bag.

I know we’re all put together differently but this seems to be something a lot of people now have.

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[–] teft@piefed.social 7 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Have you been screened for autism because that's a classic sign.

[–] hodgepodgin@lemmy.zip 3 points 3 days ago (2 children)

I thought about it but it’s a shame/anxiety thing for me. I have a brittle social support network and few real connections besides the ones my parents made for me or the ones I made accidentally. And I’ve actually kinda broken a few of them through ‘no contact,’ so it would really just be exacerbated at this point…

[–] rimu@piefed.social 5 points 3 days ago

Knowing whether you have autism or not doesn't change who you are, it gives you knowledge you need to navigate the world better.

[–] teft@piefed.social 5 points 3 days ago (1 children)

I would talk to a therapist if you can afford one. Even just a consult to see what they might think could be a good idea. They can teach you coping mechanisms or exercises to minimize the anxiety you feel.

Just know that lots of other people also don't like looking at people's faces.