I am about one of the biggest introverts that exist in my circle of existence.
Ever since I was teh child, I avoided any form of confrontation, yelling, etc., by curling into a ball, putting my fingers in my ears and hoping it would go away.
When people are unkind to others often times I get physical manifestations of it, as if I was the one on the receiving end. When people, be they doctors, roommates, nurses, people in general confront me, I shy away, even when often they are not being confrontational to me because of something that I have done, but it is how they interact with everyone.
They seem to naturally come at you in a brisk, confrontational manner as that is how they act towards everyone (For example my 1 brother no one has any contact with, the cna I had mentioned in the past where I live, etc.,) I just basically cower down and let them rant and do not say anything, meanwhile as a result I pay the price with my innards, and become even more of who I was, coming deeper into the circle.
When I mention this topic before, whether to family, friends, etc., basically the response is: “Be assertive, just stand up for yourself, you have done nothing wrong”
The problem is, I am in such a deep feeling of discomfort, I do not *know* how to do that and I am fearful of even trying to do so.
I wonder if others here have the same issue that I do, and how they approach it.