Burned out and struggling with social interactions—anyone else?

I’ve been a people pleaser my entire life. In social settings, I’ve always stepped back, let others take control, and allowed them to shine.

I grew up with a well-meaning but very domineering mother. I’ve always felt a bit afraid of her and have gone above and beyond to please her whenever we’re together.

Now, I’m completely burned out. I’m still working full-time, but the source of my exhaustion isn’t my job—it’s my personal life.

I’ve reached the point where I panic at the thought of social situations that last longer than a short while.

The person I used to be could put others first for days or even weeks on end. Now, I can barely handle more than a couple of hours.

I can’t handle long dinners that stretch into hours of small talk until well past midnight, where I feel overpowered and unable to express myself. I just can’t.

I avoid hosting people at my place because I’m terrified I won’t know when they’ll leave.

This afternoon, someone I genuinely care about stopped by. Even with this person, I found myself panicking after 15 minutes, wishing they’d go home soon.

Maybe I’m a terrible person for feeling this way, but I have to ask—has anyone else gone through something similar?