As a deaf person who (subconsciously) relies on lipreading and facial expressions to communicate effectively and with ease, nothing gives me more anxiety than navigating social scenarios in the dark, especially group conversations (I can handle 1:1 chats or groups of up to 4).

I& #39;m that guy that wants the light be switched on, or brightened, so I can see your faces. That guy that retreats into silence and acts all weird if I can& #39;t follow the conversation because I can& #39;t read everyone& #39;s lips or faces.

House parties, nightclubs, bars, concerts or campfires? They& #39;re perfectly fine - most of those don& #39;t entail big group conversations anyway. But sitting on a verandah with dim lighting? Or in the backseat of a van or bus while everyone else chats? Anxious just thinking of them.

It& #39;s not just about the "lighting" either. Open office plans make me so anxious as well. Especially if I& #39;m situated where my colleagues are all behind me, rather than in front. Many times ppl have have thought I was ignoring them - when I just didn& #39;t know they were talking to me.

I don& #39;t know what prompted this thread or what its purpose is, but with face masks now the norm, I dread using transport with friends - and even my husband. Visual cues - lip reading, facial expressions, wider context
- overcompensates my hearing loss. That& #39;s just the way it is