Do you cringe at the prospect of having to endure one more social gathering? Do you find yourself tongue-tied at the seemingly-impossible task of engaging in small talk over dinner? Would you just rather be left alone during the holiday season, so you don’t have to suffer through one more dinner party?

You are not alone. The condition is called Deipnophobia.

The word Deipnophobia can refer to the fear of engaging in conversation over meals. It can also be used to describe an aversion to large meals or banquets, regardless of the need to converse.

The most common cause of a social phobia such as this is believed to be a traumatic past event, usually in childhood. Sufferers may have been mocked or rebuked for forgetting etiquettes when with others.

It could very well be be that those in your social circle are themselves to blame, because they insist upon touching your food or sharing particularly-revolting stories while you try to eat.

Or are we the only ones who work with people like that?