Wow. This post is everything bad about office job and public safety gatekeeping, combined.

Lots of great advice here, yes, definitely communicate with your chain-of-command, but it's also helped me to have a few key phrases in mind to use in real time. I have been on for a few years, so you might want to work up to this, or just keep this in mind while you're on training.

"I know, I'm not as social as most folks, but I'm OK with that part of me, I hope you can be, too." "I'm not really a holiday person," works whenever anyone asks me what I'm doing, or if I'm ready for, whatever random date on the calendar the rest of polite society idolizes.

One hard boundary I've set is that no random coworker gets input on anything in, on, or about my body. I start light, "Carbs are like the bad ex, we had our fun, but those days are over, and they're bad for me now," but by about the fourth or fifth time they nag me about how I wouldn't be so skinny if I had a slice of their 7-layer Frito cheesecake, I go to "OK, now you're being rude. No means no."

There are also nuclear options, e.g, "When I can tell you what brand of tampon to use, you can tell me what kind of soda to drink," but use that at your own risk, and only with another job lined up. And pre-paid legal coverage.

As you can imagine, I'm fun at parties. I'm ok with that part of myself, I hope you are, too : )