Of all the English language words to use, the word "creep" is by far the most used and abused by women towards men. The word is supposed to refer to a looming threat, like "this place gives me the creeps". It's a warning signal that danger is lurking around the corner. But to a lot of women these days, it refers to any man they don't want in their line of sight. They use the word to describe actual dangerous individuals (always a man, they never use it to describe a woman), and they also use it for unattractive, awkward, or even ADHD men. I used to be incredibly awkward myself, and it pains me to know that I was placed in the same category as actually dangerous men.
So over the years, I developed an avoidant personality. I actively avoid interacting with women I don't know. It helps that I'm naturally introverted, but I've taken it to an extreme. If I'm walking down a sidewalk, and a woman is there, I either cross the street or pull out my phone to look distracted. I never approach women I don't already know, unless it's purely a business transaction. If they want my attention, they have to initiate it. I'll wear sunglasses so no one freaks out if I happen to glance their direction. If I need to use an elevator, and women get in first, I'll just wait for the next one.
But over time, this strategy has had negative effects on me. I've completely lost the ability to form strong attachments or fall in love, because I know those feelings will ultimately destroy me if they're not reciprocated. It's not rejection I fear, rejection is normal. It's that feeling like my heterosexuality is inherently deviant, like I'm some kind of monster because I experience normal feelings of attraction. So I bottle all of that up as a survival strategy, and all that's left is an empty feeling of indifference. I can't even fantasize about being in a happy and healthy relationship, because my brain is guarding it from me. And I don't know how to break free from that.