Unemployed for 2 years, going back

Hi. Long post here. 4 concerns. You can just scan the headings then pick one concern to read. Thank you for any responses.

1. How common is office politics and bullying?

What should I do if it happens to me?

I've managed to avoid it in school by staying low-key, but I also don't want to live that way anymore. I lived with someone unpredictable for years and ruined my boundaries because of it, making adjustments just to appease them. Part of me is scared I won't fight back, to put it crudely. Part of me is scared that because I'm tired of trying to appease other people, I'll do the opposite: I'll fight back, overdo it, get my reputation tarnished, and ultimately ruin my career.

I guess I'm average enough to blend in, except for my 2-year unemployment history, my shelteredness (I don't go out much, so my street smarts are as bad as my social skills) and my financial situation (my lifestyle is simple, my immediate family is not rich, but I studied in a rather expensive university so people tend to assume I'm comfortable dining at places where the average cost for a meal is higher than what I usually get or that I'm as high-functioning as others from my alma mater).

2. If someone asks me why I was unemployed for 2 years, what should I answer?

I usually say I freelance or work online, which is exaggerated truth, but it only works for brief encounters. I imagine that if a co-worker asks me about that, there would be follow-up questions.

I used to not care about these things at all. Before I graduated and officially became unemployed, I used to think, "if I get judged, so be it" but now, I'm worried that it won't stop at judging and escalate into avoidance and discrimination, if not bullying.

3. How do I stop "freezing" in a social situation?

I'm afraid of getting embarrassed but I'm also used to bottling up. I guess the rational advice would be to set boundaries and tell someone not to do something if it makes me uncomfortable, but part of me is uncomfortable revealing what makes me uncomfortable. It feels like shouting to a crowd, "can nobody please snatch my bag, I have a sprained ankle, I can't run after you" when there could be a thief among them.

4. I'm not sure I have enough competence overall.

Sure, I have some strengths, but I'm not sure they'll outshine my weaknesses, especially in a workplace.

I've never been good with time pressure. I also find it difficult to finish something I have issues with. (Even if I know that their KPI for a good article is SEO readability, reach, and all that, I get existential whenever I think of the fact that something "much better" could be created. I put in quotation marks because I used to think it was simply greater comprehensiveness, better writing, or the importance of the topic, but these days I'm not even sure anymore.) Add to this how commuting is already stressful for me because I have motion sickness, my eyesight is bad, and I can't always get on from a terminal or bus stop so I'd have to squint reading signs, miss rides, and get outrun by those with better eyesight. I have eyeglasses, but they're only good for a few months every time. If I were to do any sort of field work, I'd also worry and need to prepare extra early because I have a bad sense of direction.